CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss SSeepptteemmbbeerr 1166tthh,, 22001166 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings September 16, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1988-Tom Browning becomes the first and only in Reds history to throw a perfect game when he retires all 27 Dodgers he faces, winning, 1-0.

MLB.COM Inbox: What will be Price's fate with Reds? Beat reporter Mark Sheldon answers questions from Cincinnati fans By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 15th, 2016

Where do you place the odds on the Reds bringing back Bryan Price next year? -- @SteveBest1

If it were still the first half, I would have said those odds would be slim as Price approaches the end of his three-year contract. But now, I think there is a chance that Price will return in 2017. From some conversations I've had, members of the front office seem pleased with the second-half results (30-26 record since the All-Star break). The team is pitching well, and for the most part, players are giving a good effort all the way to the end of a non-contending season. Billy Hamilton and Eugenio Suarez have taken nice steps forward, and young players like Jose Peraza provide optimism for the future.

Let's face it, Price has not been given a full-strength roster to work with in his three seasons. He seems more comfortable at the helm this season than he was during the first two seasons after never having managed previously. We'll see whether all or any of the above helps earn Price a chance to continue. General manager Dick Williams will be the new head of operations as Walt Jocketty steps aside, and he might want his own guy. Right now, they are playing their cards close to the vest.

Who do you think will be in the starting rotation next year? I know there are a few locks. -- @ztrain21

Barring injuries and the unforeseen, I envision these four locks: Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Brandon Finnegan and Dan Straily. That leaves quite a list of players to compete for the other spot, a group that includes but isn't limited to Michael Lorenzen, Cody Reed, Robert Stephenson, Tim Adleman, John Lamb and perhaps Amir Garrett. If Raisel Iglesias doesn't go back in the , he could be in there as well. The Reds would have to feel pretty good about what they have going into 2017 if everyone stays healthy.

How much does Stephenson need to improve to open next season in the rotation? Do you think he will? -- @elliottm_3

Stephenson frustrated some -- including -A Louisville manager Delino DeShields -- because of his inconsistency, command issues and lack of adjustments. But he often showed better command and kept the walks down once he was in the Majors. If Stephenson shows more maturity, along with better command and development of his secondary pitches, his chances will be improved.

How many members of next year's bullpen do you expect back? -- @Jordan_TM

Some of this will depend on the makeup of the rotation, as some competing for a starting spot could wind up as relievers. If they aren't in the rotation, I'd have to think Iglesias and Lorenzen would form the back end of the bullpen. Cingrani also has a chance to return. Blake Wood, Keyvius Sampson and Josh Smith could also contend for spots. The bullpen's struggles were a big first-half talking point, but Iglesias and Lorenzen really helped stabilize things, along with starters like DeSclafani and Straily having deeper starts.

Which Reds player, current or former, has been the easiest to get along with? -- @redsmccurdygal

The easiest was Bronson Arroyo -- for everyone.

Is Arroyo a Reds Hall of Famer? -- @PaulieMiked

Definitely. Arroyo was 105-94 with a 4.05 ERA in 265 starts over eight seasons with the Reds from 2006-13. He made at least 32 starts in each of those seasons and reached 200 innings seven of eight seasons (199 innings in the other one). In club history, Arroyo is seventh all time in strikeouts, eighth in starts and 17th in wins and innings. He also won a Gold Glove Award and went to one All-Star Game while also being a clubhouse leader and popular in the city. And don't forget that before Arroyo and Aaron Harang came along, there wasn't much in solid pitching for Cincinnati in about a decade.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Will Bryan Price return in 2017? C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 3:19 p.m. EDT September 15, 2016

As the close of the Reds’ self-described rebuilding season nears, manager Bryan Price has been asked question after question about the future of the team.

Where will Jose Peraza play? Will Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen be starters or relievers? Which of the team’s ballyhooed pitching prospects will get the first crack in the team’s rotation?

Price dutifully has answered each question as if he will be part of the team making those decisions, yet the question of his status is still up in the air. This is the third year of his initial three-year contract and with 17 games remaining, there has been no decision made about his future.

