Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 20, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1942 - The Reds become the first major league team to use a mechanical pitching machine during spring training, in Tampa, Florida MLB.COM Rookie season out of sight, out of mind for Reed By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com @m_sheldon February 19th, 2017 + 25 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- When he was at home during the offseason, Reds pitcher Cody Reed could tell people were a little uncomfortable asking him about his rough first big league experience in 2016. So with a dash of self-deprecation, Reed let people know it was OK. A prospect that arrived with high expectations, Reed went 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in his 10 starts last season. "I'm the type of person that I could joke about it and dog myself and be like, 'You know what? I can handle this,'" Reed said on Sunday. "It's not something that will make me never have a good attitude again. That was my way of dealing with it, as a joke." Reed also turned the page by changing his uniform number -- from No. 44 to No. 25. "I changed because I'm very superstitious. I don't want any bad juju on me at any time. I changed my cleat colors and all of that stuff," Reed explained. "I had 44 and had a bad year. I didn't want to keep it on my back. In high school and college, I was No. 24, and there was obviously no being No. 24 around here [with it being retired for Hall of Famer Tony Perez]. Twenty-five was the closest, and I was trying to get that 44 off my back." Reed is back this spring with a great opportunity to make the big league rotation, which has two openings. He will be battling with prospects Amir Garrett and Robert Stephenson, along with Bronson Arroyo, Tim Adleman and Lisalverto Bonilla. The lessons Reed learned from 2016 were mostly mental adjustments as opposed to mechanical changes. He feels that will help him this season. "I just have to learn to throw all pitches for a strike in any count," Reed said. "That's what really hurt me last year. I'd get into a 2-0 count and have to throw a fastball. Guys like Dan Straily could flip a changeup in there and get back in the count right away, and do it again. I was the type of guy who was not comfortable enough to do that, so when I'd get into those counts where I had to throw a fastball, I got hurt." Reds manager Bryan Price saw Reed was exposed for not having a changeup as a strong enough third pitch to go with his fastball and slider. He also struggled with controlling the running game and slowing things down when the game accelerated out his control. "Games pick up pretty quickly for these young pitchers when things start to go south," Price said. "I think controlling the tempo of the game is extremely important. The other part is the importance of his command in the zone and working ahead, keeping his pitches in the zone they're intended to be thrown in. Unfortunately, a lot of the damage against Cody was in the first inning [14.40 ERA]. After that, he could settle in, but by that time there might be two or three or four runs on the board. That's a tough position to put the club in." Reed, who turns 24 in April, was considered the best prospect of the three at the time of the trade. Following a strong showing at Double-A Pensacola, he arrived last year at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee and almost earned a spot in the rotation, with a 2.87 ERA. In his first 11 starts for Triple-A Louisville, he compiled a 3.20 ERA with 17 walks and 63 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings. "He was a guy that we all talked about wanting to have on our team Opening Day," Price said. "I think organizationally we made the smart move to not have him make the club. I wish he didn't have to go through [struggles], but he did. It should benefit him at the beginning of this year to know where the potholes are and how to avoid them."
Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Jennings looking for fresh start with new club By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com @m_sheldon February 19th, 2017 + 4 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- For the first time in his professional career, Reds outfielder Desmond Jennings found himself with a new organization. After being selected by the Rays in the 2006 Draft, going through their system and spending seven big league seasons with Tampa Bay, the end of his time there was marred by injuries, leaving Jennings hoping for a fresh start. "That's part of moving on, moving on to a new team, new players, new thought process," Jennings said. "I'm here, ready and excited. I'm ready to go." Jennings, who agreed a Minor League contract on Feb. 9, arrived at Reds camp on Sunday. He was given permission to miss the first couple of days since Thursday's full-squad report to tend to a family matter. At 30 years old and with lengthy Major League experience, Jennings somewhat stands out in a Cincinnati clubhouse that skews younger. Manager Bryan Price hopes that Jennings, and potentially Ryan Raburn after his signing on Friday, will use that knowledge to help others. Jennings, who will earn $1.5 million this season if he makes the team out of camp and can earn up to an additional $1 million in incentives for games played, was willing to do that. "I've been the young guy," Jennings said. "I'm not that old. Playing for the Rays, we always had a young team. Our veterans were like 28 years old. You just have to accept it and roll with it. Hopefully, I can help guys out. I'm sure there are guys that can help me out." In 2015, left knee injuries -- and later a tooth infection that ended his season -- limited Jennings to just 28 games. During the '16 season, he was bothered by a left knee contusion and a hamstring injury, playing in 65 contests. Jennings batted.200/.281/.350, with seven home runs and 20 RBIs. The Rays released him on Aug. 26. Jennings, a righty, is a career.245/.322/.393 batter, with 55 homers in 567 games. Against southpaws, he is a.264/.346/.431 hitter compared to.237/.313/.378 versus right-handers. Jennings has a good chance to make the club because the Reds' bench lacks veterans. "For me, it's feeling good about him in all three outfield positions," Price said. "I think the value right now, should we start the season healthy and remain healthy, is he's challenging to make the club and give us support in the outfield, and be able to be a guy I'm able to plug in in any position and gives us good quality defense and good quality at-bats in a veteran presence. That's what I'd like to see. "I know he's missed a lot of time the last couple of years with injuries, but I think a new start with a new organization and an opportunity not having -- we have no preconceived ideas about what he can and can't do. We know he's a solid Major League player and like to think his best years are ahead of him." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds to go with four-man rotation at closer By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com @m_sheldon February 19th, 2017 + 29 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- How the Reds finish games this season is a question that will not be resolved during Spring Training, and that is by design. Manager Bryan Price isn't looking to have a dedicated closer as the club tries to be more innovative in the mid-tolate innings. Price wants his back-of-the-bullpen relievers to get fewer appearances but deliver multiple innings. As has been telegraphed during the offseason, the job will be shared among Raisel Iglesias, Drew Storen, Michael Lorenzen and Tony Cingrani.
"I would really like to see this particular game plan we have in place work out," Price said on Sunday. "We want to look at the end of the year and we see Storen and Iglesias and Lorenzen, in particular, with some saves. That may mean Cingrani as well, if he's the best guy we have for that situation in the ninth inning. It's asking a lot. It's asking potentially four guys to be comfortable pitching in the ninth inning." Storen, who signed a one-year, $3 million free-agent contract last month, previously closed games for the Nationals. Cingrani converted 17 saves for the Reds last season, and Iglesias recorded six in eight chances. "I'm really hoping that what we do here, our plan is successful and we have a handful of guys who have a nice collection of saves," Price said. Worth noting Outfielder Ryan Raburn, who agreed to a Minor League contract on Friday, reported to camp after Sunday's workout. Raburn was assigned uniform No. 17. Rain forced the Reds to hold an abbreviated workout on Sunday. The hitters took batting practice in the indoor batting cages because of wet fields. Pitchers' fielding drills on the one usable was cut short by showers. For Monday's workout, live batting practice is scheduled with the hitters facing Reds pitchers. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Unique but refined delivery key for Amir Garrett Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 3:00 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2017 GOODYEAR, Ariz. When he was a 19-year-old, Amir Garrett had five different curveballs. He was trying to throw just one. At the time, Garrett was a basketball player trying to impress the Cincinnati Reds front office ahead of the 2011 draft. He had potential, but things looked funky. With a long and lanky, 6-foot-6 frame his delivery was nigh-unrepeatable. So was his curveball. Whatever I was throwing, that s what I was throwing, Garrett said. It could have been a 12-6 curveball, a slurve, a slider. I didn t really know. I just gripped it and said, OK, this is what this is going to be. The story of Garrett s ascendancy from project to prospect is largely one of the left-hander learning to command his unwieldy limbs to do his brain s bidding. It s a player development success that s helped land Garrett on top prospect lists across the baseball media landscape, and has him by some measures as the best pitching prospect in the organization. It s why, of the five pitchers garnering the most consideration for the final two spots in the rotation, the 24-year-old Garrett is the only one without any big-league experience. I would think I m ready, but it s not up to me, Garrett said. It s up to the main office, the coaches. If I m not, I m going to continue to work hard so when I do get that call, I will be ready. Garrett has been a hyped prospect each of the last two seasons, both of which earned him spots in the mid-season Futures Game. Last year, he started in Double-A along with Rookie Davis, Sal Romano and Nick Travieso, but quickly separated himself from the pack with a 2.34 ERA in 77 innings. That success, like the achievements the Reds expect him to make in the big leagues, can be traced back to his time in Low-A Dayton in 2013. He was throwing with an over-the-top motion at that point, but Dayton pitching coach Tony Fossas suggested he bring things down a bit. He tested out a three-quarters slot, and it stuck. His command improved, and he was able to maintain his velocity. Once he gave up his basketball dream a year later, he was able to hard-wire in the new delivery. There was a point in my career two times where I was like, OK, I can start doing this, Garrett said. And then I d have to go back to basketball. Then I would come back and I forgot, or it took me a while to get back in the swing of things.
