• On this date in 1979, Pete Rose signed a 4-year, $3.2 million free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, making him the highest-paid athlete in team sports. Rose had played 16 years for the Reds and had hit .302/.362/.421 in 1978. For the Phillies, Rose switched to first base and hit .331/.418/.430 in 1979, playing in 163 games. The Phillies won the World Series in 1980 and reached the Series in 1983, Rose’s final season in a Philadelphia uniform.
• Homer Bailey did an interview for ESPN 1530 Cincinnati on Tuesday. He said he’s a week and a half ahead in his recovery. When asked if he’s having a good off-season, he said it isn’t much of one because he rehabs 5 days a week. He’s in Texas, spending time with his family. When asked if he’d started throwing yet, he said no, but that in a normal year he wouldn’t be throwing yet either. He feels good about his full recovery.
• Jim Bowden told a story on MLB Radio yesterday. While he was GM with Reds, he had worked out a trade after the 1991 season, sending first baseman Hal Morris to the Dodgers for an A-ball player, Raul Mondesi. When Bowden went to owner Marge Schott to get her approval for the deal, Marge told him: (quoting Bowden) “Honey, you’re not trading Megan Morris.” Bowden replied, I’m talking about trading Hal Morris. Marge said: “Honey, Megan Morris is the head of the wives organization. Did you see the Christmas gift she just got me?” So Marge nixed the trade. From 1992 on, Morris was an 8 WAR player over 9 seasons. Mondesi was a 19.5 WAR player in his six years of Dodgers team control from 1993-98. As I listened to that tale, I was glad that the Reds no longer have an owner with sentimental attachments that prevent the GM from making moves that help the ….
• The Reds are facing a tough market in trying to trade a starting pitcher for hitting. Not only is hitting increasingly scarce, but the starting pitcher market is flooded. With free agents available like Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, James Shields, Ervin Santana and Brandon McCarthy and with trade targets like Cole Hamels, David Price, Jordan Zimmermann, Rick Porcello, and Jeff Samardzija being floated, there’s plenty of competition. You wonder if that dynamic will push the Reds to one of the extreme courses – trading Johnny Cueto or sitting pat with their pitching.