The Reds have eight free agents eligible for arbitration that they have until midnight to offer: C Paul Bako, RHP Josh Fogg, IF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., RHP Mike Lincoln, LHP Kent Mercker, OF Corey Patterson and RHP David Weathers.
I can see them offering Hairston, Lincoln and Weathers, and none of the others.
The players have a deadline of Sunday to accept.
The other three players eligible are RHP Matt Belisle, 3B Edwin Encarnacion and RHP Gary Majewski.
Of those, I'm certain they'll offer Encarnacion, and doubt either of the other two, although I wouldn't be shocked if they did offer Majewski.
Alonso and Frazier were 0-for-2 and 0-for-3, respectively, in the title game.
According to the league's website, the two were ninth (Alonso) and tenth in batting. (Although, the league site didn't have the boxscore from the title game, so I don't know if it includes the final games.)
Alonso hit .308 with our home runs and 21 RBIs, while Frazier hit .295 with three home runs and 22 RBIs.
According to MLB.com, Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd called the Reds-Rockies rumors (the Reds being interested in Garrett Atkins, Yorvit Torrealba and Willy Taveras) as being "comical."
Hopefully that's because O'Dowd knows Torrealba and Taveras suck and he couldn't get anything for them and Atkins has no position and is below average away from Coors Field.
GABP WINS AWARD: At 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, Great American Ball Park will be recognized with the John Van Volkenburgh Award for recycling innovation at the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District’s annual luncheon at Mill Race Lodge in Winton Woods...the John Van Volkenburgh Award is the highest honor given by the HCSWMD and recognizes an individual or organization that improves the Hamilton County community through innovation in recycling...Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini will accept the award.
TODAY’S NEWS: The Reds’ Class AAA Louisville affiliate today announced that its coaching staff will return in 2009...last season manager Rick Sweet, pitching coach Ted Power and hitting coach Adrian Garrett led the Bats to an 88-56 record and an International League playoff berth...the 88 victories were a franchise record and tied for second-most of any team in the minor leagues...in 2008 Sweet became Louisville’s all-time winningest manager (303-272) and was named the IL’s Manager of the Year...see attached press release for more details.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: Tickets for the 2009 World Baseball Classic will go on sale Monday...ticket information and the complete schedule can be found at www.WorldBaseballClassic.com.
1. Do they get that for signing Corey Patterson?
2. That's awesome news for the Reds, the Bats and Louisville. One of the finest coaching staffs around.
Cincinnati Reds Signed: C Ben Davis (Camden (Atlantic)), 2B Luis Bolivar Released: RHP Hugo Calderon, RHP Tyler Rhoden, C Frank Meade, 1B Eli Rimes, 3B Brett Bartles, OF Anthony Gressick Removed from 40-man roster: LHP Bobby Livingston
Davis, the second overall pick in 1995, latched on with Camden after the Orioles released him in June. The switch-hitting catcher, who will be 32 next season, has logged 486 games in the big leagues and 686 more in the minors, where he’s a career .256/.316/.404 hitter.
Among other things, it tells you how tough it is drafting catchers.
Darin Erstad was taken first by the Angels in that draft, followed by Davis, taken by the Padres. Kerry Wood was fourth, Todd Helton eighth. Roy Halladay was taken 17th. Other interesting names on the list of players drafted that season -- Carlos Beltran in the second round, Sean Casey in the second round, Ricky Williams in the 8th round, Tom Brady in the 18th round and Daunte Culpepper in the 26th round.