When I put basketball down, just when I was about to hit that curve, I was able to peak and go over. Part of what makes Garrett so effective is the unique look he gives batters. His delivery may be more refined, but it s certainly not common. The lefty sticks the ball behind his back hip as he strides, but thing brings his arm up short instead of fully extending it behind him. He then whips the ball forward from seemingly right beside his ear. Pitch f/x data taken from the 2015 Futures Game showed that he was releasing his fastball at just less than a height of six feet, which is about average for most left-handers. It s quite low for ones who are 6-6, though. Pitching coach Mack Jenkins compared it to the delivery of Toronto Blue Jays lefty Francisco Liriano, who is 6-2 but releases the ball at a height of about 5 feet, 9 inches. It looks like they re going to push the ball up there, Jenkins said. Such a low release point sacrifices a bit of downward plane, but the hope is Garrett makes up for it with deception. He s already arms and legs akimbo during his windup, and the lower arm slot theoretically helps him hide the ball from opposing batters. There s work to be done still. Garrett feels confident in his ability to throw the ball the same way every time, but Jenkins sees some further tuning to be done. There are inconsistencies with his change-up, and his slider could use some tightening. If those things come together as Garrett sharpens his command on the edges of the strike zone, his big-league debut won t be far behind. That s going to come with more experience, and hopefully it s coming really quick, Jenkins said. We need him. Veteran OF Demsond Jennings reports, ready to help Reds C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 1:33 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2017 Updated 20 hours ago GOODYEAR, Ariz. New Reds outfielder Desmond Jennings made it to Arizona on Saturday and met his new teammates on Sunday after a family situation delayed his arrival at Reds camp. Jennings missed just two days of full-team workouts, and with an extra week of spring because of the World Baseball Classic, he ll hardly be short of prep time for the upcoming season. The 30-year-old played the last seven seasons for the Rays and is in the mix for a bench job with the Reds. With 567 games under his belt in the big leagues, Jennings has just 235 fewer career plate appearances in the majors than the Reds starting three outfielders (Billy Hamilton, Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler) combined. I ve been the young guy. I m not that old, he said. Playing for the Rays, we always had a young team. Our veterans were like 28 years old. You just have to accept it and roll with it. Hopefully, I can help guys out. I m sure there are guys that can help me out. Reds manager Bryan Price said he sees Jennings as an option in all three outfield spots, although the bulk of his experience is in center (306 starts) and left (207 starts). He's challenging to make the club and give us support in the outfield and be able to be a guy I'm able to plug in in any position and gives us good quality defense and good quality at-bats in a veteran presence, Price said. Jennings has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, with a pair of disabled list stints in each of the last two seasons. Of those four DL trips, three were because of his left knee (requiring surgery in 2015) and another was his left hamstring. Over the last six seasons, he d been on the disabled list a total of six times. The Rays released Jennings late last season before he reached free agency. The Reds signed him earlier this month to a minorleague deal with an invitation to big-league camp. When healthy, Jennings showed a mix of power, speed and defense, hitting.249/.372/.402 from 2011 to 2014. During that stretch, he put up an 11.7 WAR and had 47 home runs and 86 stolen bases. He was caught stealing just 22 times, including twice with 31 steals in 2012. Joining the Reds is a chance to put the injuries and any ill feelings from the Rays behind him. That s part of moving on, moving on to a new team, new players, new thought process. I m here, ready and excited. I m ready to go. The Reds officially announced the signing of veteran Ryan Raburn to a minor-league deal on Sunday. He arrived at Reds camp and passed his physical. He will compete with Jennings for a spot on the team's bench. He has reported to big-league camp and begin workouts on Monday.