“I’m trying to stay in the present, however, I understand that we’re building toward the future,” Price said. “I keep my eye on the future as well. This stuff, it’s not a huge, bothersome concern. I know that eventually, it’s going to be settled. I’ll be back or I won’t. I don’t mind talking about the future at all, I really don’t. The future of the players. I really don’t want to talk about my future until I have a pretty good grasp on what’s going to happen.”

Reds management, in its own transition, is still mulling over the decision of whether Price will be part of its continued transformation in 2017. No decision has been made, Reds general manager Dick Williams told The Enquirer on Thursday, and the evaluation process extends well beyond Price’s 202-267 record and 62-83 record this season.

Before the season, both Williams and Walt Jocketty, president of baseball operations, said Price would be evaluated on more than his win-loss record.

“If they’re progressing and getting better, that’s what his job is to do this year,” Jocketty said in March.

In some senses, that progression has happened. The Reds have a winning record in the second half, and, in particular, have pitched better compared to their disastrous start to the season. Young players like Brandon Finnegan, Jose Peraza, Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton have enjoyed good years.

But others have struggled. Cody Reed’s major-league results never matched his prospect pedigree. Conclusions on the viability of Iglesias and Lorenzen as starters were punted after both wound up in the bullpen due to injuries. Pitching prospect Robert Stephenson hasn’t spent enough time in the majors to draw any sort of conclusion whatsoever about his readiness.

Quantifying a manager’s effect on a team has always been a fool’s errand. Giving a manager credit or blame for any particular player’s development is close to impossible.

But it’s undeniable the Reds are ending the 2016 season with more upward momentum than they began it.

“I couldn’t be happier with the coaching staff,” Price said. “I can talk about next year in the sense that this team is, with a couple more right pieces, (heading) in the right direction for next year. I’m very pleased with the way the players have performed, particularly in the second half.”

The Reds plan to come to a decision on Price’s fate before the end of the season, although an announcement regarding it could wait until after Oct. 2. They’ll have to weigh several factors.

If the Reds dump Price, it’s likely they’ll be attacking the 2017 season with both a first-year manager and a first-year general manager in Williams, at least in the sense that Williams will have the final call on baseball decisions after the semi-retirement of Jocketty. Hiring a veteran manager would certainly be a preference for Cincinnati, but it’s unlikely that many sought-after candidates with managerial experience would be looking to join a team in the middle of a rebuild.

The Reds also have a familiarity and a certain comfort level with Price that would have to be cultivated with a new manager. It’s also not tough to argue that given the organization’s depleted roster the last couple seasons, Price hasn’t been given much of a chance to show his skills in the position. The biggest managerial challenge has been finding playing time for Peraza.

Price said several times during the season he wouldn’t sacrifice time for Brandon Phillips or Zack Cozart in order to play the young infielder, but also didn’t want him stagnating on the bench. Price eventually won the debate that Peraza should be playing every day in the minors, and the 22-year-old was sent to Triple-A after the trade deadline.

On the other hand, declining to bring back Price wouldn’t exactly be a tough sell. When power is transferred within a front office, it’s not uncommon for the new decision-maker to install his own guy in the manager’s office, and Cincinnati’s poor record over the past couple years wouldn’t provide much of an impediment to such a move. If Williams does have a candidate in mind, that person might not be available an offseason or two down the line.

All indications are that the Reds are still weighing all those factors and that equal weight is being given to the idea of Price staying. Ultimately, the decision will be made by owner Bob Castellini, although the various members of the front office will offer their opinions for his consideration.

Price is at peace with the uncertainty that hangs over his head the final two weeks of the season.

“I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to politick, and I don’t want to talk about the type of job I’m doing,” he said. “The season’s over, I’m happy to talk to you about it. Now, it just seems like it’s self-serving. I’m not going to lip-service myself into trying to stay here.”

BAR: Could the Cardinals miss the playoffs? C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 12:08 p.m. EDT September 15, 2016

The Cubs will clinch the Central in the next couple of days, if not tonight. Their magic number is 1, meaning a win against the Brewers tonight or a win by the Giants (and Johnny Cueto) later tonight against the Cardinals could wrap up the team’s first division title since 2008.

That’s no longer interesting (or at least until it gets time to see if they can make/win the ). What is interesting to me is the Cardinals.

