Fox Sports Ohio announced its television schedule for the 2014 Cincinnati Reds season. And there’s finally a bit of Reds news that made me smile: George Grande will be back to broadcast a few games!

Which games those are hasn’t been officially announced, but I’m looking forward to it. And if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see the Reds get to the smiling side of the scoreboard.

All told, Fox Sports Ohio will televise 145 Reds’ games. That combined with other national broadcast means that almost all of the Reds games will be available on television.

The full schedule is below.

Day	Date	Time	Network		Opponent
MON	31-Mar	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
WED	2-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
THUR	3-Apr	12:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
FRI	4-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Mets
SAT	5-Apr	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Mets
SUN	6-Apr	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Mets
MON	7-Apr	4:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
TUE	8-Apr	8:15pm	FOX Sports 1	@	St. Louis Cardinals
WED	9-Apr	1:45pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
FRI	11-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Tampa Bay Rays
SAT	12-Apr	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Tampa Bay Rays
SUN	13-Apr	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Tampa Bay Rays
MON	14-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
TUE	15-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
WED	16-Apr	12:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
FRI	18-Apr	2:20pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
SAT	19-Apr	2:20pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
SUN	20-Apr	2:20pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
MON	21-Apr	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
TUE	22-Apr	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
WED	23-Apr	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
THUR	24-Apr	12:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
FRI	25-Apr	7:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Atlanta Braves
SAT	26-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Atlanta Braves
SUN	27-Apr	1:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Atlanta Braves
MON	28-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
TUE	29-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
WED	30-Apr	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
THU	1-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
FRI	2-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
SAT	3-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
SUN	4-May	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
TUE	6-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Boston Red Sox
WED	7-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Boston Red Sox
FRI	9-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Colorado Rockies
SAT	10-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Colorado Rockies
SUN	11-May	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Colorado Rockies
TUE	13-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	San Diego Padres
WED	14-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	San Diego Padres
THUR	15-May	12:35pm	FOX Sports 1	vs	San Diego Padres
FRI	16-May	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Philadelphia Phillies
SAT	17-May	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Philadelphia Phillies
SUN	18-May	1:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Philadelphia Phillies
MON	19-May	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Washington Nationals
TUE	20-May	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Washington Nationals
WED	21-May	4:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Washington Nationals
FRI	23-May	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
SAT	24-May	7:15pm	FOX	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
SUN	25-May	8:05pm	ESPN	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
MON	26-May	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Los Angeles Dodgers
TUE	27-May	10:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Los Angeles Dodgers
WED	28-May	10:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Los Angeles Dodgers
THUR	29-May	9:40pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Arizona Diamondbacks
FRI	30-May	9:40pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Arizona Diamondbacks
SAT	31-May	10:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Arizona Diamondbacks
SUN	1-Jun	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Arizona Diamondbacks
TUE	3-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	San Francisco Giants
WED	4-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	San Francisco Giants
THUR	5-Jun	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	San Francisco Giants
FRI	6-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Philadelphia Phillies
SAT	7-Jun	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Philadelphia Phillies
SUN	8-Jun	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Philadelphia Phillies
MON	9-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Los Angeles Dodgers
TUE	10-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Los Angeles Dodgers
WED	11-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Los Angeles Dodgers
THUR	12-Jun	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	Los Angeles Dodgers
FRI	13-Jun	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
SAT	14-Jun	7:15pm	FOX	@	Milwaukee Brewers
SUN	15-Jun	2:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
TUE	17-Jun	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
WED	18-Jun	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
THUR	19-Jun	12:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
FRI	20-Jun	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Toronto Blue Jays
SAT	21-Jun	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Toronto Blue Jays
SUN	22-Jun	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Toronto Blue Jays
mON	23-Jun	8:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
TUE	24-Jun	8:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
