Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 16, 2019 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 16, 2019 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1934-Reds pitcher Eppa Rixey announces his retirement. Rixey will end his 13 years with the Reds, with a record, a 3.33 ERA, 180 complete games, 23 shut outs, innings pitched and 660 strike outs Reds hope Roark will bring stability to rotation By Mark Sheldon Feb. 15th, 2019 MLB.COM GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- When the Reds overhauled their rotation with three offseason trades, the first deal brought right-hander Tanner Roark from the Nationals for reliever Tanner Rainey. Observers saw Roark as a solid middleof-the rotation hurler who is steady and dependable while able to rack up innings. Cincinnati sees Roark as bringing much more to its starting five. "Without committing to where these guys will be in the rotation, I know what you're asking. I see him as not just an innings eater. I see him as a guy who gives us a chance to win every time he goes out," Reds manager David Bell said on Friday. "That's saying a lot." The Reds also acquired Sonny Gray from the Yankees and Alex Wood from the Dodgers in separate trades. This new trio joins Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani in the rotation. Roark isn't too concerned where he will be slotted in the rotation. "After the first game, what does it matter?" Roark said. "No matter what, you come every fifth day ready to go out and shove it up... you know the rest. That's the mentality here: Go out and do your thing." Starters have been working fewer and fewer innings around the Majors in recent years. But in four of his last five seasons, Roark has made at least 30 starts while pitching at least 180 innings. His best overall season was 2016, when he went with a 2.83 ERA in 210 innings. "There's going to be a grind throughout the season," Roark said. "You can't let this game beat you. You've got to be ready to stay mentally tough. You've got to know when you're hurt or injured. There are things you can fight through that make you tougher as a baseball player." Some of Roark's seasons in Washington tested him. After he went with a 2.85 ERA in '14, the Nationals moved him to the bullpen when free-agent ace Max Scherzer was signed. Following the resurgent '16 season, he was somewhat inconsistent during '17 and '18. Roark, 32, was 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 31 games (30 starts) and 180 1/3 innings for Washington last season while being worth 3.4 wins-above-replacement, according to Baseball Reference. A closer look shows that he ended strong. After going 3-12 with a 4.87 ERA in his first 20 games, the right-hander was 6-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 11 second-half starts. "Maybe a little mentally," Roark said of the grinds of those seasons. "That's the biggest part of this game to stay out here. I know that I have all the right pitches, all the right stuff, the right mentality to be there. I'm going to use that and build off each start."

2 A ground-ball pitcher who threw sinkers 39.4 percent of the time in 2018, according to Statcast, Roark was tied for fifth in the National League in inducing 18 grounded-into-double plays. "I would say he's a stable presence, a guy who has continually made good adjustments over the course of his career and seems to just get better and better," Bell said. "He's kind of a guy that has a lot of different experiences and a lot of success on good teams." Going with eight relievers There aren't many spots up for grabs in this Reds camp besides center field, the bench and bullpen. The bench battle appears to be for four spots while the bullpen is likely to have eight. Bell expects to carry 13 pitchers. "Not completely set," he said. "I think we have to really take a closer look at our schedule out of the gate. Typically, you have more off-days, and I know we do. We'll factor all that in. I would anticipate carrying 13 more than 12 over the course of the season." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. Reds looking to use Iglesias in variety of ways By Mark Sheldon Feb. 15th, 2019 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Raisel Iglesias is no longer viewed by the Reds as their closer. In a previous era, that would sound like a demotion. But this shift is not that. It's simply that the term "closer" has become too limiting. Reds manager David Bell doesn't want to hold Iglesias in the bullpen until the eighth or ninth inning, choosing to expand the possibilities. "He's too important to our team, too important to our bullpen where we want him to have as much personal success and be as comfortable as he possibly can, but the priority is going to be to win games, so sometimes it may be determined that the most important part of the game is earlier than a traditional save situation," Bell said on Friday. Even if this might be something new to grasp for fans in Cincinnati, some managers around the Major Leagues are starting to throw away the old-school book that assumes a team's best reliever should be held back until the final three outs and a save situation. Brewers flamethrower Josh Hader has been utilized in a multitude of ways, and fellow lefty reliever Andrew Miller also had that versatility with Cleveland, an aspect that enticed Cardinals to sign Miller to a two-year, $25 million contract in the offseason. "I don't want to take anything away from those three outs in the ninth inning," Bell said. "I've talked to a lot of pitchers and pitching coaches, there is something different about those three outs and I have to always factor that in. The obvious thing is you look at where they are in their lineup and depending on the opposing team, you may be at against an amazing lineup in the eighth, and for whatever reason they may not be as strong at the bottom of the order coming up in the ninth. That's just one clear way to look at it. It's going to be different every day and that's what's fun about it." Iglesias, 29, knew of the plans before he signed a three-year, $24.1 million deal in November. "I feel very proud because the ninth inning isn't necessarily the most important inning," Iglesias said via translator Julio Morillo. "I feel proud that David is thinking about me to bring me into the game in the most important innings. They have seen me play and pitch. If David thinks that's the best decision, I feel very good about that."

