MLB.COM

Improved NL Central poses challenge to retooled Reds Cincinnati has addressed shortcomings, but so have division foes January 16, 2013, 2:41 PM ET

By Mark Sheldon

CINCINNATI -- Not content with exiting the postseason as early as they did in 2012, the Reds made the effort this winter to fill holes and make upgrades.

Theoretically, the additions should have the Reds improved and poised to repeat as Central champions. But of course, it's rarely that easy. Many of Cincinnati's rivals have been busy, too.

"I still think the division will be tough," Reds Walt Jocketty said. "We have to stay healthy and play like we have been playing."

While finishing 97-65 and winning the division by nine games over the Cardinals, the Reds were bounced in five games by the Giants as some of their weaknesses were exposed. Cincinnati lacked a true leadoff hitter, another dominant-type starter for the rotation and help on the bench.

In their biggest move of the offseason, the Reds found their leadoff hitter by working a three-way trade that acquired outfielder Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians. It cost them no pitching but sent underperforming center fielder Drew Stubbs to Cleveland and prospect to Arizona. Reds leadoff hitters combined for a .254 on-base percentage in 2012 and Choo had a .389 OBP when he led off last season.

For its riskiest move of the offseason, the club has decided to try moving lefty flamethrower Aroldis Chapman from closer to the rotation. There's a feeling that Chapman can be a No. 1 or No. 2 type of starter, and the Reds are willing to take the plunge to find out. That meant Trade Deadline acquisition and reliever Jonathan Broxton was re-signed to a three-year, $21 million deal and will be installed as the new closer.

Other key moves brought back left fielder Ryan Ludwick with a two-year, $15 million contract and acquired free-agent infielder and lefty hitter Jack Hannahan for two years at $4 million.

Otherwise, the core of the Reds roster is largely unchanged.

While there were no massive Blue Jays-like makeovers by any team in the NL Central, there were some GMs that were equally as aggressive as Jocketty in addressing shortcomings.

"I think Pittsburgh improved a lot," Jocketty said. "They worked to improve their club in the second half of last season and over this winter. The Cardinals didn't do much to improve on what they already have. Milwaukee added a lot to its bullpen and already had a good offense. The Cubs made a lot of moves as they transition."

The Brewers, featuring and Corey Hart, led the NL in home runs and runs scored last season. But while the team had a decent but not great rotation, its relievers were a black eye while having the league's worst bullpen ERA.

Milwaukee did what it had to do this winter and tried to fix that issue. It signed two lefties in Michael Gonzalez (one year, $2.25 million) and Tom Gorzelanny (two years, $5.7 million). GM also acquired right-hander Burke Badenhop in a trade with the Rays.

"It's a lot of young studs," Gonzalez said. "I've come from, on paper, the best team two years in a row, and I've learned that the best team doesn't always win. You just have to have a team that can get to the playoffs. If you can get to the playoffs, it's anybody's game. I definitely feel Milwaukee has what it takes to get to the playoffs."

The Pirates' claim to fame the past two seasons are fast starts and even faster fades out of the race. They already have budding superstar Andrew McCutchen and some promising young talent. Now they're trying to finally get over the hump while notching their first winning season in two decades.

Pittsburgh, which already traded for lefty Wandy Rodriguez from Houston and outfielder from Toronto last summer and added a new in former All-Star . To get Martin, who only .211 for the Yankees last season but hit 21 homers, the Pirates reportedly outbid New York and others by signing him to a two-year, $17 million contract.

In a blockbuster six-player trade around Christmas, the Pirates shed star closer but added young talent. They acquired closer , power hitter , pitching prospect Stolmy Pimentel and infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. While losing one anchor to the back of the bullpen, the Pirates retained another by re-signing after he enjoyed a solid 2012.

The Cubs are coming off of a 101-loss season and even with promising Anthony Rizzo, this team has a ways to go toward a contender. But that didn't stop president and his front office from being frisky with moves. Solid free-agent right-hander Edwin Jackson signed a four-year, $52 million contract. Chicago also added Scott Baker and Scott Feldman on one-year deals, agreed to terms with Carlos Villanueva on a two-year deal and signed Japanese product Kyuji Fujikawa. Outfielder also signed to add some left-handed pop.

