Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 4, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings December 4, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY The Reds trade P Ross Grimsley to the Orioles for OF Merv Rettenmund and IF Junior Kennedy The Reds sign Rick Mahler of the Braves as a free-agent. Mahler would play two seasons in Cincinnati, going with a 4.00 ERA during innings pitched MLB.COM Senzel getting early start on new positions Reds' No. 1 prospect working at 2B, SS, OF in offseason By Mark Sheldon / December 2nd, 2017 CINCINNATI -- Reds top prospect Nick Senzel isn't waiting until his first big league Spring Training to learn the new positions he's already been told he'll play. Senzel is spending time at home in Knoxville and college alma mater, Tennessee, getting prepared. Senzel, a third baseman, will get chances at second base and shortstop along with both corner-outfield spots. Although he's played the other infield positions in either high school or college, he's never played in the outfield. "I've already started to try and get an early head start on it," Senzel said during Redsfest. "It feels good. I'm trying to learn the basic stuff right now." Ranked No. 1 in the organization by MLBPipeline.com, the 22-year-old Senzel is also listed as the eighth-best prospect in baseball. Currently, Cincinnati is happy with the performance of Eugenio Suarez at third base. The club believes Senzel is athletic enough to play other places on the field. "When opportunities and challenges present themselves, especially on the baseball field, they're exciting," Senzel said. "It's some different positions I've never played before, especially left and right field. It could create some opportunity for me. I'm just going to go out there and try to get some guidance from people who know what they're talking about and play it to the best of my ability." The Reds have players at the other positions, as well. Scooter Gennett had a breakout 2017 and became the everyday second baseman, and Jose Peraza has the inside track to replace free agent Zack Cozart at shortstop. Former All-Star Adam Duvall is in left field and Scott Schebler is in right. Both Duvall and Schebler hit 30 home runs last season. "It's a good problem to have, getting to that point where we have a lot of good players and we don't have enough at-bats for all of them to be everyday players. That's a good thing," Reds manager Bryan Price said. He is looking forward to his first extended look at Senzel in camp. Price recalled speaking with Reds special assistant and Hall of Famer Barry Larkin last spring about Senzel."[Larkin] said if need be, he could play shortstop at the big league level. I want him to help our ballclub, but I also want him to do it at a position where he's comfortable doing what he does," Price said. "I need to build up a stronger familiarity with him to create my own opinions of where he's best suited or if he is a multi-positional asset to our club." Senzel batted.321/.391/.514 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs in 119 games combined last season at Class A Advanced Daytona and Double-A Pensacola. He missed a few games in the final week of the season while being treated for vertigo, but said the problem is now under control. It appears likely that Senzel will begin the 2018 season at Triple-A Louisville. However, he's going into spring with higher expectations and wants to make the big league team out of camp. "That's for sure, that's the goal," Senzel said. "You get invited to big league camp and you feel like you have an opportunity to make the team. I do want to make the team out of camp. That's my goal. Why should it not be? I feel like I've put myself in a pretty good position, and the work I've put in to be in that position. I'm going to continue to keep trying to work."