3 In his past two seasons while on sub.-500 Reds teams, Iglesias quietly became one of the big leagues' best closers with 58 saves over Last season, the right-hander was 2-5 with a 2.38 ERA and 30 saves out of 34 chances. Over the past three seasons, Iglesias leads Major League relievers with 24 saves in which more than one inning was pitched. All-Star Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers is second with 22. Iglesias also has 10 career two-inning saves. A former starter before shoulder issues prompted a move to the bullpen, Iglesias' four-seam fastball and sinker both average just over 95 mph, and he confuses hitters with multiple arm angles and a four-pitch mix that also includes a hard slider and changeup. If Iglesias is not used to finish a game, the job could fall to Jared Hughes, David Hernandez, Amir Garrett or Michael Lorenzen. Iglesias loves high-leverage moments in games, no matter when they are presented. "I feel that I'm a pitcher to come in those situations," he said. "My energy is high. I feel like my emotions are settled. Those situations, that's what I work in the offseason for, to prepare myself as well in those situations." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Cincinnati Reds went with quantity when looking for pitchers to create a quality rotation John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 1:40 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019 Updated 4:26 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019 GOODYEAR, Ariz. The Cincinnati Reds bolstered their starting rotation this offseason and they went with the quantity approach. Rather than add one guy who was clearly the No. 1 starter, they added three guys all of whom could fall anywhere between No. 1 and 4 in the rotation. Thus, Reds manager David Bell has been reluctant to say who s pitching in what order. That was apparent when right-hander Tanner Roark was referred to as a middle-of-the-rotation type in a question. Without commenting to where these guys are in rotation, I know what you re asking, Bell said. I see him not as an innings-eater. I see him as a guy who can really give us a chance to win every time out. That s saying a lot. It s nice to have him that rotation wherever he slots in. The same could be said of right-hander Sonny Gray and left-hander Alex Wood, the other two pitchers the Reds obtained in trades. But Opening Day is a big deal in Cincinnati, an unofficial holiday, so who starts the game is naturally a big deal as well. I heard it s huge, Gray said. It sounds great. Gray has been an Opening Day starter before. He started for Oakland A s in 2014 and 15. This early in camp, he s got other things on his mind. Now we re so in tuned to learning each other on and off the field, Gray said. I think the more we can learn about each other on the field, the more we can help each other. I don t think that s going through anyone s head. I would relish the opportunity, but whatever happens happens. Wood feels the same way.

