DENVER – Matt McLain bet on himself after the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft and now the Cincinnati Reds are betting on him.
The Reds took McLain, a shortstop out of UCLA, with the No. 17 overall selection. He was a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 25 overall) but he did not sign. He spurned a $2.6 million signing bonus, according to the Los Angeles Times.
McLain, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound right-handed hitter, waited three years for his next opportunity in the draft and he improved his draft position.