Make no mistake, the Cardinals are baseball’s model franchise. Entering tonight’s games, St. Louis is a half-game behind the Mets for the second wild card and a full game behind the Giants.

With a four-game series in San Francisco this weekend, much can change by Monday morning. But, the Cardinals are in danger of sitting home in October for the first time since 2010 and playing in the Wild Card game for the first time since the first one in 2012 (which was another one of those devil magic games that so often seem to go their way.)

Baseball Prospectus has St. Louis’ playoff odds at 47.5 percent, behind the Mets (79.7 percent) and Giants (70.1 percent).

The reason the Mets have a higher percentage is their schedule — New York’s next two series (six games) are against the two teams battling it out for the No. 1 pick in next June’s draft, the Twins and Braves. All six of those are at home, as well. New York follows with four games at home against the Phillies, the team that picked No. 1 this year and is 65-81 so far this season. The only team left on its schedule that has any chance of the playoffs is Miami, which is 73-73 and four games behind the Mets for the second Wild- Card spot. The Mets play three in Miami in the penultimate series of the season before ending the season with three more in .

The Cardinals have these four games against the Giants and three at Chicago, although, by that time, the Cubs will have clinched, so that could help them. They do finish with seven at home, including four against the Reds and three against the Pirates, a team that will likely be out of it by that time, as well. (Odd side note: The Cardinals have been great on the road — 43-28 — and awful at home — 33-41.)

After this weekend, San Francisco has all NL West games remaining, including six against the Dodgers, who lead the division by five games. They also have four games at San Diego (62-84) and three against Colorado (69-77).

#HeyBARtender

Remember, tomorrow is when Zach and I answer your questions. Be sure to ask them to us on Twitter — or email if they’re longer — with #HeyBARtender.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Rookie: Orem 3, Billings 0: The Mustangs managed just one (a single by CF T.J. Friedl), losing Game 1 of the best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series. 2B Alejo Lopez committed three errors for Billings. Starter Ian Kahaloa gave up a run on two hits in three innings. He struck out three. Zac Correll followed, giving up a run on three hits with four strikeouts in 3 2/3. [Box]

THE ROTATION

1. Mike Trout is inarguably the best player in the game. Does the lack of argument cost him the MVP? [ESPN]

2. I saw ’s thoughts on Adam Jones and Colin Kaepernick and was thinking of just what to say… then I read Jeff Passan’s scathing take-down of his comments and decided there was no way I could say anything better:

“Tony La Russa, a convicted drunk driver who managed one of the most steroid-addled clubhouses in modern baseball history and today oversees an organization that at the trade deadline passed along to multiple organizations private medical information about a player it wanted to deal, spent Wednesday playing moralist, a role that suits him about as well as chief baseball officer for a major league franchise.”

That’s just the first paragraph. It’s well worth your time to read the rest.

3. The most fascinating story in baseball anywhere in the world is Shohei Otani, who not only has thrown the fastest pitch in Japanese history (101.9 mph), but is also seventh in the league in home runs, leads NPB with a 1.036 OPS and won the NPB Derby. [Big League Stew]

4. The greatest headline I’ve ever seen is no longer accurate (because Russia has regained control of the satellite), but it’s still worthy of posting. From the Washington Post: “There is a lizard sex satellite floating in space and Russia no longer has it under control”

5. Last night the Reds recognized Staff Sgt. Ty Carter, who received the Medal of Honor in 2013. I suspended my no cheering in the press box for this one. Then I looked up his story — I probably should have run down there and shook his hand. You want to talk about incredible. Read it at Stars and Stripes.

BAR: Who could the Reds trade this offseason? C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 7:58 a.m. EDT September 16, 2016

It’s Friday, which means we answer your Twitter question with more than 140 characters (most of the time). If you have Reds questions, tweet at @ctrent and @ZachENQ with #HeyBARtender.

Q: Which Reds players should we fans be prepared to see traded during the off season? #heyBARtender

A: The most obvious candidates are the two middle infielders — Zack Cozart and Brandon Phillips. Both are free agents after the 2017 season and with Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera waiting in the wings needing to play, one or both could be playing elsewhere in 2017.

