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From news of the day to news of the weird, John Fay provides a glimpse of what it’s like to cover the Cincinnati Reds

John Fay
John Fay has been the Reds beat writer for the Enquirer since 2001. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles for the Enquirer: backup Reds writer, UC beat writer, backup Bengals writer and as a general assignment reporter. He is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Elder High School and the University of Dayton.

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Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Options and Milton

Rob Butcher sent this out in order to clarify the option rule. Guess there's been talk aobut optioning Eric Milton. You can't do it:

PLAYER OPTIONS: Players in camp on the 40-man roster with minor league options remaining include pitchers Matt Belisle, Bill Bray, Jared Burton, Todd Coffey, Rheal Cormier, Jon Coutlangus, Aaron Harang, Bobby Livingston, Kyle Lohse, Gary Majewski, Eric Milton, Elizardo Ramirez, Kirk Saarloos and Mike Stanton; infielders Edwin Encarnacion, Jerry Gil, Alex Gonzalez and Jeff Keppinger; and outfielders Jeff Conine, Chris Denorfia, Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Josh Hamilton and Norris Hopper. Any player with more than 5 years of Major League service must accept an option (Cormier, Lohse, Milton, Stanton, Conine, Dunn, Griffey). As Rule 5 draftees, Hamilton and Burton can't be optioned until they first clear outright waivers, then they must be offered back to their original teams (Devil Rays and Athletics, respectively). Only if their original teams refuse to take them back can the Reds option or outright them.

I think, based on what Jerry Narron said yesterday, that Milton will be slid into the fifth starter spot.


12 Comments:

at 12:58 PM Blogger sportmanagementmajor said...

How has all of the Cormier trade talked panned out? Are their any takers? What about Denorfia, who is interested in him?

 
at 12:59 PM Blogger Dan H said...

John, Based on what Rob Butcher sent out it appears the team can option Milton and Cormier,etc. My guess is you still have to pay them the ML salary. Milton would probably be the highest paid AAA player out there. I could see this happening until (if) Milton gets back in the groove and one of the starters falter (#3-#5).

 
at 1:18 PM Blogger Unknown said...

So Eric Milton could be optioned, he would just have to accept being send down to the minor leagues? If he didn't accept it, then what?

What if Eric Milton is released? If another team signs him, will the Reds still owe him all 9 million?

 
at 2:01 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm beginning to worry about Harang. Today - another much less than impressive outing. I HOPE he's just, ahem, getting his work in and not trying to show the Pirates much prior to the season begins.

But, all in all, he's getting banged around pretty good recently.

Do you think, he's just not pressing it right now and not really showing his stuff, or is there something to be worried about here?

 
at 2:15 PM Blogger John Fay said...

Milton would likely refuse the option, so he'd be effectively released. Once he's released, he's a free agent. A club would only have to pay him if they claimed him off waivers. My guess is he's been on waivers already. (Those are secret). Harang hasn't had a good spring. Is it a big deal? I don't think so. Arroyo had 6.85 ERA last year in spring. Then again, Harang had a 2.84 ERA. But last year, he had to pitch well. This year, he can afford to work on things.

 
at 2:23 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Eric Milton needs to be released now, if not sooner. The 6.00 ERA and 80 HR's he'll give up will cost the Reds more than his salary. Eat the money and get him off the team now!

 
at 3:31 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

(A non pitching, non-Griffey) Question for you, John: Do you think the following scenario is a realistic one by midseason if ALL players are playing as well as they are during spring training: All outfielders are healthy & Dunn is still batting as well as he did in spring training. Move Hamilton to the starting role in center field (his last few games there have been VERY impressive), Freel to left and Dunn to first. Hatteburg could be a back up to Dunn at first and Conine dumped. What do you think?

 
at 4:15 PM Blogger John Fay said...

You're getting a bit ahead and a lot of ifs were involved. Dunn wasn't very good at first last year in spring. That's why he's back in left. The Reds' top hitting prospect is a left-handed hitting first baseman (Joey Votto). I see Hamilton as the right fielder of the future.

 
at 5:04 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Culdn't the Reds buyout the last year of Milton contract like what the Padres did the other day when they bought out Todd Walker's contract then released him?

 
at 6:17 PM Blogger docproc said...

I see us losing Dunn, either by trade or free agency. Hamilton and Jay Bruce will patrol the outfield and Votto will own first base. Hatteburg and Conine will not be in the picture after this year.

And the pitching staff will soon be filled with youngsters, too. The promise and potential for this team is the best it's been in a dozen years.

 
at 10:27 AM Blogger ewad said...

What about making Milton a middle/long reliever? Put him in when the game is out of and and let him eat up innings. That way you are at least getting some value out of that $9 million. Someone has to do it. That way the club isn't completely eating it. Perhaps the new role might allow him time and motivation to figure out what the heck happend to his pitching skills. Which did exist at one point.

 
at 11:42 AM Blogger godzhillary said...

I would trade Uncle Milty for a cooler full of Gator Aid. I would then call a press conference to announce the trade. I would pour the Gator Aid out on the floor and ask Paul Daugherty and Seg Dennison if they wanted the cooler.

 
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