Mike Leake and Options

[Brisco]

Can someone help me out on the options rule for Mike Leake?

I know that its an annual option... but Mike started in the majors, so no options have been used for this year. Is that a possible reason for him to stay on the 25 roster the rest of the year? If I am right we can't "shut him down" without going to the DL or using up an option year, right?

Thanks,

Brisco

[scott91575]

Can someone help me out on the options rule for Mike Leake?

I know that its an annual option... but Mike started in the majors, so no options have been used for this year. Is that a possible reason for him to stay on the 25 roster the rest of the year? If I am right we can't "shut him down" without going to the DL or using up an option year, right?

Thanks,

Brisco

You can shut him down in September and keep him on the 25 man if you want to use him in the playoffs. With the 40 man roster if won't matter if you send him to the minors or not.

Yet as I have stated before, if you need to use options on him in his 4th year, that is not a good thing. That would mean he was bouncing up and down for the next two years, and still not ready to be a full time starter 3 years from now. This isn't a Homer Bailey situation of a few years ago. Leake is 22. If at 25, even after starting in the majors his first year, he cannot stick in the majors....options are the least of the Reds concerns at that point.

Plus at some point you want him to spend 20 days in the minors to move out his FA year. The end of this year would be the logical time since next year he could be a full year starter, and at that point sending him down anytime in the future would be very difficult.