Scouts have eyes on young Reds

[missionhockey21]

Scouts have eyes on young Reds

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | They gathered in a corner of the media dining room, swapping stories, mostly lies, as Major League scouts love to do.

With the Cincinnati Reds 21 games out of first place and 13 games under .500, other teams figure the Reds will be sellers as the nonwaivers trade deadline lurks over the horizon. There were 16 scouts representing 15 teams, gathered in Great American Ball Park to check the flesh the Reds might peddle if the price is right. The Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Nationals, Cardinals, Phillies, Padres, Mets, Red Sox, Indians, Mariners, Yankees, Royals, White Sox and Rangers had scouts there.

And Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry will be in GABP Wednesday.

"The name that keeps coming up is Joe Randa," said one National League scout. "We're not willing to trade our top prospects for him."

While the Reds are more interested in dealing veterans like Randa, Rich Aurilia, David Weathers and Kent Mercker, most clubs are interested in younger players, especially outfielders Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Pena and Austin Kearns. There is some interest in pitcher Eric Milton, who might be better served pitching in a spacious park rather than the broom closet that is GABP.

As for Ken Griffey Jr., at his age and at his price, he probably is not marketable, even though he is dazzling scouts with his recent play. The Reds would have to eat a lot of Griffey's salary. He makes a base of $12.5 million through 2008 with $6.5 million more a year in deferred money, with no interest until the contract expires after the 2008 season. Then he makes $6.5 million a year through 2025 at 4 percent compound interest.

As a 10-and-5 guy (10 years or more in the majors and five years or more with the same team), Griffey has final say on any trade. Would he accept a trade?

"Only to the right team," he said. "It would have to be a top contender because I want to win. I want a World Series ring. I'm tired of looking at my dad's three World Series rings."

Reds general manager Dan O'Brien, watching the Sarasota Reds in the Class A Florida State League, was not in Cincinnati to see the scout migration, but said, "Interest in our players has been spread pretty much evenly between veterans and young players. We're status quo on our young players, meaning we aren't interested in trading them."
Brotherly love

Catcher Javier Valentin drove in seven runs Sunday with two home runs, a grand slam batting left-handed and a three-run homer batting right-handed.

On Monday he sat. Why?

"The only reason I did it was to give you (writers) something to talk about," manager Jerry Narron said with a smile. "Actually, looking at Chicago's rotation, I want Javier in the lineup against Kerry Wood (Wednesday) and Greg Maddux (Thursday)."

Valentin is keeping the baseball from his grand slam and donating the bat to the Reds Hall of Fame/Museum. He is the first Reds player to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game since Pete Rose in 1967.

"My brother Jose (who plays for the Dodgers) called me last night because he came off the DL and played his first game," Valentin said. "He didn't know about my game and I didn't say anything.

"But my dad, who was here and saw my game, grabbed the phone and said, 'Hey, Javier had two homers, one from each side of the plate, a grand slam and seven RBI,' " Valentin said with a laugh.

Dunn goes batty

Dunn picked up a bat out of Randa's locker, swung it, and said, "Man, this feels good."

"You have 24 home runs and you always say other people's bats feel better than yours," Griffey said.

"They do," Dunn said. "Ray Olmedo's bat feels better than mine. Everybody's feels better than mine. Mine feel like crap. I'm going to start ordering my bats with other player's names on them so I'll think my bats feel good, too."

Williamson returns

Scott Williamson, who still lives in Cincinnati but is employed by the Chicago Cubs, threw a bullpen session before Monday's game in Great American Ball Park, where he used to toil for the Reds as a relief pitcher. The significance?

"It is unbelievable," said Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek. "Scott is only nine months removed from revision Tommy John elbow surgery, a re-do."

The Cubs could add him to their roster within two weeks after her does a rehab stint at Class AAA Iowa.

Even more incredible, pitcher Jason Grimsley was activated by Baltimore and pitched Friday, less than nine months after Kremchek performed Tommy John surgery, the fastest ever between surgery and first pitch.

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[Jr's Boy]

Now what,is JR saying he wants out but to the right team?

[CincyRedsFan30]

I don't think he's saying he "wants" out, but rather if the team wants to trade him, he wants it to be to a winner.

[Geki Ace]

If we can get a good deal and are capable of getting Junior to a contender, I think we owe it to him to do it. If we do trade him, it better not be a salary dump, though.

[Sea Ray]

Have you noticed that poor Hal once again grossly misstated facts in this article. Griffey's base is $6mill and not $12mill.

Here's the fact on Griffey's contract:

A day after Griffey's $116.5 million, nine-year contract clinched his trade from Seattle to Cincinnati, the contract was the talk of baseball.
Because the total includes $57.5 million in deferred money that won't start earning interest until 2009, the Reds estimate its present-day value at between $9.2 million and $9.3 million annually, one agent, speaking on condition he not be identified, said Cincinnati general manager Jim Bowden told him.

In actual money, Griffey will receive $7 million this year and $6 million in each of the following eight seasons. By the time he approaches Hank Aaron's home-run record of 755, he might not be among the top 50 average annual salaries.

Hal makes it sound like he gets a total of $19mill/yr in base and deferred salary. I bet Jr's laughing his butt off over how inaccurate this article is.

I love Hal but it's sad to see how inaccurate he's become. He's beginning to remind me of Harry Caray's last years.

[Sea Ray]

I'm losing respect for Hal not so much because he makes a mistake but because he doesn't retract his mistake. He should have set the record straight in today's column. He also has not answered my e-mail questioning his facts. He's hiding under his desk.

[Cincy]

Hal's editor should be fired IMO!

[CincyRedsFan30]

His editor knows he doesn't see very well, and probably doesn't notice if he types something wrong. He should do a better job than he does.

[Sea Ray]

His editor knows he doesn't see very well, and probably doesn't notice if he types something wrong. He should do a better job than he does.

The editor doesn't know what Ken Griffey makes. That's Hal's job to get straight. I agree the editor has his place but this gaffe falls on Hal himself.