WED	25-Jun	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
THUR	26-Jun	10:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Francisco Giants
FRI	27-Jun	10:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Francisco Giants
SAT	28-Jun	10:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Francisco Giants
SUN	29-Jun	4:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Francisco Giants
MON	30-Jun	10:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Diego Padres
TUE	1-Jul	10:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Diego Padres
WED	2-Jul	3:40pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	San Diego Padres
FRE	4-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
SAT	5-Jul	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
SUN	6-Jul	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
MON	7-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
TUE	8-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
WED	9-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
THUR	10-Jul	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	Chicago Cubs
FRI	11-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
SAT	12-Jul	7:15pm	FOX	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
SUN	13-Jul	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
FRI	18-Jul	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Yankees
SAT	19-Jul	1:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Yankees
FUN	20-Jul	1:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	New York Yankees
MON	21-Jul	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
TUE	22-Jul	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
WED	23-Jul	2:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
FRI	25-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Washington Nationals
SAT	26-Jul	4:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio/FOX Sports 1	vs	Washington Nationals
SUN	27-Jul	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Washington Nationals
MON	28-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Arizona Diamondbacks
TUE	29-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Arizona Diamondbacks
WED	30-Jul	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	Arizona Diamondbacks
THUR	31-Jul	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Miami Marlins
FRI	1-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Miami Marlins
SAT	2-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Miami Marlins
SUN	3-Aug	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Miami Marlins
MON	4-Aug	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Cleveland Indians
TUE	5-Aug	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Cleveland Indians
WED	6-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Cleveland Indians
THUR	7-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Cleveland Indians
FRI	8-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Miami Marlins
SAT	9-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Miami Marlins
SUN	10-Aug	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Miami Marlins
TUE	12-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Boston Red Sox
WED	13-Aug	12:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Boston Red Sox
THUR	14-Aug	8:40pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Colorado Rockies
FRI	15-Aug	8:40pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Colorado Rockies
SAT	16-Aug	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Colorado Rockies
SUN	17-Aug	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Colorado Rockies
MON	18-Aug	8:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
TUE	19-Aug	8:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
WED	20-Aug	8:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
THUR	21-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Atlanta Braves
FRI	22-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Atlanta Braves
SAT	23-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports 1	vs	Atlanta Braves
SUN	24-Aug	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Atlanta Braves
TUE	26-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
WED	27-Aug	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Chicago Cubs
THUR	28-Aug	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	Chicago Cubs
FRI	29-Aug	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
SAT	30-Aug	4:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio/FOX Sports 1	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
SUN	31-Aug	1:35pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Pittsburgh Pirates
TUE	2-Sep	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Baltimore Orioles
WED	3-Sep	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Baltimore Orioles
THUR	4-Sep	7:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Baltimore Orioles
FRI	5-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	New York Mets
SAT	6-Sep	4:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	New York Mets
SUN	7-Sep	1:10pm	NO TV	vs	New York Mets
MON	8-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
TUE	9-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
WED	10-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
THUR	11-Sep	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	St. Louis Cardinals
FRI	12-Sep	8:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
SAT	13-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
SUN	14-Sep	2:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Milwaukee Brewers
MON	15-Sep	8:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
TUE	16-Sep	8:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
WED	17-Sep	8:05pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	Chicago Cubs
FRI	19-Sep	8:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
SAT	20-Sep	7:15pm	NO TV	@	St. Louis Cardinals
SUN	21-Sep	2:15pm	FOX Sports Ohio	@	St. Louis Cardinals
TUE	23-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
WED	24-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
THUR	25-Sep	12:35pm	NO TV	vs	Milwaukee Brewers
FRI	26-Sep	7:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
SAT	27-Sep	4:10pm	NO TV	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates
SUN	28-Sep	1:10pm	FOX Sports Ohio	vs	Pittsburgh Pirates

