Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 3, 2015

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1869 - George Wright signs his contract for the 1870 season, becoming the last of the 1869 starters to sign.

MLB.COM Meetings might mark time for Reds to wheel, deal Chapman, Bruce, Frazier among those who could entice offers at annual winter event By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- In what is now Winter Meetings folklore from 1975, White Sox owner Bill Veeck and general manager Roland Hemond set up a makeshift desk and a phone in the hotel lobby with a sign on the table that read "Open for Business."

Fast forward 40 years and well into the 21st century, the Reds won't need to employ such tactics. Everybody already knows that president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty and general manager Dick Williams are willing to trade key players to restock for the long term.

In the digital age, Jocketty and Williams don't even have to leave their hotel suite next week when the Winter Meetings convene in Nashville, Tenn. Smartphones to call, text message or email are all they need to do that business.

Since the General Managers Meetings last month, the Reds have made it clear they are in rebuilding mode and looking to make deals. Closer Aroldis Chapman is a leading candidate to be moved, but Cincinnati will be listening to offers for many of its veteran players approaching free agency within a year or two -- such as right fielder Jay Bruce and third baseman Todd Frazier.

The Reds have generally made little news at the Winter Meetings, often using them to lay groundwork for trades made later in the offseason. Last season in San Diego, however, Jocketty traded starting pitchers Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon on the final day before leaving town. Latos went to the Marlins in a deal that brought back starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, and Simon was sent to Detroit in the trade that acquired shortstop Eugenio Suarez. Both DeSclafani and Suarez proved to be bright spots in a difficult losing season.

Williams, who declined to characterize the level of interest he's found in Reds players who are available, could not predict if the transactions will be plentiful this time around.

"It's so difficult to predict when deals come to a conclusion," Williams said. "There are ones where the discussions move along quickly and then things slow down for a while. Some that you're not having much action on, pick up the pace. It's a matter of timing on both ends -- our interest level and the club that we are talking to."

MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2015 Winter Meetings from the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, with the Network launching 35 hours of live Winter Meetings coverage on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also catch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, as well as the announcement of the Hall of Fame Pre-Integration Era Committee inductees on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.

For all the talk about the Reds looking to move players out, they will also be looking to make additions.

"Absolutely. We're working very hard on that front, in addition to any trades that might happen," Williams said.

While they will not be involved in the high-priced free-agent market, the Reds will be looking at more affordable players to sign or acquire through trade. Williams would not detail what Cincinnati is searching for, but the club could use a veteran starting pitcher to compete for a rotation spot, help in the bullpen and more offense.

"We've got a lot of holes to fill," Williams said. "It's a fluid situation based on how the offseason goes. We've got a lot of different areas of focus."

Mattheus among 3 Reds not tendered deals Chapman, Cozart, Hoover receive contract offers prior to deadline By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- Ahead of tonight's deadline, the Reds did not tender 2016 contracts to three players in right-handed relievers Ryan Mattheus and Pedro Villarreal and outfielder Ryan LaMarre.

It's possible that all three players could be re-signed to Minor League contracts, but no deals were imminent. The moves left the Reds' 40-man roster at 35.

Three arbitration-eligible players -- closer Aroldis Chapman, setup man J.J. Hoover and shortstop Zack Cozart -- were tendered offers, as expected.

Mattheus, 32, was claimed off waivers from the Angels on May 13 and posted a 4.09 ERA in 55 innings over 57 appearances. He retired 39 of his 57 first batters faced and stranded 13 of his 19 inherited runners.

Villarreal, who turns 28 on Dec. 9, split the 2015 season between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville. In 29 big league games, often as a long or middle reliever, he had a 3.42 ERA while stranding 13 of 18 inherited runners.

LaMarre, 27, spent most of the season at Louisville, but he made his Major League debut this year and appeared in 21 games with five starts. He was 2-for-25 (.080) in his big league at-bats.

Chapman, who is third-year arbitration-eligible, is widely expected to be traded this winter. Hoover is eligible for the first time while Cozart is second-year eligible.

