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CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss NNoovveemmbbeerr 1100tthh,, 22001166 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 10, 2016 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1997-The Reds trade Jeff Brantley to the Cardinals for Dmitri Young. During Young’s four seasons with the Reds, he accumulated a .304 batting average, with 143 doubles, 67 home runs and 296 RBI MLB.COM Reds open to filling 5th rotation spot with FA GM Williams also hoping top prospects 'ready to step up' By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 9th, 2016 + 8 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Although the Reds' rotation struggled mightily this past season, it showed improvement in the second half. There was enough progress that Cincinnati feels comfortable knowing that Anthony DeSclafani, Brandon Finnegan, Homer Bailey and Dan Straily will be the first four starters. That fifth spot is wide open, though. During the General Managers Meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz., Reds GM Dick Williams did not rule out using the free-agent market to mine potential candidates. "There's certainly a chance we could sign starting pitchers," Williams said on Wednesday. "Whether they'll be targeted with a Minor League deal to serve as a Triple-A starter or whether we'll go after a starting pitcher remains to be seen. We have good competition there, but it's young guys. We have a bunch of young guys for that last spot." Some of the Reds' top prospects will certainly be contenders for the fifth spot -- including Cody Reed, Amir Garrett, Robert Stephenson and, possibly, Rookie Davis. Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen are also possibilities, if they aren't chosen for late- inning roles in the bullpen. Tim Adleman, signed to a Minor League deal last year, emerged with some nice outings during 2016 and will be in the mix, too. "I wish I had a crystal ball. I think they'll come in ready to compete, and we hope some of those young guys are ready to step up," Williams said. "They'll certainly have opportunities to pitch in the rotation this year." Williams did not specify which free agent might fit the Reds' needs, but there are several starting pitchers on the market likely in the lower price ranges. They include Bud Norris, Tim Lincecum, Clayton Richard, Colby Lewis and Jonathon Niese. The Reds' attempt to sign a veteran starter that could eat innings this year backfired when Alfredo Simon earned $2 million as he went 2-7 with a 9.36 ERA in 15 games. Simon is a free agent not likely to be re-signed. Cincinnati's rotation has much to improve on in 2017. It sported a 4.79 ERA with 155 of the Major League-record 258 home runs allowed in '16. It ranked last in innings pitched and first in batters hit by a pitch while also throwing two complete games. There is optimism that Bailey will be ready, after his comeback from Tommy John surgery later in the season was cut short to six starts because of a right biceps strain. "He's having a full regular offseason," Williams said. "The last couple bullpens he threw in September were good." Meanwhile, in Arizona this week, the Reds will continue to lay the groundwork for potential moves. Nothing has gotten serious. "I'd say we're early," Williams said. "We're not far along with free agents at this point, but we've made initial contacts with a lot of the targets we're interested in. Trade talks are trade talks. We've talked to everybody. We have an idea of what people are looking for and we have an idea of interest level, but nothing has progressed." Reds GM: Mesoraco may be back for opener Club optimistic about catcher's progress, but also exploring options By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 8th, 2016 + 199 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- When it comes to Devin Mesoraco and the Reds' catching depth, general manager Dick Williams is expecting the best and preparing for anything short of that. Considering that Mesoraco has been limited to 39 games -- including 18 starts -- over the past two seasons, Williams really has no other choice than to survey the market landscape. In May, Mesoraco had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. In July, there was another surgery to repair the labrum in his right hip. It was a procedure similar to the one that was performed on his left hip in June 2015. "I think it's important to prepare a contingency plan," Williams said Tuesday during the General Managers Meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz. "We probably have to do some of that now. You can't wait until after mid-January to come up with a plan. The fact that we're optimistic that he'll be back means you're not going to try to go big on catching. We still anticipate him for the next two years of his contract being part of what we've got to do behind the plate." Mesoraco, 28, has two years left on his four-year, $28 million contract. The 2014 All-Star is slated to be ready to perform catching drills again in mid-to-late January. Williams is using the GM Meetings to lay the groundwork on future talks. The Reds are also seeking bullpen and bench help, while also keeping an eye open for deals that could move Zack Cozart or Brandon Phillips to free up space for younger talent. Cincinnati was quite pleased with how Tucker Barnhart stepped up to a regular catching role in 2016 without Mesoraco. Although Barnhart is known his defense and game calling, his switch-hitting offense was far from a liability. The Reds had Ramon Cabrera backing up Barnhart, but wouldn't mind having more veteran depth. There are a handful of available backups on the free-agent market that include Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Geovany Soto, A.J. Ellis, Drew Butera and former Reds like Ryan Hanigan and Dioner Navarro. Perhaps none of these backups will ultimately be needed. So far, Williams is enthusiastic about Mesoraco's progress. "I've seen Mes first-hand rehabbing down at the ballpark," Williams said. "He's down there most every day since the end of the season. He'll go home for a little bit. The rehab is going well. The timing is he had surgery at a fairly comparable time to last year, within a few weeks. The timetable will be fairly similar. "We're optimistic he'll open the season ready for catch, but probably on some sort of schedule. We'd probably prevent him going out there and catching the first 14 games of the season. It's probably some sort of timeshare arrangement to make sure he's eased back in. It's hard to say for sure. The doctors said that really mid-January is when they'd be able to tell us with a lot more precision what the timetable looks like." CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds aren't looking to trade Joey Votto C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] 7:18 p.m. EST November 9, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Reds still owe 33-year-old Joey Votto $179 million dollars on the extension he signed in 2012, but even if other teams had interest in him – and they do – Reds general manager Dick Williams doesn’t see the team trading Votto. “I've said it, Joey's a guy we're building around, we're not in active negotiations with anyone,” Williams said Wednesday at the Major League Baseball General Managers Meetings. “We haven't talked to him about waiving his no-trade. We have not had that conversation with him. He's peaking right now, he's so valuable to teaching our young guys. I foresee him being part of what we've got coming.” After a slow start to 2016, Votto was one of the game’s best hitters, hitting .326/.434/.550 with 29 home runs and 97 RBI. He led the National League in on-base percentage for the fifth time in the last seven years. In the second half, Votto hit .408/.490/.668. Votto, Homer Bailey (three years, $68 million) and Devin Mesoraco (two years, $20.45 million) are the only big-money, multi-year deals remaining on the Reds’ books moving forward. Both Bailey and Mesoraco are coming off two straight years with injury issues, making their trade value extremely low. However, Votto’s surge in each of the last two seasons coupled makes him as attractive as any older player on the Reds’ roster. “I know it was a huge commitment to make for a franchise in our stratification, our market size, but we always thought that with the continued inflation in salaries, it was appropriate,” Williams said of Votto’s extension. “He's played well, if not better than anticipated. Inflation in salary has increased as much or more than we thought. I think his value right now, is very high.” But that’s not to say he’s been approached with any specific deals, he said, or that he wouldn’t listen if he were. Williams and the Reds have been steadfast in their belief of building around Votto, not using him to build up the organization. Other teams know that, he said, but have said if that changes, make sure to let them know. There were talks with Votto’s hometown team in Toronto in the summer of 2015. Teams that have broached the topic of Votto with Williams recently have been more of the broad discussions and a declaration of interest if the situation arose.