"Our goal here is to build a consistently good team ... and hopefully a team that wins a championship," Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said. "In order to do that, we're not going to sacrifice the future now for wins. But at the same time, every season is precious, and you never know when that team might catch lightning in a bottle. You never want to sacrifice that season entirely."

The Cardinals are being mentioned last, only because they did the least with their offseason thus far. Their only free-agent additions were journeymen in lefty specialist reliever Randy Choate and Ty Wiggington. St. Louis lost 16-game winner Kyle Lohse and power hitter to free agency and traded away second baseman Skip Schumaker.

But this is not a Cardinals team lacking in talent after gaining a Wild Card berth and reaching the NL Championship Series in 2012. They are just depending on more contributions from their younger players and better health from the core players.

And when that core includes , and David Freese in the lineup, , Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia in the rotation and Jason Motte closing, St. Louis cannot be discounted. Last year, it was second in the league in runs scored and third in rotation ERA.

Some X-factors remain for all five teams. First, none of them will have that sixth team -- the rebuilding Astros -- to kick around anymore. Houston is now in the West. Also, the offseason isn't over yet. There are free agents on the market and potential bargains to be had before camps open next month.

The Reds aren't expected to add much more, if anything. They have a consistent pitching staff with 19-game winner at the top of a good rotation and return with last season's best bullpen in . They expect to have a healthy for a full season, plus and Brandon Phillips, and have taking over at third base. And they now have the consistent Choo leading off.

Now, here's the question that can't be answered by the Reds until play actually begins: Do they have enough to repeat? The other clubs have done their best to make sure they don't.

"I think there will be lots of competition," Jocketty said.

ESPN.COM

Top five 25-year-olds in MLB January 16, 2013, 10:44 AM ET

By Keith Law

Last week, I unveiled my top 25 players under the age of 25. Previously, I had ranked the top big leaguers "25 and under," and the change in age cutoff generated a lot of questions from readers about where certain 25-year-old players would rank if I included them on the main list. Here's a quick look at the top big leaguers who are age 25 today, in order, along with where they'd rank if I merged them into the 25-under-25 list.

1. Buster Posey, C, Posey emerged in 2012 not just as one of the best players of his age cohort but one of the best players in baseball, period. He would have ranked third on my "25 under 25" list behind and , primarily because of the higher injury risk associated with -- a risk with which Posey is, unfortunately, already familiar. (Of course, if you're making me king for a day, enforcing the rules on obstruction and interference at the plate would be high on my list of official edicts.)

Posey came into surprising power this year to go with his ability to hit for average and get on base, and he remains a very good defensive catcher who can limit the running game. (Remember the concern that he couldn't catch good velocity? Me neither.) He also played a remarkable amount for a catcher, and the Giants were wise to sneak him over to first base to get some extra at-bats for their best hitter without overtaxing his rebuilt leg. If he didn't have an injury history at a position that is inherently injury-prone, I'd put him first on the list, but catchers don't have the same shelf lives that elite players at other positions do, and even when healthy, they rarely reach the 600-plate-appearance mark as Posey did last year. So while I'd rather have Posey for 2013 than Bryce Harper, I'd rather have Harper for the long term.

2. Justin Upton, RF, It's kind of funny to think that Justin Upton's primary job is playing baseball, not fueling trade rumors, although you might argue that in 2012 he was better at the latter than the former when he turned into Justin Pop-Upton for most of the season.

Upton's skill set hasn't changed -- he still has outstanding bat speed with very quick wrists and strong forearms to allow him to drive the ball, and he worked the count as well in 2012 as he did the year before. He's got a high-maintenance swing that's probably going to always require work to keep it consistent, but the potential for seasons like 2011 or better, featuring power, OBP, and good right field defense, remains. Because of the variability of his performance, however, I'd drop him on the list to a spot right after (who was sixth), even though I'd still give up a strong package of talent to acquire him if I were in a rival front office.

3. Austin Jackson, CF, The change in Jackson's approach from 2011 to 2012, which led to a 60-point rise in his OBP from both a higher batting average and a higher walk rate, was almost as much a part of Detroit's to the AL pennant as was the highly trumpeted season from Detroit's stellar , .