Phillips has full no-trade protection, so he’d have to waive that to be traded (something he was unwilling to do this past offseason). With the end of his time in Cincinnati coming and the team still not expected to contend in 2017, he may be more open to a trade. The Reds would likely have to pay much of his contract, but his great second half (.346/.368/.486) could make him more attractive to suitors.

The Mariners wanted Cozart at the deadline, but the two teams couldn’t nail down a deal. The Mariners could still be interested, as could other teams.

There was certainly talk around the deadline about Anthony DeSclafani. I wouldn’t expect the Reds to shop him, but if someone wants to overpay (a la Shelby Miller), they’d have to consider it. Q: Should the Reds trade @danstraily67 or -with 3 years of control - is he a block to build around in 2017? #heyBARtender

A: It’s actually four years of control — he still has one more year before reaching arbitration.

Straily’s ERA is at 3.81, but his xFIP is 5.00, which could give plenty of teams pause.

He’s shown the ability to be an innings eater this year, and at that price point could be a bargain. I’d think it would take an overpay to give up on him this offseason.

Q: #heyBARtender If Reed or Lamb dont make the rotation next year do you think we see them more in the pen or starting in AAA?

Triple-A. There’s always a need to have depth that’s ready to come up. Reed has shown that he needs to do some things at that level to be ready for the big leagues and Lamb has to stay healthy.

Lamb could be a long man, but it would make more sense to keep him at Triple-A ready when a starter is needed (and it is almost always needed).

Q: Where do you see Cingrani fitting with the team in 2017? Has Iglesias being a starter ended? #HeyBARtender

Cingrani’s a bullpen piece and can be a very good one.

As for Iglesias, there’s still debate. After shoulder injuries the last two seasons, though, I’d think he’d most likely be in the bullpen. However, there’s a chance the Reds try to do something different and see if they can get 100 innings out of both him and Michael Lorenzen out of the bullpen in fireman-type roles.

• If you missed it yesterday, the Reds had a big day with the announcement that they’d reached a new two-year player development contract with their -A affiliate in Pensacola, Fla. [PNJ.com]

Pensacola is one of the most desirable situations in all of minor league baseball. It’s a great stadium, involved ownership, good facilities and a good town.

For all the Reds fans who lament the team moving from Florida — try Pensacola. It’s , less crowded, has a better stadium and has better beaches than Sarasota.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Rookie: Lefty Wennington Romero starts the do-or-die Game 2 of the Pioneer League Championship Series against Orem tonight. Romero is 3-3 with a 1.93 ERA in 10 appearances and seven starts for the Mustangs this season. Game 3 would be Saturday, if necessary.

THE ROTATION

1. Jon Heyman has his top 30 free agents for the offseason and what I found interesting was that three of the top seven were once either Reds or in the Reds’ system — Edwin Encarnacion, Justin Turner and Aroldis Chapman. The Reds can be said to have given up too soon on the first two and on the third guilty of giving up too soon and too late. (In fairness, the Reds weren’t the only ones who gave up on Encarnacion, who was acquired in a deal with the Rangers, and designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and nontendered by A’s after his trade from Cincinnati.)

2. This is an amazing story from Joe Shaw on Redleg Nation and has little-to-nothing to do with baseball. It’s more important than that.

3. Jim Harbaugh is apparently completely humorless. [MLive.com]

4. Tonight I’ll find out if it is the casting or editing that makes me hate everyone on House Hunters and House Hunters International because my best friend is going to be on. I know I love him, his wife and their daughter, so if I don’t like them on TV, I know it’s the editing. (He’s warned me, he thinks he comes off like a jerk.) [HGTV.com]

5. Franz Nicolay talks about the making of The Hold Steady’s “Boys and Girls in America.” [Riot Fest]

(I've always liked the keys in this song ...)

Enquirer Throwback: Browning's perfect game Jeff Suess, [email protected] 10:45 a.m. EDT September 15, 2016

A fly out to right field for out No. 1, top of the ninth inning. The crowd was electric but quiet. The old superstition not to disrupt a pitcher two outs away from a perfect game.

Few fans had endured the two-and-a-half-hour rain delay for what became a pitchers’ duel between Reds left-hander Tom Browning and Tim Belcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 16, 1988.