Rain day Sunday s workouts were truncated by rain in Arizona, but no more rain is expected in the next week. The rain began Saturday just after the team finished their workout. The team is scheduled to have live batting practice on Monday and Tuesday before Cactus League games begin Friday. Reds, Brandon Phillips have different versions of trade talks Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 2:45 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2017 GOODYEAR, Ariz. Former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips met with the media Saturday in Florida for the first time since being traded to the Atlanta Braves, and again repeated the claim that he d been kept in the dark about previous trade talks between the two teams. A previous deal to send Phillips to his hometown Braves fell apart in November when the second baseman invoked his no-trade rights. Talks were resuscitated after Braves infielder Sean Rodriguez required shoulder surgery after a car accident earlier this month. The way Phillips tells it, he was just as surprised as anyone else to learn he was the subject of trade talks last fall. "I didn't say no to [the] trade," Phillips told reporters. "I didn't really know what was going on. When I heard about it, I was like, 'For real, why didn't you guys make that happen?' That's why I didn't want to say anything or to call anybody out. I never said I didn't want to play for the Atlanta Braves. Several people with the Reds have disputed his account, mostly off the record to avoid a war of words between team personnel and one of the franchise s most beloved players. But on Sunday, Reds manager Bryan Price attempted to gently correct the record. Price and Phillips spoke over the phone in November when the initial trade talks were heating up. They discussed the trade on the table, and what the playing time picture would look like if Phillips nixed the Atlanta deal. With Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera in the fold, Price could make Phillips no guarantees. I wanted him to understand that this is appealing to him, the idea of playing closer to home, what the alternative was if he stays, Price said. I never had any pressure from our front office on who to play last year. I felt like I owed it to Brandon to explain to him that I would have to listen to the front office if Brandon was with us and we still had Peraza and Dilson here, that I would have to consider the idea of playing them. WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: Edwin Encarnacion admits criticism made his last days with Reds miserable John Fay 2:19 PM, Feb 19, 2017 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Eight years and 239 home runs later, Edwin Encarnacion admits it all got to him. The boos. The talk show shots. The comments from the fans in the good seats along the third base line. All that made his last days as a Red fairly miserable. The main thing was, I was thinking too much about my defense -- my throwing errors from third base, he said. It got a little bit in my head. Everybody got on me. When you re in the big league, you ve got to separate defense from offense. But sometimes, when people are on you all year long, it gets in your head. Encarnacion, 34, is happily with the Cleveland Indians now after eight years with Toronto. He was their big free agent signing. That means he is training a long run from the Reds complex. As badly as it ended with the Reds, Encarnacion looks back on his time with fondness.
I enjoyed those moments, he said. It was great to get the opportunity there at the beginning of my career in the big leagues. I appreciate all that. People look at Encarnacion s numbers now and wonder how the Reds could have traded him for Scott Rolen in 2009. After all, Rolen s four years retired and Encarnacion is coming off a year in which he led the American League in home runs. But only history revisionists can make a case against the trade. The Reds basically forced Toronto to take Encarnacion and his $5 million salary in the deal in order to get the pitchers they wanted, Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke. Encarnacion was hitting.209 and endangering fans behind first base at the time of the trade. Candidly, we did not want him to be part of the deal, Alex Anthopoulos, who was then the Jays assistant GM, told sportsnet.ca. And Encarnacion was not an instant sensation for the Blue Jays. He was sent to the minors, then put on waivers after the 10 season. The Oakland A s claimed him and then released him. He re-signed with the Jays for $2.5 million in 2011 -- half of what he made in 2010. Encarnacion s OPS -- on-base plus slugging -- was.787 in 11. The Jays had reneged on a promise to play him only at first that year. But in 2012, the Jays did not play Encarnacion at third base once. He s played a total of 10 games there since. Once the burden of the throw across the diamond was lifted, Encarnacion s career took off. His OPS the past five years is.912. Once they gave me the opportunity to play DH, I got my mind right, he said. I got back to offense I knew I could do. The defense was on the back burner. That got my mind right to do what I m doing now. There s more to it than that. Encarnacion has remade his swing in offseason work, in his native Dominican Republic with long-time hitting coach Oscar Rivera. I think the experience helped, he said. I learned a lot more about my hitting. I have a different approach at the plate and different mechanics. My hitting coach, he helps me a lot. I m a different hitter now. He also has a different body. He plays at about 240 pounds now, up 25 pounds from his Reds days. I m stronger, he said. More power. But I also have better mechanics in my hitting, my swing. It s better. Encarnacion has surprised himself with his power: He s hit 42, 36, 34, 39 and 42 home runs the past five years. I thought I could hit 30, he said. I never thought I d hit 40. I thought I had the power and the talent to hit 30. Encarnacion signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Indians. It gives him a good shot at the postseason again for the third straight year. It s great, Encarnacion said. It s a great group of players. We have great talent. We re going to enjoy it. I m going to enjoy my opportunity here. I ll try to help them win games. Playing for the Indians means Encarnacion will have three games against the Reds. He won t have to spend much time renewing old acquaintances. Right now, it s only Votto, he said. I still talk to him sometimes. Jay Bruce, (Brandon) Phillips, they re gone now. Johnny Cueto s gone... That s not surprising. After all, Encarnacion was last a Red eight years and 239 home runs ago. John Fay is a freelance sports columnist; this column represents his opinion. Contact him at johnfayman@aol.com.