Swing changes often generate a lot of preseason content but they rarely have the massive effect we saw with Jackson, who reduced his high leg kick and shortened his path to the ball, increasing his contact rate and giving him more time to distinguish balls from strikes. He's always been a high-BABIP hitter thanks to great bat speed (and speed), but that jump in plate discipline turned him from a so-so offensive center fielder into a great one, and combined with above-average defense it made him one of the top 10 players in the AL last year. He's a safer bet than Upton to perform up to expectations, but he doesn't have Upton's massive upside, so I'd still rate Upton just slightly higher.

4. Cameron Maybin, CF, A miserable first half further obscured Maybin's value as a hitter, which was already hard to spot because of his home park, which has been one of the worst parks for power hitters since it opened. Maybin still provided plenty of value through elite center field defense and through his baserunning, even though his lower OBP provided fewer opportunities for the latter.

He looked more like his old self in the second half, and even if he never makes a Jackson-esque leap in his ability to make contact and get on base, he's still a four-win player (per WAR) because of his secondary skills. The decision to bring some of Petco Park's fences closer to the plate should also help Maybin, as he has all-fields power but didn't hit a single ball out to right field at home all of last year. I wouldn't be shocked to see a big breakout from him this year, and I'd have put him between Jarrod Parker (No. 15) and (No. 16) on my list.

5. , RHP, The Reds gave up a lot to get Latos, including and , but they got a top-tier starter in return, with Latos bouncing back from a bad April to throw extremely well for the rest of the season, helped by some bad competition within his own division. He continued get outs with his slider but also had more consistency with his hard curveball, and he crossed the 200- inning threshold for the first time, no minor feat for a who'd had bouts of minor shoulder trouble in the past.

He has above-average control overall but his fastball command is a weakness, and for a guy who throws pretty hard he should be able to get more outs with that pitch, without relying as much on his breaking stuff. Durability is the real concern here, though, as he's a clear No. 2 starter on most clubs between his stuff and low walk rates; he'd slot in right after Sale (No. 16) on my main list.

Honorable mentions (in order): Josh Reddick, Mike Minor, Jeremy Hellickson, Jay Bruce, Jason Kipnis

Reds’ window of contention A look at when each team is best suited to contend January 16, 2013, 10:28 AM ET

By Jason Martinez

When most people evaluate offseason moves, they focus mainly on the year ahead. But let's forget about the 2013 season for a second and think about the future.

This week, we're taking a look at every major league team to determine their optimal year for contention over the next five years. This doesn't mean this is the only year that they can contend, but rather which year should provide them their best chance for a title.

To determine this, we looked at current talent, age of roster, farm system and payroll as well as free agents who figure to be available who could help them reach their goal.

Cincinnati Reds Optimal year of contention: 2013

Overview Like the Nationals in the NL East, the Reds are set up to win now and over the next several seasons. The best players on the team are all locked up on multi-year contracts and all remain in the prime of their careers. The biggest question of this offseason is whether shutdown closer Aroldis Chapman will succeed in his conversion to the rotation.

The Reds have enough depth in the bullpen to cover the move and enough depth in the rotation to cover a non-move. When that's your biggest problem, there really isn't much else to say. They'll have a tough task in repeating as NL Central champs with the St. Louis Cardinals being almost as talented on the major league level and possessing a much deeper farm system, but they're in great position to go deep into the playoffs and win it all for the first time since 1990.

Extension candidates Todd Frazier, 3B/LF (eligible for free agency after 2017): The 26 year-old posted an .829 OPS in 128 games as a rookie while playing both corner spots and even a handful of games in left field. His versatility helps his value, but he'll likely settle into the starting third base role in 2013. Even if he sticks with one position, third basemen who hit and hit for power are hard to find these days.

Homer Bailey, RHP (2014): He's always had top-of-the-rotation potential, but it wasn't until 2012 that the 26 year-old started to look the part, especially over his last three starts of the season. Bailey threw a no-hitter with just one walk and 10 against the Pirates on September 28, pitched four shutout innings with no walks and six strikeouts in his final start of the regular season against St. Louis, and then allowed one run on one hit with one walk and 10 strikeouts in a playoff loss to the Giants. He'll be just 28 years old when he hits free agency after the 2014 season.

