Reds decline Aurilia and Ortiz's options for 2006.
No fuss, no muss. Nice pair of decisions by the Reds.
If Aurilia is to come back now it'll be for less than $2 million, which is as it should be. I still would prefer they not even bother with him, but if they do then I hope it's as cheap as possible.
More from Marc:
Talked to Rich a little while ago.[...]
He said this resolution, declining the option and allowing him to become a free agent, is what he ultimately wanted. It allows him to come back to Cincinnati if that's how things fall, but doesn't tie him in without allowing him to explore the other options out there. However, it didn't sound like a return to the Reds is real high on his radar screen.
Good!