Browning was protecting a 1-0 lead. Both pitchers had flirted with a no-hitter until lined a double off Belcher in the sixth. But no Dodgers had made it on base – 25 up, 25 down.

Steve Sax hit a grounder to Larkin for the 26th out in a row. Browning had struck out six and never got three balls on any batter.

“I was getting a little bit excited, a little antsy,” Browning said, “but was trying to stay within myself and throw strikes.”

With a 2-2 count on pinch-hitter Tracy Woodson, Browning launched a high fastball. Woodson swung, strike three!

The team stormed the mound and hoisted “Mr. Perfect” onto their shoulders. The only perfect game in the Reds’ long storied history.

PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL Blue Wahoos renew affiliation with Cincinnati Reds Bill Vilona, [email protected] 6:48 p.m. CDT September 15, 2016

In a nod toward maintaining a longer-term partnership, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos agreed Thursday to extend their affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds through the 2018 season.

The agreement was announced in a video by Blue Wahoos co-owner and PGA Tour star Bubba Watson, along with team president Jonathan Griffith. Watson is shown fretting the fact baseball is over for the season, then picks the Reds' hat to announce the renewal.

The Blue Wahoos' past agreement, termed a Player Development Contract in baseball parlance, expired this year. The Blue Wahoos have been the Reds' Double-A affiliate in the Southern League since the franchise inception six years ago.

"We have enjoyed the past five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds," said Watson in a news release. "We appreciate their partnership and look forward to continuing our relationship. We are truly happy that Cincinnati wants to stay in Pensacola to develop their players."

Teams have the option to renew for two years or four years.

"We went with the two-year option, because we felt like it was better for both organizations," Griffith said. "It just kinda keeps us both in check and makes us revisit it every two years. I think it's an important thing to have open communications at all times and making sure we're all staying true to what we have promised each other.

"And for us, it's being the best minor league system for the Reds they could possibly have. That ranges from the clubhouse to the field. Having the best field in the Southern League and throughout minor league baseball is very important to the Reds."

Thursday began a two week period where other MLB teams could begin official talks in seeking a switch of affiliations. The Blue Wahoos had several teams inquire about changing affiliations.

The Blue Wahoos were one of four Southern League teams with PDC agreements ending this year. The others were the Miami Marlins, who announced their renewal earlier Thursday to remain in Jacksonville, along with the Mobile BayBears (Arizona Diamondbacks) and league champion Jackson Generals ().

In the Eastern League, only the Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves had not renewed before Thursday. They are the affiliate. Two teams in the Texas League — the other Double-A league — without agreements yet were the Midland Rockhounds (Oakland A's), and Arkansas Travelers (Anaheim Angels).

Of all of those teams, the Reds had a much higher favorability, especially with 35 former Blue Wahoos players having advanced to the major leagues, including 29 with the Reds in these six seasons. The agreement follows the Blue Wahoos best record in franchise history with an 81-59 overall record and a sweep of half-division titles in the Southern League South Division.

The Blue Wahoos advanced for the second year to the post-season, winning their opening playoff game against the Mississippi Braves last week in the divisional series, before losing the next three.

"I think change is always uncomfortable for everyone," said Griffith, referring to the possibility of a switch in affiliation. "You never really want to change anything, ever. And when you have a good relationship, you definitely don't want that to change. We have that great relationship with the Reds."

Sept. 30 was the deadline for all minor league teams to renew affiliations, or let Major League Baseball step in and choose the affiliation.

"If you look at the Blue Wahoos, we're probably different than other minor league franchises in that we do look at the affiliation as a partnership," said Quint Studer, the team's majority owner with wife Rishy. "We don't like to change for the sake of change. We did not want to wait until the last minute to get this done."

The Reds front office, including team president Walt Jocketty, general manager Dick Williams and player personnel director Jeff Graupe were all in Pensacola last week during the home playoff games to help finalize the agreement.

Studer has visited Cincinnati and met with Reds owner Bob Castellini. During the past year, there has been a steady back-and-forth of communication between the teams on various issues. It has further improved dialogue and mutual understanding on the role of the each team.

"Basically, what we said was how can we strengthen our relationship," Studer said. "From the get go, we said we were not going to make a decision before the trade deadline in baseball (Aug. 1) because we knew the Reds could be making trades or have movement and we did not want to distract from that.