Aroldis Chapman, LHP (2016): If Chapman makes a successful transition to the rotation in 2013, he'll be worth significantly more money on the open market when he reaches free agency. The 24-year-old will also be worth more to the Reds, who have until the end of the 2016 season to try and sign him to an extension.

Mat Latos, RHP (2015): Acquired from the Padres last December, Latos overcame a shaky start to finish with a 3.48 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 209 1/3 innings. Although he did allow 18 home runs at hitter-friendly , his ERA was actually more than a half-run better there (3.18) than on the road (3.93). Sounds like a good long-term match to me, although my guess is it'll take a lot more than the four-year, $27 million extension teammate Johnny Cueto got at the same point in his career.

Weaknesses Shin-Soo Choo, a left-handed hitter with a career OPS of .847, should add a lot to the top of the Reds' lineup in 2013, which regularly had guys with sub-.300s OBPs in the top two spots last year. The problem is that he'll likely be playing center field and he's not a center fielder. If he's terrible there in , they could turn to Jay Bruce, who isn't a center fielder, either. But hey, Miguel Cabrera's move to third base didn't stop the Tigers from winning the AL pennant, right? It's just something a World Series contender probably doesn't want to worry about heading into the season.

Potential free agent targets The Reds' two biggest signings this winter were re-signings, as they brought back Ryan Ludwick and Jonathan Broxton. There could still be two major additions, however, that might push the Reds over the top in 2013. The biggest additions will come internally if Joey Votto can stay healthy all year and if Chapman succeeds in his move to the rotation.

Trade bait The Reds already dealt away a pretty good shortstop prospect, Didi Gregorius, in order to land Choo. They'll stand pat for now, but they have a deep enough farm system where they'll be players in July if they need some reinforcements. Every team will be asking about top prospect Billy Hamilton, but they're deeper in starting pitching prospects so they may be more willing to part with Tony Cingrani, Daniel Corcino, or Robert Stephenson in order to make the team stronger for the stretch run.

Waiting in the wings As bad as the baseball world wants the Billy Hamilton era to begin in Cincinnati, he's learning a new position after switching from shortstop to center field this offseason and has just 50 games of experience in -A. So you're gonna have to be patient, baseball world. If he continues to progress, he could be leading off and patrolling center field at Great American Ball Park early in 2014. Considered to be the fastest man in baseball, the Reds could choose to call him up late in the 2013 season to use primarily as a pinch runner in close games.

Future regulars (ETA in parentheses): Billy Hamilton, CF (2014); Tony Cingrani, LHP (2013); Daniel Corcino, RHP (2014); Robert Stephenson, RHP (2015); Nicholas Travieso, RHP (2016)

CIN payroll outlook An estimate of guaranteed salary (GS) over the next five seasons, with the number arbitration-eligible players in parentheses.

YEAR GS 2013 $74M (7) 2014 $66M (11) 2015 $54M 2016 $46M 2017 $37M *Source: Cot's Contracts

CBSSPORTS.COM

Core values: Cincinnati Reds January 16, 2013, 9:19 AM ET

By Matt Snyder

It's time, once again, to check out the core value of one of baseball's 30 teams. Wednesday is time for the Cincinnati Reds, and -- spoiler alert! -- they are quite impressive.

To see what we're doing here, my esteemed colleague, Dayn Perry, has done a rather excellent job of explaining things already, so hop over to the intro of the Rays' post (http://cbsprt.co/VUqb7K) and you'll understand.

Cornerstone player: Joey Votto He's 29 and already has an MVP and two other top-15 finishes in NL MVP voting. With a -slash line of .316/.415/.553, Votto is on a career arc that could land him in Cooperstown. Don't believe me? Among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances, Votto ranks 71st in average, 24th in on-base percentage and 26th in in baseball history. His .968 OPS is 15th all-time, and his 155 OPS-plus is 25th in history.

