Milton files for free agency
Left-hander's tenure in Cincinnati likely ends with move
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- Eric Milton hasn't thrown a pitch since May, but his three-year stint with the Reds likely concluded on Tuesday when he filed to become a free agent.
Milton, 32, was 0-4 with a 5.17 ERA in six starts before going on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his left elbow. He had season-ending Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery on June 15.
A former All-Star who successfully pitched for the Twins from 1998-2003 and the Phillies in 2004, Milton signed a three-year, $25.5 million free agent contract with the Reds on Dec. 27, 2004. It didn't pay off, as the left-hander went 16-27 with a 5.83 ERA in 66 starts for Cincinnati. In 2005, he allowed a club-record and National League-leading 40 home runs.
In 2006, Milton had two stints on the DL -- including one for a sore elbow that required arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 22.
Let's not all cry at once<sarcasm>