4 That s something that anyone would love to do, Wood said. I haven t had one yet in my career. It s definitely not the be-all, end-all thing. It s a great honor. At the end of the day, it is what it is. You get a lot of starts. It doesn t matter when the first one is. Bell says he ll name an Opening Day starter fairly early in camp. It could be Gray, Roark, Wood or Luis Castillo, a holdover from last year s rotation. After the young pitchers other than Castillo struggled in last year s rotation, they knew they had to bring in help. Gray, Roark and Wood realize they are being counted on to turn around a team that coming off four straight 90-loss seasons. They all mentioned doing it as a unit. I think we ve got a great opportunity, Wood said. I ve played a lot against Tanner, not as much against Sonny. I ve been watching Sonny throw since college. I think we ve got a really good group of guys. Hopefully, we re going to tie this team together. They had a great bullpen and a great offense last year. We ve got good young arms in the rotation. Hopefully, we ll bring some experience and some life to the rotation and go from there. We ll go from there. Gray echoed that. We re pretty excited about the opportunities we have here to go out and pitch, he said. I think what is important for us as a group, as a rotation to build off each other and feed off each other. Roark saw the makings of a good team from the other side when he was with the Washington Nationals. They were already a pain to deal with when I was pitching against them, Roark said. Their lineup is tough, 1 through 8, 1 through 9. It s just a pain to deal with fouling off stuff, making work for every outing, every inning. We re excited to get the position players in here and see how we work together. We re anxious. Gray, Roark and Wood all have playoff experience. That was part of the Reds obtaining them. The hope is they pass on what it takes to get to October to the young pitchers on the staff. There s a lot of young arms here, a lot of young players in general, Roark said. I d like to pass on stay mentally tough, don t be afraid to fail. I ve been through it. I still at times go out there and think too much. What do you have to lose? Throw y your best pitch to that certain hitter. Do your best. Cincinnati Reds plan to use Raisel Iglesias when necessary, not always as closer Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 1:08 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019 Updated 4:25 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019 GOODYEAR, Arizona A full-time closer for the last two seasons, Cincinnati Reds reliever Raisel Iglesias may be pitching in the sixth or seventh inning in some games this year. Reds manager David Bell wants Iglesias to pitch in the game s most important situations. Some nights, that could be the ninth inning. On other days, it could be the sixth inning. More teams are using their top relievers in flexible roles, such as Josh Hader with the Milwaukee Brewers. A dominant lefty, Hader pitched the final inning in 14 of his 55 appearances. I think a lot of times it's going to be in that closing role, but I just don't want to limit him, Bell said of Iglesias. He's too important to our team, too important to our bullpen where we want him to have as much personal success and be as comfortable as he possibly can, but the priority is going to be to win games. Iglesias had a 2.38 ERA in 66 appearances last year, recording 30 saves in 34 save opportunities. He ranked second among Reds pitchers, behind Jared Hughes, with a 2.0 WAR (wins above replacement), according to Baseball

5 The 29-year-old Iglesias said he was proud that the new coaching staff wanted him to pitch in high-pressure situations. If they want him to pitch before the ninth inning, he s OK with it. The biggest change would be tweaking his routine to be prepared to pitch earlier. I feel proud that David is thinking about me to bring me into the game in the most important innings, Iglesias said through team translator Julio Morillo. They have seen me play and pitch. If David thinks that s the best decision, I feel very good about that. Iglesias and the Reds agreed to a reworked contract during the offseason, allowing Iglesias to avoid arbitration for the next three years. Iglesias signed a three-year, $ million deal, which didn t affect when he would hit free agency, but he doesn t have to worry about saves or other counting stats for arbitration reasons. The new contract hinted at the possibility that the coaching staff was open to using him in a non-traditional closer role. Every game is going to be different his health, his availability, the rest of our bullpen, Bell said. It could be different every day. The one thing going into this that we're confident of is that he's at the top of our list pitching in the most important parts of the game to give us our best chance to win. Bell said he s comfortable turning to Hughes, David Hernandez or Amir Garrett, among others, in the ninth inning if Iglesias is used earlier in games. It was a gradual shift for Bell, he said, on changing his philosophy on the best way to use typical closers. If the middle of the lineup bats in the eighth inning, those can be more important outs than facing the bottom of the order in the ninth. Bell, however, acknowledges there is something different about those final three outs in games. My energy is high. I feel like my emotions are settled, Iglesias said. Those (pressure) situations, that s what I work in the offseason for. EXPECT 13 PITCHERS: The schedule will dictate how many pitchers the Reds carry on their 25-man roster throughout the season, but Bell said he anticipates they will usually have 13 pitchers. The Reds will have three off days in the first 16 days of the season, which should give them extra flexibility when constructing their Opening Day roster. ARBITRATION PROCESS OK: Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood won his arbitration case against the Reds earlier this week and he will make $9.65 million this season. The Reds countered with $8.7 million. Heading into the arbitration process, Wood heard horror stories from teammates. Players sit in a courtroom and listen to arguments why they deserve a lower salary. He braced himself for the worst, but he was fine with how it played out. Reds were really professional. It was no big deal, Wood said. I thought it was great on both sides. It was just a difference of opinion. They did what they thought was right and I did what I thought was right for me, for this year, and then for the guys coming behind me. I was happy it went in our favor, but I truly was totally fine with whatever outcome it would ve been. THE ATHLETIC What David Bell s comments mean for Raisel Iglesias, Reds bullpen By C. Trent Rosecrans Feb 15, 2019 GOODYEAR, Arizona Raisel Iglesias is no longer the Reds closer, manager David Bell said.