For their part, the Reds have made sure he won't be plying his trade for anyone else -- barring some unforeseen movement. His 10- year, $225 million contract extension doesn't kick in until 2014.

Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce have also been taken care of with long-term deals, but no one is on level with Votto. He is, as the kids say, the man.

Face of the franchise: Votto No-brainer choice. When you think of the Reds at present, you think of Joey Votto. Not only is he a top-10 player in all of baseball, but he's wildly popular in Cincinnati.

Face of the future: Votto Yes, it's a clean sweep. I could see an argument for speedy prospect Billy Hamilton, and the Reds have plenty of other real good players like Phillips, Bruce, Aroldis Chapman, Mat Latos and Johnny Cueto. The Reds are a power, you see. It's just that Votto is both the present and the future anchor in Cincinnati. Think about five years down the road and whom the Reds' best player will be. My answer is rather easily Votto. Everyone else is simply vying to be second banana, which isn't too shabby considering how good Votto is at his job.

Reds' core value: A With Votto, Phillips, Bruce, Chapman, Latos, Cueto, Hamilton, Shin-Soo Choo, Todd Frazier, , Zack Cozart, and more, the Reds have star power, role players, depth and potential for improvement in several areas. They are set up to contend every year for the foreseeable future. They went 97-65 last season, winning the NL Central, and there's plenty more where that came from.

In fact, the Reds are so well set up that I don't think it's a stretch to say it would be a failure if they get to 2020 without having won a or at the very least an NL pennant.

WPCO.COM (ABC 9)

Will Billy Hamilton be a good fit for the Reds? January 16, 2013, 10:34 AM ET

By PJ O’Keefe

CINCINNATI - Imagine this: It's the bottom of the 9th, the Cincinnati Reds are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Reds just picked up a 2-out single.

A pinch runner is called to replace whichever Red it was that got the hit in order to steal second. That pinch runner is Billy Hamilton, the Reds' prospect who set the record for stolen bases in the minor-leagues with 155 in 2012. With Hamilton's blazing speed, it's almost a sure thing he'll get to second base to set up a potential game-winning run, and maybe even third base to guarantee that run.

The excitement level at Great American Ball Park when Hamilton strolls to first base is equal to that of Aroldis Chapman jaunting in from the bullpen.

The pitcher checks over at first three times to start the next at-bat. He's read the scouting report on Hamilton's moves. Finally the pitcher leans in and starts toward the plate, and Hamilton jolts his body toward second base by flinging his left arm toward left field, churning his legs all the way.

The pitch gets in to the catcher, a strike looking, and the man behind the plate pops up to throw to second. The ball gets to the second baseman's glove just a foot above the ground, and Hamilton is already face down with his chest on the base, calling for time having beaten the throw by several steps.

The crowd goes wild, just like when the radar reads 100 mph on the scoreboard.

Okay, wake up, back to reality because Hamilton is not on the Reds roster, and while he was invited to Spring Training this week and would make a great bench player to support the Reds in specific situations like the above scenario, will he fit on the Reds' permanent roster for a full 162 games? Maybe not just yet.

For the 2012 Reds, there wasn't anyone on the roster that they could turn to and say "steal that base, whatever it takes." Drew Stubbs was fast, sure, but since his average hovered around .210 all season, it wasn't very often he got the opportunity to steal a base, and because the Reds needed him defensively, he was in the starting lineup more often than not, rendering him unavailable as a late- game pinch-runner.

With Hamilton, the Reds have that speedy option, but he's a different overall player. He had a batting average of .311 and an on- base percentage of .410 in the minor leagues in 2012, and where Stubbs' strides were long, Hamilton's feet are quick, allowing him to get better jumps than Stubbs.

The lingering concern about Hamilton is that he could become Drew Stubbs version 2.0.

Hamilton struck out 113 times in 132 games in 2012 in the minor leagues. That number isn't quite as alarming as Stubb's 166 strikeouts in 136 games in 2012, but if you consider that Hamilton is striking out that often against minor league pitching, it's hard to see those numbers improving when he gets to the next level. If Hamilton kept those numbers consistent in the majors as a full- time player, he would end up second on the team in strikeouts per game (Jay Bruce would be the leader based on his averages).

