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Righty Collin Balester was part of the last-ever Montreal Expos draft in 2004, as the club took him in the fourth round out of Huntington Beach High School. Though he came from a surfing family, according to Baseball America, Balester moved quickly through the lower minors. By 2007, he was considered the Nationals’ best prospect and a future number one or two starter.During the summer of ’08, Balester was deemed ready to join the rotation of the tanking Nationals club. He made a career-high 15 starts as a 22-year-old rookie, putting up three quality starts in the process.Balester eventually moved into a relief role for the Nats, but was traded to the Tigers in December 2011. His career also included stops in the Rangers, Pirates, Reds, and Giants organizations, as well as a stint with KBO’s Samsung Lions. Along the way, Balester underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2013, battling to get back to the Majors with the Reds in after a gap of more than three years.Ultimately, Collin topped 200 total innings in the Majors in parts of six different seasons.