2 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. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds not on Ohtani's list of finalists Reds president of baseball operations and GM Dick Williams talks at Redsfest about his team's interest in Shohei Ohtani By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com 9:14 AM ET CINCINNATI -- The Reds and general manager Dick Williams put a lot of time and attention in efforts to recruit Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. But it appears that they are not one of the finalists to sign the two-way player. The Reds have not commented on the multiple reports that Ohtani has narrowed his list of choices of to seven teams -- the Mariners, Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Rangers and Cubs. Although Ohtani appeared to be interested in some of Major League Baseball's smaller-market clubs, his list clearly indicates a strong desire to be on the West Coast. On Friday, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters officially posted Ohtani, which gives him until Dec. 22 to sign with a Major League team. Because he is under 25, Ohtani is subject to the international bonus pool signing restrictions. Once he selects a team, the club must pay the Ham Fighters a $20 million posting fee. Cincinnati already exceeded its international signing pool limits last year, which meant it could only offer Ohtani $300,000 for a bonus. But with an understanding that Ohtani wasn't necessarily chasing the top dollar and was interested in issues like training facilities, medical staffs, Minor League organizations and the city itself, Williams hoped that the Reds could emerge from long shot to serious contender. "We've put a lot of thought and effort into this project," Williams said on Friday. Ohtani was coveted by virtually all 30 MLB clubs because he is the rare elite two-way player. As a right-handed pitcher, he can throw in the upper 90s, but he is also a left-handed power hitter who can be in the lineup on days he doesn't pitch. Williams traveled to Sapporo, Japan, in October to signal Cincinnati's interest. He would not describe the types of recruiting material the club provided to Ohtani's representatives during the process. Besides the signing bonus and geography working against the Reds, Cincinnati lacks a large Japanese population. The Reds are also the only Major League club to have never signed a Japanese player. Cincinnati manager Bryan Price had given considerable thought to how Ohtani would fit on the roster and how he would use him both as a starting pitcher and a hitter. "We're not going into this putting our toe in the deep end or testing the waters on this, we are making a full attempt to be a player in this negotiation, so we've had to," Price said on Saturday during Redsfest. "The one thing we don't want to do is make false promises. We won't do that. We're not going to say, 'We're going to do this,' and then pull the rug out from underneath him. We have no interest in doing that." 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. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Iglesias happy in Cincy, not focused on rumors Reds closer linked to trade speculation this offseason By Mark Sheldon / December 2nd, 2017 CINCINNATI -- As a closer coming off a strong season, Raisel Iglesias could be the Reds' strongest trade asset. There were some rumors of interest in Iglesias centering on the Twins in November, but that doesn't concern the right-hander. "I'm not worried about it," Iglesias said on Saturday at Redsfest via interpreter Julio Morillo. "I'm doing my work in the offseason, and if the team decides to trade me, they'll let me know. Right now, I'm focused on being as strong as I can be and being healthy for next season." Another area that's not a worry for Iglesias: salary arbitration.

3 Although he signed a seven-year, $27 million contract in 2014 that will pay him $4.5 million in 2018, Iglesias held the right to opt out of the deal. Because he is still under club control for at least three more seasons, he would have been eligible for arbitration. He won't be a free agent until after the 2021 season. Entering the offseason, it seemed unlikely Iglesias would elect to go through the arbitration process. "I talked to my agents about it. I decided just to prepare myself for the season," Iglesias said. "I'm going to have a great season like this year and continue with the contract I have now." Iglesias is due to make $5 million per year in the 2019 and '20 seasons. That cost-efficient salary is another reason he's attractive to clubs that need a closer. There is, of course, what he's done on the mound. Iglesias, who turns 28 on Jan. 4, was 3-3 with a 2.49 ERA last season. He had 1.11 WHIP and 28 saves in 30 attempts in 63 appearances over 76 innings. Iglesias' 28th save Raisel Iglesias gets Ben Zobrist to ground out, closing out the Reds' regular season with his 28th save of the year Iglesias led the Majors with eight saves of at least two innings and was tied with Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers for the lead with 12 saves of more than one inning. During his time with the Reds, Iglesias has become comfortable and wasn't looking for an exit to another team. "I feel very comfortable here in Cincinnati. It's my second home," Iglesias said. "I feel like it was back in Cuba. When I go around, people say hi to me and know who I am. Hopefully I can play the rest of my career in Cincinnati." 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. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Greene taken aback by support at Redsfest Reds' No. 2 prospect personalizes every autograph for hundreds of fans By Mark Sheldon / December 1st, 2017 CINCINNATI -- Before he came to Redsfest for the first time on Friday, 18-year-old pitcher and 2017 second overall Draft pick Hunter Greene tried to get as much intel as possible about the event by reading up about it online. Then Greene went to his autograph station at the Duke Energy Convention Center and the line waiting for him was already at capacity, with several hundred fans. Not too shabby for a guy who is still years away from pitching in the Major Leagues. "I saw it and thought, 'This many people are here to get my autograph?' That was cool," said Greene, the Reds' No. 2 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. "It's special and it's nice to see that, for sure." Greene was one the most sought-after high school players in the country before the Reds selected him, and his polished-beyond-hisyears personality has already made him a popular person around baseball. He signed for a $7.23 million bonus with Cincinnati and was able to pitch in three games for Class A rookie-level Billings. Fans already have high expectations. Even before Redsfest, he was asked if he was going to lead the Reds to a World Series. How does a kid handle that? "Just say you're going to do it. And hopefully you do it," Greene said. "They're really nice. I just did the autograph signing and they were really cool. They're just really appreciative that I'm taking time out of my day and helping people out and making people's day." Greene's autograph line didn't move particularly quick. In a departure from the usual protocol of mass signing sessions, he personalized each autograph for the fans as he talked with them. Reds general manager Dick Williams believed the exposure of Greene to the fans -- and vice versa -- is good for everybody. "I'm glad the fans have someone like Hunter Greene to get excited about," Williams said. "In the baseball Draft, it doesn't always work that way, where you have a flyer that's well-known and kind of has his own celebrity in the Draft. Last year, [2016 No. 2

4 overall pick] Nick Senzel wasn't a household name. Hunter, because of the Sports Illustrated coverage and all that, really has that celebrity status. It's fun for the fans to see someone they can identify with, relate to and feel like it coming." Price on Reds drafting Greene Following the whirlwind of his senior year at high school, Draft preparation, signing his contract and his first pro season, Greene enjoyed the chance for his first real offseason downtime. He got a new home in Las Vegas and bought himself a 2018 Mercedes- Benz convertible. Otherwise, he doesn't feel he's changed much. "I'm the same guy, same family members and friends," he said. "Same ol' thing, just the money, I guess, is different." 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. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Williams surprised by slow pace of offseason Reds GM optimistic about direction team is headed in 2018 By Mark Sheldon / December 1st, 2017 CINCINNATI -- The Reds normally don't make a lot of significant offseason transaction news before the holidays, and this year has been no different. But it's also been largely quiet around Major League Baseball also. That has Reds general manager Dick Williams a little surprised. "I've given up on trying to predict the pace of offseason activity," Williams said Friday afternoon during Redsfest. "It's been quieter than the last few offseasons so far. I guess it's due to [Shohei] Ohtani and [Giancarlo] Stanton. But it always seems like there are big guys out there. I don't why it would have such an effect this year. "I can just say, for us, it's been quieter." Williams has no intention of trading for Stanton, the 2017 National League Most Valuable Player, as the Marlins prepare for a massive rebuild. But Ohtani is definitely on the club's radar. On Friday, Major League Baseball, the Players Association and Nippon Professional Baseball reached an accord for a posting system to bring Japanese players to MLB. In October, Williams first signaled the Reds' interest in Ohtani by going to Japan to watch him play his final game of the season. That intention was underscored again this week as the Reds prepared recruiting material and information for Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo. But Williams felt those efforts haven't delayed the club's other offseason work. "We're open for business. We kind of divide and conquer," Williams said. "We've got some people spending a lot of time making sure we're on top of the process with [Ohtani]. It has not affected our ability to react to other stuff. We've been engaged in free-agent discussions. We're starting conversations with our own guys about arbitration and extensions. Normal business." Last winter, the Reds didn't sign any big league free agents until January when starting pitcher Scott Feldman and reliever Drew Storen inked one-year contracts. As Williams spent time at Redsfest doing interviews and interacting with fans, he felt he was in better position to sell his team's product to the public. "I'm very optimistic that we're going to see improvement this year," Williams said. "Last year -- if not for those three injuries [to veteran pitchers Anthony DeSclafani, Brandon Finnegan and Homer Bailey] -- we would have seen steps forward with the record. This year, we'll be in an even better position to have some stability and show some improvement. "I think I'm getting some pretty good feedback. Now with social media, I feel like I get a feel for the pulse. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on our drafts, the signings on the international market, the trades we did, the waivers claims. A lot of those moves have paid off. We feel like we're seeing positive momentum. The second half of the year, the performance of the pitchers gave us a boost." Imagine the feedback Williams would get if he was successful in signing Ohtani. "If we end up getting him, we'll have another Redsfest," joked Williams. "We've put a lot of thought and effort into this project." One player non-tendered