MLBTradeRumors.com projected that Chapman could receive $12.9 million in arbitration after he earned $8.05 million last season. Cozart, who did not play after June 10 following the tears of both knee ligaments and season-ending surgery, is projected to see his salary rise from $2.35 million to $2.9 million. Hoover, who earned $535,000 in 2015, could see his pay jump to $1.1 million, according to the website.

Teams had until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to tender 2016 contracts to all of their unsigned players. Any player non-tendered is effectively released and becomes a free agent able to sign with any of the 30 Major League clubs.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds non-tender Ryan Mattheus, Ryan LaMarre, Pedro Villarreal In addition to non-tendering 3, the Reds tendered contracts to Aroldis Chapman, Zack Cozart and J.J. Hoover. By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent

The Reds will not tender contracts to outfielder Ryan LaMarre or right-handed relievers Ryan Mattheus and Pedro Villarreal. The team announced the moves on Wednesday afternoon. All three are now free agents.

The deadline to tender contracts to players is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

The team will offer contracts to closer Aroldis Chapman, reliever J.J. Hoover and shortstop Zack Cozart, all of whom are eligible for arbitration.

By offering a contract, the three players are under contract for the 2016 season, with the salary determined in either a negotiation or the arbitration process. Hoover is arbitration-eligible for the first time, Cozart the second and Chapman the third.

With Chapman eligible for free agency after this season, the Reds are still looking to trade him before the start of the 2016 season.

The Reds claimed Mattheus, 32, off of waivers from the Angels in May and he pitched in 57 games, the fifth most of any pitcher on the team. Mattheus was 2-4 with a 4.09 ERA in 55 total innings of work. He pitched in one game for the Angels before the team waived him.

Villarreal, 27, has appeared in games in each of the last four seasons for the Reds, including 29 this past season. He was 1-3 with a 3.42 ERA. He pitched a total of 50 innings for the Reds, mostly in long relief. Villarreal was 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 outings at Triple-A Louisville.

LaMarre, 27, was the Reds’ second-round pick in the 2010 draft. After a series of injuries, he made his big-league debut in August. He appeared in 21 games, getting two hits in 25 at-bats with nine strikeouts. LaMarre hit .257/.307/.400 with eight home runs and 18 RBI in 91 games at Triple-A Louisville this season.

The Reds' 40-man roster is now at 35.

WCPO - Channel 9 Pete Rose: Meeting with Manfred was cordial, and I was truthful Rose expects to hear on reinstatement by Dec. 31 By Keenan Singleton and Greg Noble / WCPO

CINCINNATI -- His meeting with baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was cordial, but Pete Rose isn't saying much else about it.

Rose told WCPO on Wednesday night that both he and Manfred agreed to stay quiet about their secret September meeting, where Rose made his case for reinstatement.

"You don't know which way to read anything," Rose said. "All I knew is I was truthful to him, and he asked a lot of questions, and I had a lot of answers. We got along good, I thought."

He was in town Wednesday for a question-and-answer session with Reds season ticket holders.

As WCPO previously reported , Rose expects to know by the end of this year if Manfred will grant him reinstatement. But nobody really thinks Manfred, relatively new to the job, will do that, no matter what went on during what was likely a two-hour grilling at MLB's offices in Manhattan.

If Manfred's going to have some kind of consolation prize for Rose -- like the opportunity to get his name on the Hall of Fame ballot before he dies -- the biggest question on the commissioner's mind will be whether Rose was truthful, as he told WCPO he was.

Given that Rose lied to four prior commissioners about betting on baseball, Manfred told sports talk host Dan Patrick that Rose's honesty would be fundamental to any relationship between the two men.

"I think it would be a mistake for Pete to come in and do anything other than tell me everything and the complete truth with respect to everything," Manfred told Patrick.

Shortly after their September meeting, Rose's attorney, Ray Genco, was as tight-lipped as his client was Wednesday.

"Rob Manfred confirmed he wants a decision by the end of the calendar year. We appreciate that, but other than that we have no comment," Genco said in a statement.