6 That s not because Bell and the new staff have lost faith in him, but because they ve lost faith in the role. Iglesias, who signed a three-year, $ million deal this offseason, is the team s best relief pitcher and will be used when the team needs the most relief. He is a guy in our bullpen that s going to pitch in the most important spots of the game, Bell said. I say that because he s that good. That s how we want to use him. New pitching coach Derek Johnson said the formula is simple. The simple part is taking someone who is one of your best and using him like when you think you can win the game. That s really what it boils down to. Johnson had arguably the game s best reliever in Josh Hader last year in Milwaukee and he had the third-most saves on his team. Iglesias will still likely get the bulk of the saves for the Reds this season, but sometimes it ll be someone else recording the 27th out and that could be Jared Hughes, David Hernandez, Amir Garrett or someone else. I just don t want to limit him, he s too important to our team, too important to our bullpen where we want him to have as much personal success and be as comfortable as he possibly can, Bell said. But the priority is going to be to win games, so sometimes it may be determined that the most important part of the game is earlier than a traditional save situation. Last season Iglesias had 30 saves, Hughes seven and Michael Lorenzen one. Iglesias appeared in 66 games in 2018, he came in before the ninth in 19, but never before the eighth. Johnson said he could see Iglesias entering in almost any inning, but it d likely be the seventh or later. Any earlier than that, you re going to face those batters again later. The key, Johnson said, is communication. He and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell will need to be in constant communication with Iglesias and the rest of the bullpen to let them know what to expect. For me, it s helping them understand they are closing for us, they are closing a high-leverage situation and looking at it like it s coming from a team concept, Johnson said. Usually there s no issue with it. He s going to get plenty of save opportunities, he s going to get plenty of chances to close down games because that s the way the game s going to go. Iglesias said he has zero problems with being used in a different role. The ninth inning isn t necessarily the most important inning, he said, according to translator Julio Morillo. I feel proud that David is thinking about me to bring me into the game in the most important innings. They have seen me play and pitch. If David thinks that s the best decision, I feel very good about that. Iglesias new contract means he won t go through the arbitration process, which often uses traditional stats like saves in its arguments. The Reds lack of late leads since Iglesias has been a closer has contributed to keeping down his save numbers, and perhaps his overall profile in the game. MLB Network just finished its ranking of Top 10 relief pitchers right now and didn t have Iglesias on the list (although Brian Kenny had him ranked fourth and Dan Plesac eighth.) Because of his lack of huge save numbers a stat that is heavily dependent on a team s performance Iglesias is often overlooked in these kinds of national discussions. Iglesias has a 2.42 ERA as a reliever in his career and has never made an All-Star team. Johnson, having spent the last couple of years in the National League Central, said there s no doubt in the minds of opponents where Iglesias ranks. I think that s worth printing if you ve faced him, you know, Johnson said. Regardless of where it has been, or whatever, he s one of the best pitchers in the National League in my mind. To me, that s not reaching out on a limb at all, it s saying he is.

