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Home , Bob Castellini, Heath Hembree, Manny Parra, Mike Leake, Zach Lutz

Reds Press Clippings July 17, 2015

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1986-The Reds win, 7-6, over the Phillies, with the winning coming off a Pete Rose triple, the last of his major league career.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER After All-Star Game, time to talk Reds trades By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent

With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, the next major hurdle is the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31. The Reds will have to make some major moves and will likely trade away potential free agents and Mike Leake. Reliever Manny Parra and catcher Brayan Pena are also free agents at the end of the season.

There could also be some bigger moves – like and being traded away – but the team's best trade chip, third baseman , is staying put, at least according to general manager Walt Jocketty.

Player: RHP Johnny Cueto

2015 stats: 6-6, 2.73 ERA 113 , 22 walks in 118 2/3 innings

Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $10 million salary for 2015.

Why would the Reds trade him?: If healthy, he's going to cost a lot more than the Reds can afford in free agency. He's also worth much more on the trade market than the draft pick a qualifying offer would net.

Why would other teams want him?: He's a bonafide top-of-the-rotation starter. For any team looking for someone to start Game 1 of a playoff series, Cueto is as good of an option as any.

Possible matches: Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Royals, Orioles, Cubs

Player: RHP Mike Leake

2015 stats: 6-5, 4.08 ERA 79 strikeouts, 31 walks in 114 2/3 innings

Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $9.775 million salary for 2015.

Why would the Reds trade him?: Leake will be a free agent at the end of the year. They could hold on to him and offer him a qualifying offer, and if he doesn't accept, get a draft pick.

Why would other teams want him?: Leake's an innings eater, and there's a ton of value in that. He has the occasional stinker, but he can be very good when he's on the top of his game. Any team looking for rotation depth will likely have interest.

Possible matches: Astros, Royals, Yankees, Tigers, Dodgers, Pirates, Cubs, Rangers

Player: LHP Aroldis Chapman

2015 stats: 3-3, 1.69 ERA, 18 saves, 65 strikeouts, 20 walks in 37 1/3 innings

Contract status: Entering his final arbitration-eligible season before becoming a free agent after the 2016 season. He is owed the remainder of his $8.05 million salary for 2015.

Why would the Reds trade him?: What good is an elite closer without games to close? That's a question the Braves asked themselves before the season before trading . Chapman has more value now than he will in a year, and it's unlikely the Reds will be able – or want – to sign him when he's a free agent following the 2016 season.

Why would other teams want him?: He's the best closer in . Any team that is seriously contending would love to have Chapman on the mound in the ninth inning in a must-win situation.

Possible matches: Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Nationals, Rays, Angels

Player: LHP Manny Parra

2015 stats: 1-1, 4.41 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 5 walks in 16 1/3 innings

Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $3.5 million salary for 2015.

Why would the Reds trade him?: Parra is a free agent at the end of the year, and money would be better spent elsewhere other than the next season.

Why would other teams want him?: The 4.41 ERA doesn't look good, but it's better when you realize that most of it came from one performance. He had a 1.65 ERA until his last outing, when he gave up five runs without retiring a batter. He's been death on left- handers, as well, allowing just a .200/.237/.343 slash line against lefties this season.

Possible matches: Twins, Rangers, Braves

Player: OF Jay Bruce

2015 stats: .251/.341/.465 13 HR, 42 RBI

Contract status: Owned the remainder of his $12 million salary for this season, plus $12.5 million in 2016 and $13 million club option in 2017 with a $1 million buyout. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, he can block deals to the Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Marlins, Twins, Yankees, A's, Rays and Blue Jays.

Why would the Reds trade him?: While his contract can be seen as a relative bargain, it's still at least $13.5 million for the next two seasons, and that's money the team could use.

Why would other teams want him?: That contract also makes him attractive to a buyer. Since his slow start, Bruce is much closer to what he has been in the past and his OPS+ of 120 is the same as it was in 2013, when he finished 10th in MVP voting.