5 At the Friday 8 p.m. ET deadline to offer contract 2018 contracts to all of their unsigned players on the 40-man roster, the Reds did not tender a deal to left-handed reliever Kyle Crockett. Cincinnati just claimed Crockett off of waivers from Cleveland on Monday. Crockett's quick departure put the Reds' 40-man roster at 39 players. 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. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Cincinnati trio honored by club at Redsfest Votto, Iglesias and Suarez win awards at annual fan event By Alyson Footer / MLB.com December 1st, 2017 CINCINNATI -- The Reds continued their long-standing tradition of announcing their award winners during the first day of Redsfest, which kicked off Friday at Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati. Unsurprisingly, the local chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America named Reds first baseman Joey Votto as the winner of the Ernie Lombardi Award, as the team's Most Valuable Player in It is Votto's sixth MVP award and the second consecutive time he's won the title by a unanimous vote. Votto, 34, had another career year to add to the many the All-Star first baseman has compiled during his 11 years in the Major Leagues. He finished 2017 with a.320 batting average, 34 doubles, 36 home runs and 100 RBIs. He started all 162 games and was an NL Gold Glove finalist at first base. His consistent performance nearly garnered him the National League MVP Award. Votto was narrowly edged by Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in a race that ended up as the fourth-closest in the history of the award. Votto was also a finalist for the prestigious Hank Aaron Award for hitting excellence. Iglesias' 28th save Raisel Iglesias gets Ben Zobrist to ground out, closing out the Reds' regular season with his 28th save of the year Right-handed pitcher Raisel Iglesias received the Johnny Vander Meer Most Outstanding Pitcher Award after posting a 2.49 ERA over 63 games. He allowed 21 earned runs over 76 innings of relief, struck out 92 and logged 28 saves. The Cincinnati chapter of the BBWAA selected third baseman Eugenio Suarez as the recipient of the Joe Nuxhall "Good Guy" Award. This annual honor goes to the player who exhibits exceptional professionalism, is a good teammate and who embraces the responsibility of being accountable to fans and media. Also, Suarez also had a fine year on the field, recording 26 homers and 82 RBIs while compiling a.260 batting average. He was also one of the most reliable Reds, playing in all but six games in Price discusses 2018 at Redsfest On the Minor League side, infielder Nick Senzel received the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year. Senzel, considered one of the Reds top prospects, hit.321 for Class A Daytona and Double-A Pensacola. He logged 40 doubles, 14 homers and 65 RBIs over 119 games. Senzel on development Reds top prospect Nick Senzel talks about his development and outlook heading into 2018 The organization's other Minor League award winners included Hitter of the Year Jose Siri, who hit.293 over 126 games for Class A Dayton, and Pitcher of the Year Tyler Mahle, who compiled a combined 2.06 ERA over 144 1/3 innings for Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. Mahle also made four starts for the Reds and recorded a 2.70 ERA. Right-hander Aaron Fossas, who spent the season at Dayton, received the organization's Minor League Community Service Award. He was 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA over 66 2/3 innings for the Dragons. Alyson Footer is a national correspondent for MLB.com. Follow her on This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

6 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Vertigo behind him, Nick Senzel ready to help Reds anywhere on the diamond Zach Buchanan, 4:19 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2017 Updated 5:00 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2017 As Nick Senzel stepped into the batter s box for his first plate appearance of a Double-A game on August 24, he suddenly felt dizzy. Though he hit a single, it wound up being his final at-bat of the season. For a week, Senzel and the Cincinnati Reds worked to identify the issue. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a case of vertigo and shut down for the rest of the year. It was an eye-raising end to the season for the Reds top overall prospect. What caused the vertigo remains a bit of a mystery. It s really just random, Senzel said this weekend at RedsFest. I think maybe something that may cause it is a jar to the head, but I don t specifically remember getting hit by anything or my head getting hit hard. The 22-year-old infielder said he s fine now and doesn t expect a recurrence down the road. At the time, he worked with a physical therapist to alleviate his symptoms with some exercises on head positioning. Even if it does come back, Senzel is comforted by the fact that he knows how to identify his symptoms and how to treat them. Now he can return his focus to what could well have been an equally dizzying ascension of the minor-league ladder. Senzel entered pro ball at the rookie-ball level after being drafted in June of 2016, and just more than a year later already had risen three more levels. It s expected he ll play in the majors at some point in Just where on the diamond he ll play is undetermined. Senzel has played only third base in the minors, and is the caliber of prospect who rarely is forced to change positions. But the Reds also have a young standout at third in the majors in converted shortstop Eugenio Suarez, whose groove they d rather not disrupt with another position change. The Reds have talked about trying Senzel at other positions in spring training, and Senzel already has begun preparing for it. I ve already started to take reps in left, right, second and third, he said. I m excited for the different opportunities. Second