7 DAYTON DAILY NEWS Cincinnati Reds: New starting pitcher Roark a stable presence Feb. 15, 2019 By Gary Schatz, Contributing Writer GOODYEAR, ARIZ. Tanner Roark is a bulldog on the mound. The Cincinnati Reds are hoping his toughness will solidify its starting rotation. The 32-year old right-hander pitched 180 or more innings in four of his six big league seasons with the Washington Nationals. Roark posted winning records in 2014 (15-10), 2016 (16-10) and 2017 (13-11). He worked a career-high 210 innings in Roark slipped to 9-15 last season. The Reds figure to benefit from Roark, who averaged 197 innings pitched person his first six years. A young pitching staff has struggled to pitch deep into games the last three seasons and taxed the bullpen. I would say he s a stable presence, Reds manager David Bell said. He s continuing to make good adjustments over his career. He seems to get better and better. He is a guy who has had a lot of different experiences and a lot of success on good teams. He is a really good pitcher and makes everybody around him better. Bell has yet to slot the rotation but doesn t think of Roark as just someone to give the bullpen a break. He won t necessarily be a third or fourth starter. I see him as not just an innings eater but a guy that gives us a chance to win every time he goes out, Bell said. That s saying a lot. It is nice to have him in that rotation no matter where we slot him in. Roark believes in his new teammates, even though he s been with them just three days. His knowledge of them exceeds what is on paper about them. He is one of three starters, along with Alex Wood and Sonny Gray, who the front office brought in to help the Reds compete now. Roark, like Wood, is under team control for one season. Getting the three of us can do a lot for this team, Roark said (The Reds) were already a pain to deal with. Their lineup is so tough, one through eight, one through nine. It was just a pain to deal with, fouling off stuff, making you work for every out, every inning. There are a lot of young arms here, Roark added. A lot of young players in general. I d like to pass along to stay mentally tough. Don t be afraid to fail. I ve been through it I still at times go out there and think too much. What do you have to lose? Just go out with your best pitch and do your best. Roark learned to battle through the toughest season in his career in He lost 10 of 11 decisions between May 5 and July 13, inc luding six in a row. Roark recovered with five straight wins. There are going to be grinds throughout the season and you can t let this game beat you, he said. You have to stay mentally tough and mentally strong. There are things that you fight through that make you tough as a baseball player. I had to grind the last two years a little bit mentally. The biggest part of staying on top of your game is the mental aspect. I know that I have all the right pitches, all the right stuff and the mentality to be out there. You have to use that and build off each start. Roark said it doesn t matter to him where the Reds slot him in the rotation. After the first game, it doesn t matter, Roark said. You are going to pitch every fifth day. The biggest obstacle is consistency. The cliché stuff like playing together is big. It is about playing together and have fun. We re playing a kid s game.

8 Senzel in center David Bell s only questions this spring is who will play center field and who will comprise the four-man bench. He is leaning toward carrying 13 pitchers most of the year. Top prospect Nick Senzel is going to get a chance to play in center. Philip Ervin and Scott Schebler have experience there. I saw Senzel for the first time, Bell said. My first thought was that he can really move on the field. He is a good athlete. We will keep him sharp at his other positions but he has the ability to play in center. ESPN.COM Which starters will earn their ace cards in 2019? Feb. 15, 2019 Jeff Sullivan Special to ESPN.com Regarding Cooperstown, you've probably heard of the existence of small-hall people -- those people who prefer that the Hall of Fame include only the very best of the very best. Myself, I'm a big-hall person. There have been a lot of great players; induct 'em all! Just as I'm a big-hall person, I'm a big-ace person. This is its own active debate. Some believe that, in any season, there are maybe five, maybe 10 aces. I think of aces as existing in greater numbers than that, though. To me, an ace starter is someone good enough to be the No. 1 starter in an average rotation. Some teams might be lucky enough to have multiple guys who match that description. Other teams are more like the Chicago White Sox. I just want to make sure you understand where I'm coming from. I think there should be right around 30 aces. On many of them, we'll all agree. Jacob degrom is an ace. Chris Sale is an ace, obviously; so is Corey Kluber. You're already familiar with the cream of the crop. My list might include a few more names than yours, and that's fine. Another crucial point to understand is that the list is always changing. Some players decline or get hurt, while other players improve. That's the story of baseball. That's certainly the story of pitching. So let's turn our eyes to the future. We can already say who's likely to remain an ace. That may not be very interesting. Those are players we know are already great. It's more interesting to talk about newer developments. Today, let's get into the starting pitchers on the verge of becoming aces in if not by your definition of aces, then by mine. Guys capable of being No. 1 starters, and guys who still have a lot in the tank. There's no guarantee for anybody, of course. Careers are seldom perfectly linear and predictable. But I'm a fan of all of the 10 pitchers below, and I'll try to quickly explain to you why. In alphabetical order, here are my aces in the making: Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds: I felt similarly about Castillo a year ago. In a sense, maybe it's disappointing he didn't already break out last year. But for as much work as the Reds have done to improve by adding players from outside the organization, arguably the most important Red is someone they already had in-house. Castillo is a 26-year-old with a 96 mph fastball. It would be easy enough to say he had a big second half. In truth, he had a big final five months after a frustrating April. From May 2 on, Castillo struck out a batter an inning, and he had the same xfip as Noah Syndergaard. An excellent changeup gives him what he needs against left-handed hitters. It's simply going to come down to fastball command. If Castillo can tap back into the sinker he threw in 2017, it'll be lights out for opponents. They don't make starters much more intriguing.

