Some John Fay tidbits

From the Cincinnati.com:

<blockquote Leftovers from Redsfest:

–I got the impression that the Reds hold little hope of re-signing Francisco Cordero. The way the closer market has settled, the Reds might be able to get Cordero back at one-year deal in the $7 million range.

But I wouldn’t even do that. I’d stay in house. Try Bill Bray first. If he doesn’t work out, turn to Sam LeCure or Jose Arredondo or Brad Boxberger.

Another possible candidate? Edinson Volquez. He’s long shot for the rotation at this point. He’s throws 97 and has a great change-up. That could work in the ninth inning.

I like the in-house idea. I think there are candidates; I’d add Nick Masset, providing he can be more consistent. I shudder to think of Volquez out there when he can’t find the plate.

–With Cordero likely gone, the Reds will have three picks in the top 50 of next year’s draft. That’s a very good thing, especially now there’s pretty much a cap on what bonuses can be.

As this is where I think the new CBA helps the Reds, signability.

–David Bell’s promotion to Triple-A manager could well be a prelude of things to come. Dusty Baker is only under contract for this year. Win or lose, I could see him not returning. Bell is probably the top candidate to replace Baker. “David Bell will be a manager somewhere in the big league in the next couple of years,” one baseball insider told me.

Maybe sooner than the next couple of years if they stumble out of the gate this year.

–It sounds like the Brandon Phillips deal with get done. Walt Jocketty said it’s a “complicated contract,” thus it takes to time to put it together. That tells me it likely involves deferred money.

I’ll hold off on judgment until I see the numbers, but I think the team will place too much value on his “fan friendliness” and not enough on his age and that they’ll end up paying him for what he’s done, rather than what he’ll do (aka Rolen and Arroyo).

–Denis Phipps is a guy to keep an eye. He’s a legitimate five-tool player. He didn’t hit for average until this year when he hit a combined .346/.397/.576 at Carolina and Louisville. He followed it with .297/.403/.436 in the Dominican Winter League.

“I worked hard with (Carolina hitting coach) Ryan Jackson and Eric Davis this year,” he said. “Those guys readily helped me.”

Phipps is 26, but he didn’t start playing baseball until he was 18.

I’ll believe it when I see it from more than one season. He suddenly explodes at AA? I watched him for 2 years at Dayton and about the only good thing I could say about his performance was that he had a great arm. Maybe the light really did come on…but I’m like the guy from Missouri, “Show me”.