*Schedule subject to change

Pitchers and catchers have reported. Position players have reported. And now it’s time for the practice games.

The Cincinnati Reds kick off the Cactus League play this afternoon with a game against the Cleveland Indians.

The lineup was posted yesterday, and is sure to create lots of internet debate.

• Billy Hamilton
• Brandon Phillips
• Joey Votto
• Jay Bruce
• Ryan Ludwick
• Todd Frazier
• Zack Cozart
• Devin Mesoraco
• Brayan Pena

Alfredo Simon will start for the Reds. The game will be televised, albeit delayed, later this evening on MLB Network. But you can catch Marty and the Cowboy on 700 WLW. I know I’ll be listening.

If you’re unlike me and can’t wait to see what the 2014 Cincinnati Reds are going to look like on the field, then the MLB Network is the place you’ll want to tune into. The network announced they’ll be carrying 11 games during Spring Training, five of them tape-delayed.

I temporarily turned off my DirecTV during the off-season, and it won’t start up again until the middle of March, so I’ll miss the first few of these. The number is quite a step up from years past.

• Feb 26 at Indians (5 p.m., tape delay)
• Feb. 27 vs. Indians (5 p.m., tape delay)
• March 5 vs. Dodgers (9 p.m., live)
• March 9 at Angels (4 p.m., live)
• March 13 at Dodgers (4 p.m., live)
• March 15 at Brewers (4 p.m., live)
• March 17 vs. Indians (4 p.m., live)
• March 23 at Cubs (7 a.m., tape delay from game played March 22)
• March 24 vs. Indians (4 p.m., live)
• March 26 at White Sox (4 p.m., live)
• March 27 at Brewers (3 p.m., live)

I’m a little down on the Reds chances this year, and so far, I’ve not been that interested in baseball returning. Hopefully, tuning into some of these early broadcasts will change my feelings.

It went down to the wire, but the Cincinnati Reds avoided arbitration with their final player, homegrown starting pitcher Homer Bailey.

Bailey has agreed to a six-year, $105 million deal. Since this season was Bailey’s final one before becoming a free agent, this is effectively a five year extension. He will be 34 once the contract is up, and assuming he spends the entire time with the Reds, will have spent 13 years with one club. That sounds fitting for the first starting pitcher the team drafted and developed since Tom Browning.

As for the deal’s details, ABC News has that.

Bailey gets salaries of $9 million this year, $10 million in 2015, $18 million in 2016, $19 million in 2017, $21 million in 2018 and $23 million in 2019. In an unusual twist, much of the annual salary will be deferred until the November after each season.

Bailey will be paid in-season amounts of $3 million this year, $4 million next year, $11 million in 2016, $12 million in 2017, $14 million in 2018 and $15 million in 2019.

If he is traded, his new team would have to pay all of the salary amounts during the season. Also, the $5 million buyout would be paid when either side decides not to exercise the option rather than having it deferred until November 2020.

The November deferment is something I’ve never heard of a team doing before. Whatever makes it easiest for the team.

Overall, this seems like a good, fair-market deal. Bailey has improved every year in the majors, and he’s entering the prime years of his athletic career. With two no-hitters already behind him, I’m optimistic he can accomplish more. Plus, it’s nice to see the Reds actually do something, even if it is sign a player they already had.

Going into this off-season, the Cincinnati Reds had 6 players eligible for the arbitration process: Homer Bailey, Aroldis Chapman, Chris Heisey, Mike Leake, Sam LeCure, and Alfredo Simon. Currently, the club has reached agreements with everyone except Bailey and Chapman.

LeCure and Chapman are both in their first year of the process. LeCure, though, signed a two-year deal with the club that will not have him dealing with arbitration again until his final team-controlled year. His deal is worth $3.05 million.

Chapman and the club have exchanged salary figures, with the Reds offering $4.6 million and Chapman requesting $5.4 million. With as close as those numbers are, it’s likely the two sides will reach at least a one-year deal before the arbitration hearing arrives.

Heisey, Leake, and Simon were all in their second year of arbitration eligibility, and all have signed one-year deals. Heisey will be earning $1.76 million, Leake will be earning $5.925 million, and Simon will be earning $1.5 million.

That leaves Bailey, in his final year with the Reds before he’s eligible for free agency, is asking for a lot more than the Reds are offering: $11.6 million to $8.7 million. At the very least, I’m confident the Reds will sign Bailey to a one-year deal. General manager Walt Jocketty is working on getting a longer-term contract, but Bailey seems quite interested in testing the free agent market. He is a guy who’s thrown two no-hitters already and has improved each of his years in the big leagues. I can’t blame him for getting as much money as he can get.

There have been rumblings of trading Bailey this year if the team can’t sign him to a long-term deal, but I think that’s unlikely, at least at the beginning of the season. Of course, once it becomes obvious to Jocketty that he’s assembled another third-place team, maybe he’ll see what kind of prospects he can get for Bailey.