Possible matches: Royals, Angels, Pirates, Giants, Blue Jays, Mets

Player: OF Marlon Byrd

2015 stats: .241/.293/.453 14 HR, 32 RBI

Contract status: The Phillies are paying half of his $8 million 2015 salary, and he has an $8 million vesting option for 2016 if he reaches 550 plate appearances in the final 75 games of the season. He has 262, so it's not out of the question, but he will need to stay healthy and play nearly every day.

He has a limited no-trade clause, allowing him to block trades to the Royals, Mariners, Rays and Blue Jays, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.

Why would the Reds trade him?: If the Reds are going to go young, Byrd isn't young. At 37, he's not the left fielder of the future, so while he was an optimistic acquisition this past offseason, he may not be one that fits a rebuilding team in 2016.

Why would other teams want him?: Byrd still has some thunder in his bat, and he's proven his worth for a late-season push when he joined the Pirates in 2013 and helped them advance to the NLDS.

Possible matches: Pirates, Royals, Giants, Mets, Twins

Player: C Brayan Pena

2015 stats: .283/.354/.322 0 HR, 11 RBI

Contract status: A free agent at the end of the season, owed the remaining portion of his $1.4 million salary for 2015.

Why would the Reds trade him?: A free agent at the end of the season, the team has already shown it believes can play at this level and expects back next season.

Why would other teams want him?: A switch-hitting catcher who accepts a backup role and is beloved by teammates – not to mention that he's hitting .283 this season.

Possible matches: Twins, Rays

Reds seek optimism entering season's second half By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

Now that the euphoria of the All-Star Game is behind them, the Reds return to the regularly scheduled portion of their season.

Let's just say there doesn't appear to be a lot of euphoria in the coming episodes.

When we last left the Reds, they had lost two straight to the by the combined score of 22-5. The final loss before the break featured a cooler-tipping tantrum by Johnny Cueto. The game was followed by team meeting.

There were rampant rumors at the All-Star Game that manager Bryan Price would be replaced by Hall of Famer , maybe as soon as Wednesday.

Team owner Bob Castellini shot those rumors down to the Enquirer's Paul Daugherty. Price remains the manager, but you've got to think changes are coming as far as players.

The question now seems to be just how far the changes will go.

Cueto is a free agent after this season. He is the No. 1 trade commodity. Mike Leake, Manny Parra and Brayan Pena are free agents as well after this season.

Aroldis Chapman is a free agent after 2016. That is true of Marlon Byrd as well. Jay Bruce is signed for 2016 with an option for 2017.

Todd Frazier, the star of the All-Star experience, is controlled two more years as well. Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has said he will not trade Frazier, but you have to think all of the others are on the block.

"The thing that makes it tough for the Reds is the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs are all going to be really good for at least a few years," said former Red turned ESPN analyst Aaron Boone. "The Reds can't just be pretty good and hope to contend."

Trading Cueto, Chapman, Leake and Bruce would bring a haul of prospects to infuse some talent into the upper reaches of the farm system, where the Reds are thin - especially on the offensive side.

Free agent players tend to have less value these days than they did in the past because, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team that trades for them no longer gets draft-pick compensation if they leave as free agents.

Jim Bowden, the former Reds' general manager now an analyst on XM Radio and ESPN, think Cueto is a special case.

"They're not going to sign Johnny Cueto," Bowden said. "You've got to take the best deal you can possibly get when you can. He's healthy. He's pitching great. You're never going to get a higher value. Every time he goes out there's risk. The sooner you get the right deal, you've got to go.

"I think they're going to do better than everyone else thinks. Even though he's a rental, he's the only one out there who can pitch Game 1 and Game 7. I think someone is going to pay the price. It might only be one team. But somebody's going to pay the price and the Reds are going to do really well.

"I'd say the same thing with the other free agents."

Bowden and a lot of baseball people think the time to move Chapman is now. Because he is not a free agent, his value is much greater.

"You've got to go out and see what's there because you don't want to be in the same boat (as you are with Cueto) a year from now," Bowden said. "(Chapman) you control. We saw what (Jeff) Samardzija brought last year with (Addison) Russell and (Billy) McKinney."

The Cubs got infielder Russell, the No. 3 prospect overall on 's list, and outfielder McKinney, No. 83 on BA's list, for Samardzija and Jason Hammel.