base may be the most obvious landing spot. The Reds have just two more years of control over incumbent starter Scooter Gennett, who might wind up a trade chip if he continues his breakout offensive performance of a year ago. As for the outfield, the Reds arguably already have more outfielders than they can feed. Senzel also played second in high school and early in his collegiate career at Tennessee. It s not foreign, Senzel said. I probably know third base a little bit better now, but I know second base." Herrera healthy Another player who will be considered for reps at second will be former top prospect Dilson Herrera, who will be returning from shoulder surgery. Herrera said he s already swinging the bat and throwing from 75 feet, and is encouraged to have put his shoulder issues from the past two years behind him. This year was really terrible, said Herrera, who hit just.264/.312/.397 in Triple-A in I stopped because I have to be ready for my next 10 years. That s why I made the decision to get the surgery. Herrera hasn t taken a major-league at-bat since he was with the New York Mets in 2015, but will be forced to the majors next season because he s exhausted all his minor-league options. The Reds have an infield mix that s already settled even before Senzel s potential contributions are considered, which means Herrera will have an uphill battle to carve out playing time. The Reds have toyed with Herrera at third and manager Bryan Price said trying left field could be an option, but it s hard to count on either as a viable position until Herrera has played them in spring training. He becomes a guy that can face some tough left-handed pitching when I want to give Scooter a day off, Price said. Hunter Greene is RedsFest's signature attraction

7 C. Trent Rosecrans, 8:14 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 Updated 10:44 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 Jason Walters arrived at the Duke Energy Center sometime around 9 a.m. on Friday and by 4:15 p.m. he had what he d come for a baseball signed by Hunter Greene. Greene s appearance at RedsFest may have been the signature event for the yearly convention in Downtown Cincinnati. Coming off their second-straight 94-loss season, Greene represents the hopes of the Reds future. I think he could be the missing piece of our pitching staff that we need, Walters said. Like 250 others in line, Greene accommodated Walters not just with a full, legible signature, but also a personal inscription. For Walters, it s something he can see handing down to his son, Jason Jr. Greene, the No. 2 overall pick in last June s Major League Baseball draft, is part of the future the Reds are trying to sell not to just the fans that show up at the two-day event, but also to fans across the country. Few players who have appeared in just three professional games would warrant showing up more than seven hours early to secure an autograph, but Greene s more than just the No. 2 overall pick. The right-handed pitcher with a 102-mph fastball has been touted as the future of the sport and he s now a Cincinnati Red. Several fans had copies of Sports Illustrated with Greene on the cover. As he walked from the autograph station to the Reds social media area and then to the Reds Radio Network stage, you could hear fans taking notice of the lanky teenager. Perhaps the toughest job of anyone at RedsFest belonged to John Rieder, Greene s escort for the day who had to tell disappointed autograph seekers that Greene wouldn t be signing outside the designated times. Although Greene made an appearance at Great American Ball Park in September, RedsFest was his first official outing in Cincinnati as a Red. It s been a lot of fun. The whole set up is really cool. People are awesome, Greene said. How it s all set up and organized, it s really fan-friendly. I m just having a great time, I m getting to meet some new guys and people and fans and management, and major league ballplayers. It s fun and a great experience. A Southern California native, Greene noted that neither the Dodgers nor Angels have anything like RedsFest, so he went to the internet to look up what to expect before heading east for this weekend s festivities. Reds general manager Dick Williams said he s heard from fans that the likes of Greene and Nick Senzel, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, are reasons for optimism. I m glad the fans have someone like Hunter Greene to get excited about, Williams said. In the baseball draft, it doesn t always work that way where you have a flyer that s well-known and kind of has his own celebrity in the draft. Last year, Nick Senzel wasn t a household name. "Hunter because of the Sports Illustrated coverage and all that really has that celebrity status. It s fun for the fans to see someone they can identify, relate to and feel like it's coming. As the fans cycled through Greene s autograph line, he heard all sorts of hopes for the future, that he could be the to give the team its first championship since (You) just say you re going to do it, Greene said. And hopefully you do it. Once again, Joey Votto is named the Reds' MVP Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 7:59 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 Updated 10:43 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 Winter is a time of rich traditions. Families gather around the Thanksgiving table, the Christmas tree is lit at Rockefeller Center and the ball is dropped in time square. In between those annual rites, Joey Votto is once again named the Cincinnati Reds' Most Valuable Player. This year was no different. During the first day of RedsFest, Votto was again named the team MVP according to the votes of the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. (The Enquirer's reporters are members.) It's the sixth time Votto has won the award, which is named after Ernie Lombardi.

