Kiwi baseballer Travis Wilson has secured a new contract in the US with the Cincinnati Reds.
Wilson, who was playing just below the Major League in the Triple "A" competition, was cut by the Atlanta Braves at the end of last season.
He has signed a new one-year deal with the Reds,
a team which has gone through a ton of change in the past 12 months.
The former Black Sox softballer says despite the Atlanta Braves ending his contract, he always knew he could secure another deal.
He has four weeks to impress the Reds coaching staff at the upcoming spring training programme in the US.
He says that apart from batting and fielding practice, there will be 14 or 15 training games, during which he will be given the chance to show what he can do.
Wilson says his best chance is to prove to the Reds coaching staff he is a good utility player.
At this stage Wilson will be based with the club's third tier team, but a good pre-season could see him included in the second tier Triple "A" side, based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Wilson says the Reds are a great option as they seem to give younger players a chance.
He says last season 13 players made their major league debut with the Reds and they used 55 players on their 25-man roster.
Wilson says a new contract with a new outfit is a major boost, after seven years with the Braves without making the Major League team.
- Newstalk ZB