"And you listen on everybody else," Bowden said.

The Reds' ability to rebuild is limited by the contracts on the books to players like , , Brandon Phillips and Devin Mesoraco.

The club is committed to $82 million in payroll next season and $66.5 million the following year.

A fire sale will likely make for a long summer. The Reds are 39-47 with Cueto and Leake in the rotation. They would be replaced by rookies most likely giving the Reds a rotation where Anthony DeSclafani, a player in his second full year in the majors, is the most experienced starter.

The players know changes are coming.

"We've just got to keep winning series," Frazier said. "We can't be thinking about what's going to happen or anything else. We've got to worry about that day. We've got to worry about Friday. When the next day comes, we'll worry about that. But we've still got some fireworks left. Hopefully, we'll show it here in the second half."

Castellini: Cincy one of best All-Star hosts ever By James Pilcher / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected]

Cincinnati outdid itself for baseball's All-Star week, the top operating officer said Wednesday, adding that he was told by several top major league officials and players that Cincinnati was one of the best hosts in the history of the event.

"This city was on fire for a week-long event and the buildup," Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said at a press conference in front of . "We got everything out of this that we could have as a community.

"This literally has been years in the planning ... and it was just awesome. We couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out."

Total attendance for the three days at Great American Ball Park was 130,904, Reds officials announced. That's the second-highest three-day total, coming only behind the three playoff games hosted by the Reds in the Divisional Series in 2012. That included 43,656 for the All-Star Game itself.

Castellini said that while most of the actual game and TV revenue from the event went to , the local club saw a spike in season ticket sales beforehand to boost local profits (although he did not get specific). As to what will happen to the struggling club in the second half of the season, Castellini deferred to the baseball operations side led by general manager Walt Jocketty. The Reds are expected to trade at least their top Johnny Cueto, and are trying to get back above .500, with the playoffs a distant possibility.

"All I can speak to is off the field, and being in charge of the business side of this business, we are 100 percent focused on fan experience," Castellini said. "So what we need to do is continue that momentum with the fan experience, engaging with our season ticket holders and everybody who comes to Great American Ball Park.

"On the baseball side, those guys are going to do what they need to do," Castellini said. "This is a cyclical business. On the baseball side, there a things that will be and need to be done. But we're going to continue to dump whatever we can into this franchise to make it the best it can be."

All told, the event generated $70 million in local economic benefit, Castellini said. In addition, $8 million was raised for different charities and local park projects through Major League Baseball and sponsors such as Procter & Gamble.

Aside from the dramatic Derby Monday night won by Reds third baseman Todd Frazier in comeback fashion, Castellini said his favorite event was Saturday's color run, which brought in more than 15,000 participants.

"That's the most ever in the state of , and we're looking for more next year," he said.

When it came to the weather, Castellini said that "God shined on Cincinnati this week, even if he reminded us who's in charge, and we were able to do it all," referring to the frequent thunderstorms that miraculously ceased during game times.

"We planned for the worse and hoped for the best ... we had all kinds of contingency plans for cancelling or consolidating some things," Castellini said. "Thank goodness we never had to do that."

Castellini added that the Reds stand ready to host another All-Star Game, even if that won't happen for perhaps another 20 years realistically.

A few other nuggets that came out of the press conference included:

The hat and mustache display atop the Scripps Building downtown will be taken down soon, as it is blocking the view of some of the tenants, Castellini said. Other mustache related marketing will remain, however. "We are pleased as anything with how that played out, and we're going to continue to have fun with the 'stache." The new images on the back of the stadium behind left field will remain in part, and the old picture of the bat and ball used when Pete Rose broke the all-time hits record will not return. "I'm going to keep those things up there until they turn pink, which hopefully isn't for another 8-9 years at least." The Reds are in early planning stages of a possible big event in 2019, which is the 150th birthday of the franchise. "That means it's really a birthday for all of baseball as we were the first pro team," Castellini said. "We need another jewel event."

