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Home , Bill Bonham, Bill Caudill, Blake Wood, Bronson Arroyo, Cody Clark (baseball), Cody Reed

Press Clippings March 28, 2017

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1977 - The Reds trade to the Cardinals for . Caudill will be traded to the Cubs for seven months later, never appearing in a major league game for the Reds

MLB.COM Turner's homer highlights offense vs. Giants By Mark Sheldon and Chris Haft / MLB.com | March 27th, 2017 + 58 COMMENTS

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Enjoying their second-biggest offensive output of the spring in their next-to-last Arizona exhibition, the benefited from a seven- outburst in Monday's fourth inning and cruised to a 14-2 Cactus League triumph over the Cincinnati Reds.

Aaron Hill, seeking a utility infielder's role for the Giants, went 3-for-4 with a first-inning RBI single and a two-run, fifth-inning .

Reserve Gorkys Hernandez, who entered the game batting .159, rapped three doubles. Jae-gyun Hwang hoisted a two-run, opposite-field homer to right field in the fifth inning to conclude San Francisco's scoring against Reds starter Cody Reed, who allowed 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Reed, who entered the day with a 3.24 ERA in his previous five spring games, is trying to earn a spot in the Reds' rotation.

"I got behind," Reed said. "That's a Major League lineup and they don't make mistakes that much. I made more mistakes than they did. They took advantage of me. That might be the worst I've ever been hit around, even from last year when I got banged up most of those 10 starts (0-7, 7.36 ERA)."

The Giants set a team record for runs scored, exceeding the 12 they tallied on March 12 against Arizona.

The Reds, whose lineup consisted mostly of candidates for reserve roles, avoided a shutout in the fifth inning when Sebastian Elizalde doubled and scored before Stuart Turner homered.

Otherwise, Giants starter was mostly untouchable, yielding one hit through four innings.The starter ultimately lasted seven innings, surrendering two runs and four hits, while striking out nine. The pair of Reds runs he yielded halted his streak of innings without allowing an at 16.

"You look at what he's been doing, his body of work recently, it's what makes him so good," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He takes every outing seriously, so serious to the point where his preparation doesn't waver."

Reds Up Next: Opening Day starter will get his final spring tune-up when the Reds host the Dodgers at 4:05 p.m. ET Tuesday (Gameday audio) at Goodyear Ballpark. Michael Lorenzen is slated to follow from the .

Giants Up Next: San Francisco concludes the Cactus League portion of the spring schedule with a 1:05 p.m. PT (MLB.TV) encounter against the champion . , seeking the Giants' No. 5 starter's spot, will oppose Cubs righty .

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast.

Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

Iglesias says he'll be ready for Opening Day By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | March 27th, 2017 + 3 COMMENTS

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds are counting on to be a main cog in the back end of their bullpen. But Iglesias hasn't thrown a pitch in a spring game since March 14 because of a bone bruise on his right elbow.

Iglesias, who hurt his elbow and hips during a fall in the shower, felt the idle time would not affect him negatively.

"I'm not worried about it. I feel strong right now," Iglesias said on Monday via translator Julio Morillo. "I feel like all of my pitches are there. [Tuesday], I'm going to throw in the bullpen. After that, I'm pretty confident that I'm going to go into the season and compete and everything is going to be fine."

If Iglesias has a successful bullpen session, manager plans to get him into a game, potentially one of the exhibitions in Dayton or Louisville vs. Reds Minor Leaguers.

"My elbow and my hips are fine," Iglesias said. "I feel really good. I think everything is going to be all right."

Iglesias threw on Sunday, leaving Price optimistic he would be ready.

"He did everything yesterday. He threw, he hit. His back is fine. His elbow is fine," Price said.

Following a stint on the disabled list from May 1-June 20 last season because of a shoulder impingement, Iglesias switched from starting to relief work. The right-hander had a 1.98 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and six saves in eight chances over 50 innings and 32 relief appearances.