9 ASSOCIATED PRESS Catcher Tucker Barnhart glad Reds didn't pull off trade Feb. 15, 2019 Gary Schatz, Associated Press GOODYEAR, ARIZ. Tucker Barnhart read about the Reds' interest in Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto and hoped that they wouldn't be able to swing a deal for the All-Star. Having endured the hardest part of a rebuild, he wanted to be in Cincinnati for a turnaround. Barnhart got his wish. Realmuto was dealt to Philadelphia another team seemingly on the rise after major changes and Barnhart got to stay with the Reds and handle a rotation that's been overhauled. After four straight 90-loss seasons, the Reds are trying to become competitive in the NL Central. "I want to be a part of the finished product of the rebuild that was started when I came up in '14. It's continued since. I want to be a part of the winning," Barnhart said. "Hopefully, that starts now." Barnhart thought he would be an important part of the rebuild when the Reds gave him a $16 million, four-year contract that runs through 2021 and includes a club option for He was coming off a 2017 season in which he became only the third catcher in franchise history to win a Gold Glove. Last season, Barnhart batted.248 and set career highs with 114 hits and 10 homers. He drove in 46 runs. Barnhart was enthused when the Reds traded for starters Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark and Alex Wood during the offseason, fixing their biggest problem during four straight 90-loss seasons. Then, he heard the news that the Reds were interested in getting Realmuto in a deal with the Marlins, who lost 98 games last season. "When I heard those things in the offseason, I was hoping it wouldn't come to fruition," Barnhart said. "I want to be here." On Feb. 7, the Marlins traded Realmuto to Philadelphia for catcher Jorge Alfaro, two pitching prospects and $250,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation. As a result, the 28-year-old Barnhart remains among the longest-tenured Reds behind 35-year-old Joey Votto. "It's crazy to think about for sure, that I've been around the longest except for Joey," Barnhart said. "It shows the organization trusts the both of us to be a part of it." Barnhart is spending the early part of camp getting to know the three newcomers in the rotation, who will vie for spots along with Anthony DeScalfani and Luis Castillo. First-year manager David Bell hasn't decided how to slot the starters for the spring games. The Reds also overhauled their outfield in a trade with the Dodgers to acquire Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp. Most of the players acquired in the deals can become free agents after the 2019 season, so more change is ahead as the Reds try to climb out of their last-place rut. "It shows we're in a position where the front office thinks we can win now," Barnhart said. "In the clubhouse, that's all you can ask for." NOTES: Reserve catcher Curt Casalli had surgery on his left hip during the offseason and will miss the early spring games. Bell expects him to be ready by the start of the season on March 28 against the Pirates.... Infielder Alex Blandino had surgery to repair a torn ACL last July. He is fielding ground balls but it's not clear whether he'll be ready for the opener.... RHP Robert Stephenson is being evaluated for a sore right shoulder.

10 TRANSACTIONS 02/15/19 Miami Marlins signed free agent RHP Sergio Romo. Oakland Athletics signed free agent RF Robbie Grossman. Oakland Athletics placed RHP Daniel Gossett on the 60-day disabled list. Recovery from Tommy John surgery. Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent RHP Jay Jackson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Kansas City Royals signed free agent RHP Drew Storen to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.