Enquirer's All-Star Game coverage going to Cooperstown By Mike Dyer / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected]

The Enquirer's coverage of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is going to Cooperstown.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum requested Thursday afternoon The Enquirer's special All-Star Game preview sections along with the daily sections from Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The Enquirer special sections included: Our History (past All-Star Games in Cincinnati) June 28, Our Rose (the career of Pete Rose) July 5, Our Game (an All-Star Game preview) July 10 and Our City (a look how baseball and the city are intertwined) July 12.

Tuesday's Enquirer featured several stories, including coverage of Todd Frazier's dramatic win in the Home Run Derby. Wednesday also featured several stories including the staff's coverage of the All-Star Game.

Craig Muder, Director of Communications at the Hall of Fame and Museum, said the staff obtains copies of most of the major daily newspapers from All-Star Games and the .

Visitors to the Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., can ask to see The Enquirer at the research desk once the copies arrive.

"You'll be preserved forever in Cooperstown," Muder said Thursday.

The defeated the National League 6-3 at the 86th MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night before 43,656 at Great American Ball Park.

The pregame also featured Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays walking together on the field as the Greatest Living Players. Koufax threw out the first pitch to Bench.

Despite popularity, Scripps hat, mustache to come down By Sydney Murray / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected]

Despite a petition that has garnered more than 2,600 signatures, the pillbox hat and mustache atop the Scripps Center must come down.

Two WREW-FM morning radio hosts organized the petition to keep the decorations up indefinitely.

The petition, signed by 94.9 personalities Ray & Karen, reads “After Cincinnati dazzled the nation with our All-Star celebration, it’s only appropriate that one of the most iconic visuals from the festivities permanently remain in the heart of the city forever to commemorate the event. We ask E.W. Scripps, The Mayerson Co. (managers of the building), the Cincinnati Reds and the city of Cincinnati to keep the mustache and pillbox hat atop the Scripps Building.”

But, Adam Mayerson, asset management associate with Mayerson Co., said it’s not that simple. The decorations were not designed to be up for a long period of time.

He said the manufacturing of the vinyl wrapping was designed to be temporary and was told even if it was left up, it wouldn’t last past winter.

The hat and mustache are scheduled to be taken down later this month, although Mayerson said it is entertaining different options for when it might come down, especially because it is a group decision.

“It is the Scripps Center, so they do have a say in what is on the building and things like that,” Mayerson said.

It will end up costing about $100,000 for install and removal from the Scripps Center, hd said.

The postmodern style, 36-story skyscraper was built in 1990 and opened just before another big baseball event in Cincinnati – the .

The petition, which can be accessed from the 94.9 Facebook page but is hosted on Change.org, had 2,612 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

Some signers at Change.org submitted reasons to keep the decorations up. Tara Kennedy, of Loveland, said it’s an “iconic reminder of the feel-good event that brought the city together.”

Mayerson said the company enjoyed having the vinyl wrap on the building and said maybe there will be other vinyl wrapping opportunities in the future.

“We love that the community loves it as much as we loved getting it up there,” Mayerson said.

FOX SPORTS Trade rumors swirling in Cincinnati By FOX Sports

With two weeks to go until the trade deadline, rumors are now in full force and a lot of those rumors involve the Cincinnati Reds.

Johnny Cueto are both free agents at the end of the season and the Cincinnati Enquirer believes the team will "likely" trade them away.

Why would the Reds trade Cueto?

"If healthy, he's going to cost a lot more than the Reds can afford in free agency. He's also worth much more on the trade market than the draft pick a qualifying offer would net."

And why would they trade Leake?

“Leake will be a free agent at the end of the year. They could hold on to him and offer him a qualifying offer, and if he doesn't accept, get a draft pick.”

The article also suggests that the Reds could part ways with Aroldis Chapman, Manny Parra, Jay Bruce, Marlon Byrd and Brayan Pena.

While plenty of things are still up in the air regarding the Reds, fans can take solace in the fact that general manager Walt Jocketty has already said that Todd Frazier isn't going anywhere.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Post-break slates begin with Ohio battle By The Associated Press

Todd Frazier won the Home Run Derby with final-swing drama. Aroldis Chapman blew 'em away in the ninth inning. Even the rain stayed away, moving through Cincinnati without interrupting the biggest moments of the All-Star Game.