Price plans to utilize Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Tony Cingrani and Drew Storen at the end of games for potentially multiple innings per appearances. Iglesias, 27, is prepared for anything.

"Whatever they want me to do, I will do it. I will compete," Iglesias said. "I will do my best. I just want to show them that I'm ready to be the of this team. That's my goal. I'm going to go and do whatever I did last year, compete and whatever decision they make will be fine with me."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Game report: Giants 14, Reds 2 Zach Buchanan , [email protected] 9:23 p.m. ET March 27, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – LHP Cody Reed got shelled in his final start, and the Cincinnati Reds fell 14-2 to the San Francisco Giants on Monday at Scottsdale Stadium.

Reed was the last of Cincinnati's rotation hopefuls to make his Cactus League finale. All of them – Reed, Rookie Davis, Robert Stephenson, Tim Adleman, Sal Romano and Amir Garrett – had less-than-stellar outings in their final starts.

THE ARMS

Reed struggled from the get-go, walking the first two batters of the game and giving up two runs in the first inning. In the second inning, he hit the first batter, walked the second and wound up giving up another run.

Things really went off the rails in the fourth. Reed gave up four consecutive one-out hits, including two doubles. After taking a comebacker off the his glove and recovering for the second out of the inning, he walked the next batter, allowed a double and then by Giants 2B . That ended Reed's day.

In total, he was charged for 10 runs and four walks in 3 ⅔ innings. He did not record a , and finished Cactus League play with a 7.08 ERA.

"I get so jittery when I'm up there. I'm so ready to go," Reed said. "It just speeds up on me. I've got to learn how to slow it down."

RHP Michael Lorenzen worked around a walk in two scoreless innings. RHP Blake Wood gave up a run on two hits in two-thirds of a frame, and LHP Tony Cingrani walked two and allowed three runs in one-third of an inning.

THE BATS

Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner mowed through the Reds in the early going, with only RF Sebastian Elizalde reaching base with a single in the second. Elizalde finished 2 for 4, and scored on a . C Stuart Turner added a monster home run in the fifth.

THE REST

LF Hernan Iribarren didn't look very natural in the outfield, but did get start an inning-ending 7-5-6 putout to nab SS trying to go first-to-third in the first.

UP NEXT

Reds RHP Scott Feldman will have his final tuneup before pitching Opening Day when the Reds host the on Tuesday at Goodyear Ballpark. Feldman will be followed by Lorenzen, RHP Barrett Astin and LHPs Lucas Luetge and Wandy Peralta. LHP will start for the Dodgers. The game will be carried on 700 WLW AM at 4:05 p.m.

Facing four-man bench, Reds release Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 12:19 p.m. ET March 27, 2017 | Updated 21 hours ago

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price hates the idea of a four-man bench. Playing the game, it ties one hand behind his back when it comes to pinch-hitting early in games.

But with the Reds expected to start the season with a shockingly young pitching staff due to injuries to Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani, a five-man bench is a luxury the Reds can’t afford.

And that means they can’t afford veteran slugger Ryan Raburn, whom the team released Monday.

“I hope he finds a home,” Price said. “I think he’s still a good player. He could have helped us in a lot of ways.”

Raburn may have been a luxury, but he wasn’t expensive. The Reds signed the 35-year-old to a minor-league deal at the start of camp that guaranteed him a $900,000 salary if he made the club, just a few hundred thousand dollars more than the major-league minimum.

Because he was an Article XX(B) free agent under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Reds had until Tuesday to release him, put him on the major-league roster or pay a $100,000 bonus to keep him in the minors. Even then, Raburn would have received a June 1 opt-out.

The bigger factor flexibility, or the lack of it. Playing with a short bench requires maneuverability both on the field and from level- to-level. With one spot dedicated to a backup , the other three players need to play multiple positions, and the Reds need to be able to send them to the minors if the situation calls for it.

Raburn was limited in both aspects. He did not play well at first in , so he was really just a corner outfielder. He also could not be sent to the minors in the middle of the season without his consent.