Commissioner Bart Giamatti banned the Reds great in 1989 after baseball investigator John Dowd's report concluded that he gambled on the Reds and other baseball games. Rose denied it for 15 years until 2004, when he admitted it in his autobiography.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds tender contracts to Chapman, Cozart, Hoover By David Jablonski / Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds announced Wednesday they will tender contracts for the 2016 season to closer Aroldis Chapman, shortstop Zack Cozart and relief pitcher J.J. Hoover, who are all eligible for arbitration. The three would have become free agents at midnight if the Reds had not decided to tender them contracts.

They will not tender contracts for outfielder Ryan LaMarre and relievers Ryan Mattheus and Pedro Villarreal. All three will become free agents but could still re-sign with Reds.

Chapman will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017. The rebuilding Reds could trade him next week during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 6-10).

Cozart is coming off a season-ending knee injury. He’s not a free agent until 2018.

This is the first year Hoover has been arbitration eligible. He’s not a free agent until 2019.

TRANSACTIONS Date Transaction 12/02/15 RHP Steve Cishek elected free agency. RHP Yusmeiro Petit elected free agency. C Hector Sanchez elected free agency. St. Louis Cardinals traded C Tony Cruz to Kansas City Royals for SS Jose Martinez. Kansas City Royals designated C Francisco Pena for assignment. Boston Red Sox signed free agent LF Chris Young. Boston Red Sox designated RHP Roman Mendez for assignment. San Diego Padres traded LHP Marc Rzepczynski and 1B Yonder Alonso to Oakland Athletics for LHP Drew Pomeranz, LHP Jose Torres and Player To Be Named Later. Minnesota Twins claimed John Hicks off waivers from Seattle Mariners. Seattle Mariners claimed Andy Wilkins off waivers from Baltimore Orioles. Seattle Mariners designated LHP Edgar Olmos for assignment. 1B Ike Davis elected free agency. Oakland Athletics sent Daniel Coulombe outright to Nashville Sounds. Philadelphia Phillies claimed Peter Bourjos off waivers from St. Louis Cardinals. Miami Marlins claimed Nefi Ogando off waivers from Philadelphia Phillies. Seattle Mariners traded 3B Patrick Kivlehan to Texas Rangers. PTBN in 11/16 trade CF Ryan LaMarre elected free agency. RHP Ryan Mattheus elected free agency. RHP Pedro Villarreal elected free agency. Baltimore Orioles traded C Steve Clevenger to Seattle Mariners for RF Mark Trumbo and LHP C.J. Riefenhauser. Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Justin De Fratus. RHP Al Alburquerque elected free agency. RHP Neftali Feliz elected free agency. Baltimore Orioles designated RHP Steve Johnson for assignment. C Tyler Flowers elected free agency. RHP Jacob Turner elected free agency. Kansas City Royals traded C Francisco Pena to Baltimore Orioles for cash. Baltimore Orioles designated SS Paul Janish for assignment. SS Orlando Calixte elected free agency. RHP Greg Holland elected free agency. LF Jaff Decker elected free agency. C Cody Stanley elected free agency. Los Angeles Angels traded LF Collin Cowgill to Cleveland Indians for cash. Cleveland Indians designated LHP Nick Hagadone for assignment. LHP Cesar Ramos elected free agency. RHP Ryan Cook elected free agency. LHP Jack Leathersich elected free agency. RHP Henderson Alvarez elected free agency. RHP Aaron Crow elected free agency. LHP Yohan Flande elected free agency. LHP Jason Gurka elected free agency. CF Rosell Herrera elected free agency. 3B Will Middlebrooks elected free agency. C Rocky Gale elected free agency. LHP Frank Garces elected free agency. RHP Nick Tepesch elected free agency. CF James Jones elected free agency. LF David Lough elected free agency. Houston Astros traded C Hank Conger to Tampa Bay Rays for cash. 1B Chris Carter elected free agency. RHP Craig Stammen elected free agency. C Josh Thole elected free agency. 3B Pedro Ciriaco elected free agency. LHP Mike Minor elected free agency. RHP Lisalverto Bonilla elected free agency. RHP Juan Nicasio elected free agency. 3B Elian Herrera elected free agency. 1B Pedro Alvarez elected free agency.