On the flip side, Hamilton drew 82 walks, almost double that of what Stubbs did in 2012 (42), but again, those are taken with a grain of salt having come from often wild minor league pitching.

It's also hard to give Hamilton a permanent spot on the roster when he doesn't offer much else other than his speed and his yet unproven in the majors potential of being a solid contact-hitter.

Hamilton's defense wouldn't be needed with Zach Cozart and Brandon Phillips in the middle-infield and several fully-capable backups in and Jack Hannahan, even less needed should the Reds decide to sign fellow Spring Training invitee and experienced middle-infielder Cesar Izturis. If the Reds were to try and convert Hamilton to be a more full-time outfielder, that would also be a busy depth chart with Chris Heisey and Xavier Paul ready to take over any one of the starting positions when Bruce, Shin-Soo Choo and Ryan Ludwick need rest.

And Hamilton doesn't bring anything other than a base-hit dynamic to the plate. He doesn't hit for power, slugging just two home runs last year on a .420 slugging percentage, and as a result he isn't much of an RBI guy either. But that may be just what the Reds need, considering the middle of their lineup is packed with RBI guys (Phillips, Votto, Bruce, Ludwick and Frazier).

Bottom line: Hamilton, at just 22 years of age, isn't ready for the majors, and frankly, the Reds can do without him just fine this go- round.

The Redlegs made a living on home runs and big hits when they were needed on the back of good pitching last year, and are poised to make a similar run this year with the addition of a more pure lead-off man in Choo. Hamilton could make a great leadoff guy one day down the road when he works on his eye at the plate and adds a little muscle, but the last thing the Reds want to do is rush him to the majors and not give him time to develop those skills other than his base-stealing ability, which is what could be said caused Stubbs to peak so early when he was called up to the Reds at just age 24.

Don't expect to see Hamilton on the regular season roster, but that September roster expansion might be the perfect fit for Billy the Kid to get some major league exposure.

USA TODAY

Brandon Phillips wowed by Marilyn Monroe January 16, 2013, 2:12 PM ET

By Gabe Lacques

Brandon Phillips' baseball idol growing up was eventual Hall of Fame shortstop , according to various profiles of the All-Star second baseman.

We're guessing Joe DiMaggio may soon rise to the top of that list.

The Cincinnati Reds star, apparently not up to speed on his favorite Hollywood starlets of the past, tweeted out his admiration for the enduring beauty of Marilyn Monroe after encountering a sculpture of the actress in Los Angeles:

#LA....Sorry but I had to take a sneak peek at her goodies LOL! #MarilynMonroe was one SEXY A** #DEBBIE!

Naturally, Phillips' leering could be construed as mildly disturbing. Or merely a very human reaction to a work of art.

Indeed, a 26-foot statue of Monroe - Forever Marilyn - was practically run out of Chicago after it caused a considerable stir on the city's Magnificent Mile. So it landed in Palm Springs, Calif., where it will tower over the downtown into this summer.

Phillips is checking out a similar, smaller sculpture, which reenacts an iconic Monroe pose atop a subway grate in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch.

That film was released one year after Monroe and DiMaggio wed, and the New York Yankees Hall of Famer accompanied her to the June 1, 1955 premiere. Though their marriage was short-lived, DiMaggio famously handled funeral arrangements for Monroe after her 1962 death.

If nothing else, Phillips' social-media tribute to Norma Jeane, more than half a century after her passing, serves as a reminder that Hollywood's ultimate starlet still holds sway over the national pastime.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Doc: reality show worth watching Don’t give me that Masterpiece Theatre look. It’s not bad January 16, 2013, 2:44 PM ET

By Paul Daugherty

Pete Rose is a funny, crass, basic guy. I don’t know why he chose to do a reality show, given his life has been one long reality re- run, since Aug. 23, 1989. With Pete, what you see is what you get. You don’t need reality TV to know Pete Rose. You just need 15 minutes.

Pete’s not seeking stardom. He’s already there. In fact, post-baseball, he became a star for all the wrong reasons, long before that sort of stardom was fashionable. Now days, being nefarious is profitable, even preferred. See: Sheen, Charlie. Lance Armstrong is giving it a go. If you’re gonna come clean, do it on Oprah!