“We need to have some fluidity to the bench personnel, multi-positional and at least a guy or two who has options that give us the ability to move some pieces,” Price said. “He was the odd man out, unfortunately.”

The group the Reds have left in camp may be able to move around the diamond more, but it’s not much easier to move them between the majors and -A. Desmond Jennings can play all three outfield positions, but can opt out of his minor-league deal before Opening Day if he’s not on the roster. If he is on the roster, he can’t be sent to the minors without his consent.

Utility options Hernan Iribarren and Arismendy Alcantara are also out of options. Iribarren is not on the 40-man roster and can start in Triple-A without any risk to the club, but Alcantara can’t be sent to the minors without passing through waivers. Tony Renda and Patrick Kivlehan have options and defensive flexibility, but lack significant big-league experience.

(Sebastian Elizalde also has options, but has never been seriously considered to make the club.)

But in their quest to avoid roster rigidity, the Reds may have sacrificed the Skip Schumaker-type bench presence to help the team’s younger players adjust to the challenges of playing in the majors.

“That’s what you lose when you cut loose Ryan Raburn,” Price said. “You lose that guy that can impact you both as a producer and bench player and as a clubhouse presence and good mentor for the young players. There’s just a mixed opinion on the value of that veteran presence and veteran leadership in different roles.”

Bronson Arroyo: 'I'm literally about to pull off the impossible' Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 5:13 p.m. ET March 27, 2017 | Updated 4 hours ago

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Bronson Arroyo feels normal, and that’s pretty abnormal.

It’s been nearly three years since the 40-year-old has thrown a pitch in the major leagues. He’s spent most of that time fighting to come back from shoulder and elbow surgeries, unable to get his aging body to rebound.

But now he feels healthy, with nothing remarkable to report about his preparation for the regular season. Now, he’s on the verge of pitching in a major-league rotation – or in the majors at all – for the first time since 2014.

“I’m literally about to pull off the impossible,” Arroyo said. “That’s the way I see it.”

The Cincinnati Reds signed Arroyo to a minor-league deal just as spring training began, taking the low-risk bet that he was finally healthy. After an injury to Anthony DeSclafani left the rotation short of experience, they’ll be relying on him more than they could have expected.

No one with the Reds has said for certain that Arroyo will join the rotation, not wanting to count on his health before it’s absolutely proven. The veteran still has two more starts against minor-leaguers to build up his arm, one Tuesday and one the day before Cincinnati opens the season against the .

But manager Bryan Price is confident Arroyo will complete his comeback.

“I don’t have any doubt at this point in time that he’s going to be pitching in the big leagues with us,” Price said.

To Arroyo, the final two spring outings are a formality. He was convinced his body could handle the load after his most recent start, in which he threw four innings and topped 60 pitches. The Reds, while optimistic, might need a bit more convincing.

As he often does, Arroyo turns to a story about frontman to make his point. The two are friends, and Vedder once invited Arroyo on the stage to play a song on the guitar. It took a few bars from Arroyo until Vedder was convinced enough to look away and start singing.

The Reds have yet to fully look away and let Arroyo play.

“I think I’ve gotten half of that stare off of me,” Arroyo said. “But not the whole thing.”

Arroyo knows it will take a while to convince the baseball world he can still pitch. The Reds may or may not afford him the starts it would take to prove it.

He’s essentially in the rotation now, but might not be for the long haul. DeSclafani and fellow right-hander Homer Bailey are due back around June. The Reds will fill their rotation with three young to start the year and have five or six others who are on the verge of the majors as well.

If enough of them click, they’d take priority over the old guy with a low-80s . But they’ll have to take his spot over his 40- year-old body.

“I’m looking to throw 200 innings,” Arroyo said. “Whoever else is in this rotation, they’re going to have to work their ass off to throw more innings than Bronson Arroyo this year. That’s just the way I see it, and I don’t think it’s fiction.”

