EastValleyTribune.com is reporting that the Reds have expressed interest in Luis Gonzalez:
GONZALEZ'S SUITORS GROW
Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro had a lunch meeting with Luis Gonzalez and Clifton here Friday, the Indians joining a list of nine teams that have inquired about Gonzalez.
“It was nice to have a team that values his veteran status,” Clifton said. “They are looking to add a veteran presence to their young players.”
Baltimore and Cincinnati have joined San Francisco and Texas as teams known to have inquired about Gonzalez, and St. Louis also is believed to be interested although no formal contact has been made.
St. Louis tried to trade for Gonzalez each of the last two seasons.
Luis Gonzalez, age 39, was a guest announcer for FOX during some of the postseason games this season. I think it's clear that the guy who wrote the story is misinformed. The Reds don't need Gonzalez; they already hired an old player, Jeff Brantley, to be their color guy.
It's no surprise by now to see Rich Aurilia's name bandied about New York rumors, this time for the Yankees at first base:
Rich Aurilia: The Yankees could seek an upgrade at first base and chase a player like Aurilia, who has limited experience at first base but is certainly athletic enough to handle the job. The Brooklyn native hit .300 with 70 RBI for the Reds.
It's somewhat more surprising to see Eddie Guardado's name thrown in there:
Eddie Guardado: A veteran lefty is needed for the bullpen. The Yankees could retain Ron Villone, although he broke down after being abused in July and August. Guardado or a guy like Steve Kline will be attractive.
Isn't Guardado injured? I guess that would make him cheap.
The Reds shook things up today when they didn't hire a hitting coach from Wayne Krivsky's previous employers. Instead, they hired someone from Jerry Narron's previous employer.
(That's not fair, of course. You can do Five Degrees of Jerry Narron with everyone in the league. It's just the first thought that popped into my head, and I'm betting I wasn't the only one.)
“I consider 194 of them a little bit of an issue,” said Jacoby. “If he were to put the ball in play a little more, I’m sure it would mean some more RBIs and possibly some more hits. It might be an approach thing with him with two strikes; it might be a mechanical thing. I’ll have to sit down and talk to him and we’ll figure it out. I’d like to think something could be improved there.”
Worth a try, I guess, assuming Dunn's around that long.
You read it first right here on RHM: Brook Jacoby has been hired as the Reds' hitting coach, replacing Chris Chambliss.
Jacoby was with the Reds farm system as a coach from 2000-2002. He's also got some experience at the MLB level, serving as interim hitting coach with the Rangers.
As a player, Jacoby played 11 seasons (primarily at 3B) with the Indians, Braves, and A's. He was an All-Star in 1986 and 1990. He retired as a player after the 1992 season.
By