Now, even as Reds fans enjoy the successful festivities, it's time to trade the afterglow for the glum. It begins with Friday night's opener of a three-game home series with the , which figures to feature far less fanfare.

The Reds (39-47) enter the second half looking to trade two of their best - including Chapman and his 100 mph heat. They're headed for another grim few months, well out of contention and stuck with several big contracts that leave them little wiggle room for starting over.

Who will be the first traded? Who will take his place? How bad will it get in the second half?

"We can't be thinking about what's going to happen or anything else," Frazier said.

The challenges are much different from the All-Star logistics that went extremely well in the city where pro baseball began.

"It is something that is part of the game but out of my control," said Chapman, using a line that reflects the mood around town.

Although a still-tired Frazier went 0 for 3 during the AL's 6-3 win Tuesday night, Chapman pitched the top of the ninth and fanned all three batters, hitting 103 mph with his fastball. It was a bittersweet moment since he could be dealt later this month, along with starter Johnny Cueto. Todd Frazier wins 2015 Home Run Derby at home

For now, they'll turn to Mike Leake for the more immediately manageable task of shutting down the Indians (42-46).

Leake (6-5, 4.08 ERA) pitched the Reds to a 1-0 win in Miami last Friday, surrendering three hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in eight innings.

The right-hander has struggled at home with a 2-3 record and 5.92 ERA, and he's been horrible against the AL, going 0-3 with a 10.50 ERA in his last five interleague starts. That stretch includes a 7-3 loss at Cleveland on May 22 in which Leake gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings.

Even so, he's held Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana to 1-for-12 lifetime marks.

The Indians counter with , who also went a career high-matching eight innings in his most recent start while limiting Houston to two runs and six hits in a 4-2 victory July 8. Both runs came on a homer, and Bauer's control continued trending in the right direction without a walk. He's issued two in 21 1-3 innings over three starts after posting a rate of 4.39 per nine innings in his first 14 starts.

"A guy a ball that was above his head out for a home run and I didn't walk anybody," Bauer said. "It was the Twilight Zone." on his All-Star season

Bauer (8-5, 3.76) has won consecutive starts but has never strung together three.

The right-hander also earned a decision in a 5-2 win over Cincinnati on May 24, yielding a run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings to complete a three-game sweep and give the Indians a 13th win in 14 home games versus the Reds.

The 24-year-old is 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA in eight road starts, as well as 4-1 with a 1.83 mark in nine interleague outings since moving to the AL.

Bauer has limited the Reds to a .154 average in two career meetings, though that might not look quite as impressive given Cincinnati's recent offensive production.

The Reds entered the break with consecutive losses to the Marlins and are averaging 2.0 runs and batting .222 in 10 games this month.

The Indians also dropped their last two before the break, including Sunday's 2-0 home final against Oakland. Over a 4-5 span, they're scoring 2.8 runs per game and batting .210 with Brandon Moss hitless in his last 17 at-bats.

TRANSACTIONS Date Transaction 07/17/15 Detroit Tigers placed 1B Marc Krauss on the paternity list. Detroit Tigers recalled Dixon Machado from Toledo Mud Hens. 07/16/15 Cleveland Indians activated SS Mike Aviles. sent LHP Jeremy Affeldt on a rehab assignment to . sent LHP Josh Outman on a rehab assignment to Rome Braves. Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Aaron Sanchez on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. sent C on a rehab assignment to Portland Sea Dogs. Atlanta Braves sent RHP Williams Perez on a rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves. sent LF Jayson Werth on a rehab assignment to Potomac Nationals. Boston Red Sox sent RHP Heath Hembree on a rehab assignment to . Cincinnati Reds sent RHP Donovan Hand outright to . Pittsburgh Pirates signed LHP Brandon Waddell. Pittsburgh Pirates signed OF Ryan Nagle. signed RHP Jordan Humphreys. signed RHP Scott Effross. Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Ronald Belisario to a minor league contract. Washington Nationals signed free agent OF Elvis Alvarado to a minor league contract. New York Mets signed free agent 3B Zach Lutz to a minor league contract. Washington Nationals signed free agent 2B Reegie Corona to a minor league contract.