Fay: Why Desmond Jennings is a pretty good bet to make the Reds John Fay 12:38 PM, Feb 19, 2017 1:47 PM, Feb 19, 2017 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Desmond Jennings is one of those guys the Reds added by shopping late in the free agent season. Jennings signed the day pitchers and catchers reported. Jennings, for his part, was shopping for a chance to play. The opportunity, he said, when asked what attracted him to the Reds. The opportunity to play. I played against this organization coming up in the minor leagues. It s always good. It always looked like they were having fun playing a game. And it s a good team and players, I m excited. He s in camp on a minor league contract, but he s a pretty good bet to make the team. He has five years of big league experience, all with Tampa Bay. Reds manager Bryan Price would prefer bench players with experience. If you look and you've got whoever's not catching and maybe four position players that are used to playing every day in the minor leagues, Price said, that's a tough way to go, to hand those guys some of the toughest at-bats of the game against the best pitchers in the seventh inning on. I'd like to have some experience on the bench, if possible. Jennings, 27, hit.200 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 200 at-bats for the Rays last year. He was a regular for the Rays from 2012-14. He hit.248 and averaged 12 homers and 22 steals in those years. He was limited to 28 games in 15 by knee injuries and was twice on the DL last year with hamstring injuries. That s part of moving on, moving on to a new team, new players, new thought process, Jennings said. I m here, ready and excited. I m ready to go. Jennings, a right-handed hitter, can play any of the three outfield positions. I think the value right now -- should we start the season healthy and remain healthy -- is he's challenging to make the club and give us support in the outfield, and be able to be a guy I'm able to plug in any position, and gives us good quality defense and good quality at-bats in a veteran presence, Price said. That's what I'd like to see. I know he's missed a lot of time the last couple of years with injuries, but I think a new start with a new organization and an opportunity not having -- we have no preconceived ideas about what he can and can't do. We know he's a solid major league player and like to think his best years are ahead of him. TRYOUT: The Reds don t exactly hold open tryouts, but they will bring in a player on occasion. Robert Stock, a converted catcher who played at Southern Cal, threw for the brass Saturday and was good enough they signed him. "Those guys quite often are impressive, Price said. "We ve seen success with (Troy) Percival and (Jason) Mott and some of these guys. Shoot, Kenley Jansen. They know how to get their arms up into good leverage position to throw and typically have arm strength if they re catching. Sounds like he was a pretty impressive kid. Stock, 27, is former second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched last year in Independent ball. Reds sign Raburn to minor-league deal Jay Morrison Staff Writer 5:03 p.m Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 DAYTON DAILY NEWS The Cincinnati Reds signed infielder/outfielder Ryan Raburn to a minor-league contract Sunday. Raburn is a 10-year veteran who has spent time with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies. He hit.220 in 113 games with Colorado last season. He owns a career average of.253 with a.317 on-base percentage to go with 91 home runs and 352. The move brings the number of players in spring training camp to 65.
The Reds begin Cactus League play Friday against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale, Ariz. TRANSACTIONS 02/19/17 Cincinnati Reds signed free agent LF Ryan Raburn to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Baltimore Orioles designated LHP T.J. McFarland for assignment. Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent LHP Jorge De La Rosa to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. San Diego Padres placed RHP Colin Rea on the 60-day disabled list. San Diego Padres signed free agent RHP Jered Weaver. Los Angeles Dodgers traded LHP Vidal Nuno to Baltimore Orioles for RHP Ryan Moseley.