Edinson Volquez recently answered 5 questions for fans of the Reds organization. His terse answers aren’t exactly mind-expanding, but I do wonder if he’s any good at dominoes.

Other than baseball, what is your favorite sport? Basketball

What do you like to do in the offseason? Play dominos

Who is the toughest pitcher you have faced? Tim Hudson

What is your favorite book or magazine? Baseball America

If you didn’t play baseball, what would you do for a living? Doctor

Moving backwards through my inbox, I also find this announcement from the Reds about signing left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes. You don’t think he’ll block Mercker, do you??

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty announced Friday the signing of free agent LHP Arthur Rhodes to a 2-year contract through the 2010 season.

Last season Rhodes combined to finish 4-1 with a sterling 2.04 ERA and 2 saves in 61 relief appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins. Opposing lefthanded batters hit just .167. He began the season in Seattle and went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 1 save in 36 games before he was traded to Florida on July 31 in exchange for RHP Gabriel Hernandez. Rhodes finished the season 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 1 save in 25 appearances for the Marlins.

The 16-year Major League veteran has produced a 79-61 record, 4.23 ERA and 32 saves in 714 career appearances and 61 starts for the Baltimore Orioles, Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Marlins. Rhodes made 20 postseason appearances for the Orioles and Mariners, including 9 in the American League Division Series and 11 in the AL Championship Series.

This might be an OK deal if not for the field manager who will misuse him. I predict six weeks of Taveras leading off, hitting .193.

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty announced Saturday the signing of free agent OF Willy Taveras to a two-year contract through the 2010 season.

Taveras, 27, in 133 games last season for the Colorado Rockies hit .251 and led the Major Leagues with 68 stolen bases and a .907 stolen base percentage (68-for-75).

Since 2005, Taveras leads the majors with 207 infield hits and ranks fifth in stolen bases with 168. In 2005 he won the The Sporting News’ National League Rookie of the Year Award and finished second to Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard in the BBWAA Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Young Colin Poling, age 8, from Lima, OH designed this card for the Cincinnati Reds this year, and for his efforts, he gets a Reds Heads membership. That’s a $20 value!

I beamed with pride to receive a real live one of these cards in my mail box. 😀

And some of the five I missed are embarrassing. Though I give myself a break on the Rockies and Twins–I just don’t have reason to think about them too often.

See how many MLB teams you can name in 3 minutes. Warning, the time starts as soon as you access the page.