8 Votto posted arguably the best offensive season in the majors and of his career, but fell two points short of the National League MVP award, which was claimed by Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. The other BBWAA award winners are as follows: Johnny Vander Meer Most Outstanding Pitcher: Right-handed pitcher Raisel Iglesias. The 27-year-old recorded a 2.49 ERA in 76 innings out of the bullpen, striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings. Joe Nuxhall Good Guy: Third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season at the plate and in the field, and was always a bundle of positive energy in the clubhouse, especially when dealing with the media. The Reds also announced their minor-league awards. The winners were: The Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award for Minor League Player of the Year: Third base prospect Nick Senzel. Senzel hit.321/.391/.514 between High- and Double-A, and earned a spot in the Futures Game at midseason. Hitter of the Year: Center fielder Jose Siri. The 22-year-old hit.293 with 24 homers, and rode a 39-game hit streak for Low-A Dayton. Pitcher of the Year: Right-hander Tyler Mahle. The 23-year-old Mahle tossed a perfect game with Double-A Pensacola and earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he had a 2.73 ERA. He finished the year in the majors. Minor League Community Service Award: Right-handed pitcher Aaron Fossas. Reports: Reds out of Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 9:42 p.m. ET Dec. 3, 2017 Updated 8:33 a.m. ET Dec. 4, 2017 The Reds are not among the seven teams that will meet with Japanese two-way start Shohei Ohtani this week in Los Angeles, according to a report by Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com. The Enquirer has not yet confirmed Heyman's report. Ken Rosnethal of The Athletic has also reported the same seven finalists. The Mariners, Padres, Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Rangers and Cubs are the seven teams that will meet with Ohtani, according to Heyman. Messages from The Enquirer to various members of the Reds front office, including general manager Dick Williams, have not been returned. How the Reds could land Japanese star Shohei Ohtani Williams, who last week acknowledged the Reds were making a serious push for Ohtani, said at RedsFest on Friday that he d prefer not to give updates on the team s pursuit of Ohtani. Out of respect to the player and his representatives, I don t want to get into that. I don t think they want all the teams hashing it out in the court of public opinion, Williams said on Friday. From here, I want him to be able to converse directly with us and make his decision. I don t try to lobbying and brag about what we have or haven t done. Under MLB s rules, Ohtani is subject to the international signing bonus rules, meaning he can only receive as much as a team can give under its bonus pool. The Rangers currently have the most pool money with $3,535,000. The Yankees had the second-most, but they are out of the running, as are the teams with the third- (Twins) and fourth- (Pirates) largest pools. The Giants have the fifthlargest ($1,835,000) and Mariners sixth ($1,557,500). The Reds can offer just $300,000. However, money hasn t seemed to be Ohtani s main motivation. He would have likely received a contract somewhere around $200 million had he waited two years to come to the United States. Fay: Are fans still buying what the Reds are selling? John Fay 8:00 AM, Dec 2, 2017 WCPO.COM

9 CINCINNATI -- The Reds have been careful to not oversell the club at the last couple of Redsfests. The team was rebuilding. They asked for patience. And the fans, particularly the hardcore fans that show up at Redsfest, granted the franchise that. Owner Bob Castellini thanked all in Redsland for that Friday night at Redsfest. "Let me say something about our fans: We had a tough season. I never got a dirty look," he said. "I never got a scowl. I never got a nasty remark. Everybody stuck with us. We like our players. We like what we're trying to do. We really appreciate your support." Then Castellini promised things will be better. "I think we have tremendous potential to be a contender this year," he said. "If we prove ourselves as contenders, we have the possibility -- and not less than probability -- of being a postseason team. "Am I overly optimistic and see it through rose-colored glasses? No. But if things fall the way they could fall -- we've talked about this pitching, we have good position players, we know have a good clubhouse and a wonderful coaching... You have all those things going for you and you get good health. We've got a chance to surprise people." Castellini's top baseball man, Dick