Pete’s not seeking attention. He still gets that, four or five days a week, sitting behind a banquet table in Las Vegas, signing stuff. He’s doing a one-man stage show, too. Pete has always made a nice living being Pete. He has the attention thing fairly figured out.

He’s not doing it so people will understand him better. Or maybe he is. He might be using the show to expand sympathy for his baseball reinstatement. It’s a frequent topic on the first two episodes. But expanding sympathy is irrelevant. The only sympathy he needs belongs to Bud Selig. There is an outside chance the baseball commissioner isn’t DVR-ing Hits And Mrs. on TLC, Monday nights at 10.

You have to assume Rose is getting paid. He likes money, a great deal. And, possibly, he’s having fun with it. Rose is nothing if not fun loving. He is, in fact, the world’s only 71-year-old kid.

And really, it’s not bad. Don’t give me that Masterpiece Theatre look, sport. I watch PBS, too. But I liked Hits And Mrs.

I watched the first two episodes. It was like inviting The Hit King over for dinner and a DVD. Most “reality” shows are anything but. At least with this one, I felt as if what I was watching was real. Of course, if you’re from around here and/or you’ve spent any amount of time with Peter Edward, none of this is new. In Episodes 1, in no particular order, Pete:

1. Laments his fiancee’s impending removal of breast implants.

2. Shows her naked picture (she posed for Playboy, of course she did) to her parents.

3. Listens to her Korean mother call him “fat.” (He is, actually.)

4. Pleads again for reinstatement to Baseball.

5. Endures his own engagement party, when none of his four children show up.

Pete is real. Too real, probably. The show has its share of questionable ethnic pronouncements. Pete’s like Archie Bunker, with 4,192 more base hits. His fiancée, Kiana, is Korean. She has two children, a 14-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. The boy attends Pete’s baseball camp, and cries because, he says, “It’s too hot. I’d rather be playing video games and cooling off.’’

The kid says he wants to try kick-boxing. “Aren’t Asians really good at kick-boxing?’’ Pete asks, seriously.

Pete decides that a skinny kid at a pool party is “built like a professional blood donor.’’ He says judo and karate are the “same thing, different country.’’ And so on.

Kiana titles her relationship with Rose “melons and felon.’’ He calls it -- as only Pete can – “hits and. . .’’ oh, never mind.

You might say this is mindless TV. I’d say you’re being redundant.

Pete’s overt plea for reinstatement is a bit much. “I wish I could wake up tomorrow and this gambling deal never happened,’’ he says in Episode 2. But his disappointment with his children, for no-showing at his engagement party, is real. As is his affection for his father, Harry, “the only guy I ever idolized in my life.’’

As time passes at the party, and the fancy restaurant place-settings with the names of his kids go unused, Rose’s chin slumps closer to his chest. This could be the payback for years of itinerant fathering. It’s as real as real gets.

But Rose doesn’t stay down long. He is eternally and infectiously upbeat. This is real, too. It’s part of his appeal. Pete is a rogue. He’s a charming rogue, though, which makes the show kind of charming. Four episodes to go.

TRANSACTIONS

01/16/13

Detroit Tigers signed free agent LF Don Kelly.

LHP Ryan Robowski assigned to Detroit Tigers.

RHP Michael Morrison assigned to Detroit Tigers.

LF Daniel Fields assigned to Detroit Tigers.

LF Tyler Collins assigned to Detroit Tigers.

C assigned to Detroit Tigers.

LHP Kenny Faulk assigned to Detroit Tigers.

RF Nick Castellanos assigned to Detroit Tigers.

SS Argenis Diaz assigned to Detroit Tigers.

SS Eugenio Suarez assigned to Detroit Tigers.

C James McCann assigned to Detroit Tigers.

Oakland Athletics designated C George Kottaras for assignment.

Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Juan Cruz.

Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Aaron Cook.

Toronto Blue Jays sent Tommy Hottovy outright to Buffalo Bisons.

Washington Nationals traded LF to ; Seattle Mariners traded C John Jaso to and Oakland Athletics traded RHP A.J. Cole and RHP Blake Treinen to .