From the Enquirer:
Adam Dunn was being diplomatic. He never mentioned Carl Lindner. He never mentioned Dan O’Brien.
But he gave the distinct impression that he would not have signed a two-year contract with a club option for a third had there been no change in ownership and management.
“I’m very happy here,” he said. “I honestly didn’t want to go anywhere. Having ownership that wants to win – and not just be competitive – is big. They’ve got the right two men to do it.”
Dunn was referring to new Reds CEO Bob Castellini and new general manager Wayne Krivsky.
Dunn spoke to both men before signing the deal.
“Not to knock (the old regime),” he said. “(Krivsky and Castellini) are two people I can actually talk to,” he said. “I talked to them on the phone. I’d like to talk to them more. They’re as normal as can be.”
Under former GM O’Brien, the Reds began negotiating strictly a one-year deal after the Jan. 17 deadline for exchanging salary figures passed.
That approach changed after O’Brien was fired Jan. 23. Interim GM Brad Kullman opened up the possibility of a multi-year deal. Krivsky closed it out Feb. 13, avoiding an arbitration hearing.
“They handled it like a negotiation is supposed to go,” Dunn said. “They were very professional. They knew what they wanted to do. That was very good for me.”
Well, this is the first major sign that new ownership has had a positive influence on the “on-field” product.