"We feel like both organizations made great improvement in communication. We want our organization to be the bench mark in the minor leagues."

Among the issues were matters like the Blue Wahoos receiving and selling Reds merchandise in their Bait and Tackle Store at the stadium and the Reds selling Blue Wahoos apparel in Cincinnati. It was something Studer noticed when traveling to a Milwaukee Brewers game and seeing Biloxi Shuckers items in the team store.

Another request is trying to get the Reds to fly a couple of their players like mega-popular Billy Hamilton, for example, who connected with fans here during his short stay or catcher Tucker Barnhart, or other players with Blue Wahoos ties in an off-season visit as part of a Reds Caravan.

:"With Walt and Dick (Williams) and Jeff (Graupe) they have been very good with us," Studer said.

ESPN.COM Pirates-Reds preview Posted: 11:01 PM ET By: STATS LLC

CINCINNATI -- The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost seven of 11 and are clinging to slim hopes of securing one of the two National League wild card spots. The Pirates trail by six games for the coveted second spot and have three teams to leapfrog.

Injuries have been a common theme. Gerrit Cole was shut down for the season this week. The Pirates have used 54 players this season, eclipsing the franchise record of 52 in 2011.

"We did set the record, and we gave it some gap, right?" manager said Wednesday. "I'm guessing we need to be done. If we need any more, I think we've got another challenge on our hands."

The Pirates' playoff chase continues Friday when they begin a four-game series against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, where more protective gear might be needed.

Over the past four seasons, Reds pitchers have hit 51 batters, including 18 this season, the most by any major league staff against any opponent. Pirates pitchers have hit 45 Reds batters, including nine in 2016, second-most of any staff.

And, Pittsburgh doesn't just plunk the Reds.

Over the past four seasons, Pirates pitchers lead the major leagues in number of batters hit. Going into their series finale on Wednesday at Philadelphia, the Pirates had hit 295 batters, following by the Reds 264 and White Sox 243.

Taking aim on Friday will be right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who's 5-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 22 career appearances including 12 starts.

Vogelsong's last outing against Cincinnati didn't go well. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits and walked three in an 8-0 loss at PNC Park on Sunday.

He missed nearly two months after being struck near the left eye by a Jordan Lyles pitch on May 23. He suffered facial fractures but managed to return in early August.

Right-hander Robert Stephenson, one of the Reds' top pitching prospects, will make his fifth career appearance and third start since he was promoted in September.

Stephenson was the first Reds pitcher to win his first two major league starts since Larry Luebbers in 1993.

The Pirates come in with some momentum after Andrew McCutchen hit two homers in a 15-2 win at Philadelphia.

Cincinnati has gone 30-26 since the All-Star break, including winning five of its last six. But, the Reds do have some injuries with shortstop Zack Cozart missing four games with a sore knee and center fielder Billy Hamilton out indefinitely with a strained left oblique.

It's always a high-tension affair when these two NL Central rivals square off, and this season's series has been evenly played. Pittsburgh has gone 7-8 this season against the Reds including 2/3 at Great American Ball Park.

On Saturday, they'll play a day-night doubleheader. The first game beginning at 12:10 p.m. EST will make up the May 10 game which was rained out. The second game will begin at approximately 6:10 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS 09/15/16

Miami Marlins designated 2B Robert Andino for assignment. St. Louis Cardinals activated RHP Trevor Rosenthal from the 15-day disabled list. placed LHP Chris Lee on the 60-day disabled list. Left shoulder strain. Baltimore Orioles recalled LHP Chris Lee from Bowie Baysox. Baltimore Orioles recalled RHP Mike Wright from Norfolk Tides. Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of Paul Janish from Norfolk Tides. Cincinnati Reds placed CF Billy Hamilton on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to September 5, 2016. Oblique. Miami Marlins claimed Odrisamer Despaigne off waivers from Baltimore Orioles. transferred RHP Nathan Eovaldi from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right elbow tendon injury. New York Yankees signed free agent DH Billy Butler. recalled Dillon Overton from Nashville Sounds. Cincinnati Reds placed LHP Cody Reed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to September 5, 2016. Back spasms.