Williams, is telling fans this year that going to start to see the light at the end of rebuilding tunnel. "I'm very optimistic that we're going to see improvement this year," Williams said. "Last year -- if not for those three injuries -- we would have seen steps forward with the record. This year, we'll be in an even better position to have some stability and show some improvement. I'm optimistic." The injuries Williams was referring to are the one that knocked Homer Bailey, Anthony Desclafani and Brandon Finnegan out of the rotation for the most of the year -- all of the year in DeSclafani's case. That vacuum allowed the Reds' young starters -- Luis Castillo, Sal Romano, Robert Stephenson and Tyler Mahle -- to get plenty of big league starts. They responded well, especially at the end of the season. The lineup was good enough to finish eighth in the National League in runs. Everyone is back with likely exception of free agent Zack Cozart. So, if the pitching is decent, 2018 should be a lot better. Heck, the pitching is mediocre, 2018 should be a lot better. Remember, the Reds finished with NL-worst 5.17 ERA last year. Williams says fans are buying what he's selling. "I think I'm getting some pretty good feedback," he said. "Now, with social media, I feel like I get a feel for the pulse. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on our drafts, the signings on the international market, the trades we did, the waivers claims. A lot of those moves have paid off. "We feel like we're seeing positive momentum. The second half of the year the performance of the pitchers gave us a boost." The Reds are by no means a finished product. "We had the youngest roster in baseball Opening Day last year," Williams said. "We'll be even younger this year, depending on the offseason activity. But, right now pro forma, we'd be a pretty young team. We like that. We have a lot guys with options. We have a lot of guy looking to make an impact in the big leagues. Joey (Votto) and Homer are only two 30-and-over veterans." It helped to have the top picks from the last two drafts at Redsfest. The autograph lines filled as quickly Nick Senzel and Hunter Greene as they did for Votto. Nick Senzel is coming off a terrific. In fact, he was awarded Chief Bender Award at the Reds minor league player of the year. Greene was the rare high school player whose reputation proceeded him predraft. "I'm glad the fans have someone like Hunter Greene to get excited about," Williams said. "In the baseball draft it doesn't always work that way where you have a flyer that's well-known and kind of has own celebrity in the draft. Last year, Nick Senzel wasn't a household name. Hunter because of the Sports Illustrated coverage and all that really has that celebrity status. "It's fun for the fans to see someone they can identify, related to and feel like it coming." Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

10 Transactions 12/02/17 Kansas City Royals signed free agent LF Terrance Gore to a minor league contract. 12/01/17 Chicago White Sox signed free agent C Welington Castillo. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Christian Binford to a minor league contract. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Perci Garner to a minor league contract. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent LHP Jason Gurka to a minor league contract. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent LHP Luis Lugo to a minor league contract. Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Asher Wojciechowski to a minor league contract. LF Terrance Gore elected free agency. RHP Shae Simmons elected free agency. LHP Drew Smyly elected free agency. RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez elected free agency. RHP A.J. Griffin elected free agency. RHP Nick Martinez elected free agency. 3B Hanser Alberto elected free agency. RHP Al Alburquerque elected free agency. RHP Jake Petricka elected free agency. RHP Zach Putnam elected free agency. Atlanta Braves claimed RHP Chase Whitley off waivers from Tampa Bay Rays. RHP Bruce Rondon elected free agency. LHP Xavier Cedeno elected free agency. RHP Mike Fiers elected free agency. 1B Matt Adams elected free agency. 2B Jace Peterson elected free agency. LF Danny Santana elected free agency. SS Ryan Goins elected free agency. RHP Tom Koehler elected free agency. RHP Jared Hughes elected free agency. LHP Kyle Crockett elected free agency. RHP J.J. Hoover elected free agency. LHP T.J. McFarland elected free agency. St. Louis Cardinals traded SS Aledmys Diaz to Toronto Blue Jays for CF J.B. Woodman. C Taylor Davis elected free agency. RHP Hector Rondon elected free agency. RHP Albert Suarez elected free agency. RF Alen Hanson elected free agency.