Arroyo thinks it will take until mid-May to satisfy all the questions about his health, age and capability. It’s not unreasonable to think he’d be in the rotation that long. Bailey and DeSclafani will not yet have returned, and the Reds could young pitchers in the minors to gain an extra year of control and avoid Super Two eligibility.

He may wind up crowded out of the rotation picture in Cincinnati in the long run, but there are 29 other teams paying attention if that happens.

“Honestly, I can't tell the difference between my body right now and 2010,” he said. “I just feel good out on the field. I feel like I’ve got enough in me to compete at this level with no problem. I’m getting excited about it.”

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Cincinnati Reds release outfielder Jay Morrison - Staff Writer 12:49 p.m Monday, March 27, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds on Monday released infielder/outfielder Ryan Raburn.

The Reds signed Raburn to a minor league contract on Feb. 19. He hit .219 in 15 games with three home runs and seven RBIs.

Cincinnati will play San Francisco at 4:05 p.m. in the first of three remaining spring training games in Arizona.

ESPN.COM Reds release OF Ryan Raburn, who competed for bench role 1:02 PM ET Associated Press

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Cincinnati Reds have released outfielder Ryan Raburn after he struggled in a bid to win a bench role.

Raburn signed a minor league deal last month. He hit .219 during spring training with seven hits, three home runs and seven in 32 at-bats.

Raburn played seven years for Detroit and three for Cleveland before moving to the National League last season. He batted only .220 with last year, when he made $1.6 million. He played in left field, right field and first base for the Rockies. Raburn turns 36 next month.

The Reds still have competition for the final spots on the bench with opening day a week away. They host the Philadelphia Phillies next Monday.

TRANSACTIONS 03/28/17 St. Louis Cardinals optioned RHP Mike Mayers to .

03/27/17 St. Louis Cardinals optioned C Carson Kelly to Memphis Redbirds. Chicago Cubs optioned LHP Rob Zastryzny to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP to Iowa Cubs. RHP Jeff Johnson assigned to . OF Will Benson assigned to Cleveland Indians. Cleveland Indians selected the contract of CF Austin Jackson from . Philadelphia Phillies optioned LF Roman Quinn to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. OF Austin Wilson assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. IF Oscar Mercado assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. IF Leobaldo Pina assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. RF Alexis Bastardo assigned to . RHP Jeff Thompson assigned to . RHP David Fischer assigned to . optioned RF Steve Selsky to . RF Herlis Rodriguez assigned to Philadelphia Phillies. C Edgar Cabral assigned to Philadelphia Phillies. RHP Will Hibbs assigned to Philadelphia Phillies. RHP Cody assigned to . LHP Nick Dignacco assigned to . LHP Brady Feigl assigned to Texas Rangers. LHP assigned to Texas Rangers. RF Vince Fernandez assigned to Colorado Rockies. C Robbie Perkins assigned to Colorado Rockies. RHP Alexander Guillen assigned to Colorado Rockies. C Argenis Raga assigned to . LHP Max Wotell assigned to Cincinnati Reds. optioned CF Billy Burns to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned LHP to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned LF Peter O'Brien to Omaha Storm Chasers. Colorado Rockies optioned CF to . Texas Rangers optioned RHP Eddie Gamboa to Round Rock Express. RHP Tanner Chleborad assigned to . CF Ryan McKenna assigned to Baltimore Orioles. RF Jhonny Santos assigned to . LHP Jose Quijada assigned to Miami Marlins. LHP Jeff Kinley assigned to Miami Marlins. 2B Vinny Siena assigned to . Boston Red Sox optioned 2B Deven Marrero to Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox optioned C Blake Swihart to Pawtucket Red Sox. C Dan Rizzie assigned to New York Mets. RHP assigned to . C Jake Rogers assigned to . 1B Dexture McCall assigned to Houston Astros. RHP Jacob Dorris assigned to Houston Astros. OF Zack Shields assigned to Cincinnati Reds. C Morgan Lofstrom assigned to Cincinnati Reds. LHP Jesse Adams assigned to Cincinnati Reds.