Minor League FA's from Reds

[JaxRed]

Per Redsof72

Among players who have become six year free agents (and are therefore no longer part of the Reds organization, at least for the moment) are Kevin Barker, Alvin Colina, Tonys Gutierrez, Aaron Herr, Mike Hrynio, Justin Lehr, Bobby Livingston, Rob Mackowiak, and Joe Valentine. Livingston was outrighted off the 40 man first.

Luis Bolivar and Chris Kroski were re-signed to minor league contracts for 2009.

Several players were unconditionally released. The only ones who had surfaced in a full-season league were Brett Bartles and Anthony Gressick.

Gil also signed.

(thought it deserved it's own thread)

[highheat11]

I'm interested in seeing where a list of all of these players can be found. Does anyone have a clue because I've been looking all over the place on google for information.

[JaxRed]

Redsof72 has inside info. Seriously

[camisadelgolf]

Among players who have become six year free agents (and are therefore no longer part of the Reds organization, at least for the moment) are Kevin Barker, Alvin Colina, Tonys Gutierrez, Aaron Herr, Mike Hrynio, Justin Lehr, Bobby Livingston, Rob Mackowiak, and Joe Valentine. Livingston was outrighted off the 40 man first.

It's really nice to not see Shaun Cumberland and Alex Smit on that list.

Is there any word on Drew T. Anderson, Camilo Vazquez, and Yuber Rodriguez?

[redsof72]

I believe both Cumberland and Smit would have one more year before they would be eligible for six year free agency. You must have six full seasons in organized baseball and if you played a half season the year you were drafted, it doesn't count toward the six. So players who were drafted in 2002 or earlier would be eligible. Those two were drafted (or signed) in '03.

Added to the list of releases are Tyler Rhoden and Frankie Meade.

[camisadelgolf]

I believe both Cumberland and Smit would have one more year before they would be eligible for six year free agency. You must have six full seasons in organized baseball and if you played a half season the year you were drafted, it doesn't count toward the six. So players who were drafted in 2002 or earlier would be eligible. Those two were drafted (or signed) in '03.

Added to the list of releases are Tyler Rhoden and Frankie Meade.

That's my bad. I just assumed the first year counted since it counts toward the rule five draft.

I wish the Reds would have given Frank Meade a longer look. In his limited time, he had a .350 OBP, which is amazing when you consider his BA was only .202. He was never much of a prospect--I just would've liked to have seen what he could have done over a full season.

The Tyler Rhoden cut needed to happen even though I'm sure he'll be given another shot somewhere else. The Reds just have a lot of bullpen depth in the lower minors, and Rhoden doesn't have exception command, doesn't miss bats, and will be 24 years old to start next year.

[JayBruceFan]

Didn't Meade just get drafted this year?

[camisadelgolf]

Didn't Meade just get drafted this year?

No, he was a 24th round pick in 2007. Maybe you're thinking of Kevin Coddington (2008 44th round), Chris McMurray (2008 18th round), or Kyle Day (2008 12th round)?

[JayBruceFan]

I don't know who any of those guys are

I work at the stadium in Dayton and just remember seeing Meade this season and I thought he was an '08 draft pick

My mistake

[redsof72]

I felt bad for Meade this season. He barely played at all. For a backup catcher, that is a tough position to be in because he basically became the bullpen catcher. He had to catch all the pitchers on their side days and warm guys up during the games, but never got into the games. He played in three games with the Dragons and was there several weeks.

He did fill a valuable role in terms of helping out the other two catchers. There were times before Meade got there that a catcher who was in the game would be down in the bullpen warming up a pitcher while the Dragons were at bat, and then run out to his position when the half inning was over. That has to be tough. I remember one instance, I think it was the Weathers rehab, when both catchers on the roster at the time, Long and Bour were in the game (one as a DH). I think Bour was warming up Weathers in the bullpen and Long was batting (with Bour suppose to be on deck). As soon as Long finished his at-bat, he sprinted down to the bullpen and started warming up Weathers, and Bour sprinted to the plate, taking his catching gear off as he was running, and got in the box and batted. That is a tough way to have to go about your job.

I always thought it was rather silly that you pay Mesoraco all this money and then you don't spend a few extra bucks a game to bring in a bullpen catcher so Mesoraco ends up with double duty. It got better when Meade got there as the third catcher.

[TOBTTReds]

I always thought it was rather silly that you pay Mesoraco all this money and then you don't spend a few extra bucks a game to bring in a bullpen catcher so Mesoraco ends up with double duty. It got better when Meade got there as the third catcher.

I think this is very underappreciated, and maybe unknown by many fans.

Mez was catching bullpen after pen in extended spring, even with 5+ catchers in Sarasota. He was in a crouch for an equivalent of probably a double header every day in the FLA heat. You wonder why some catchers take so long to develope, for many, they are dead tired all the time. I was shocked at how much he was catching in extended.

[JayBruceFan]

Does anyone have a full list yet?

Or a link?

[redsof72]

Camisadelgolf, none of those players (Drew T. Anderson, Camilo Vazquez, and Yuber Rodriguez) would be eligible for six year free agency. There were no other six year free agents other than the ones I listed. The only others were Bolivar and Kroski and they were re-signed before going into free agency, and it appears that Adkins and Pettyjohn, who have the service time to become free agents, are bound to the Reds for unknown contractual reasons as they were outrighted to Louisville. It could be that when those two players were signed before the 2008 season, the Reds negotiated a one-year renewal, preventing them from going into free agency. I am just guessing on that.

As has been pointed out elsewhere on these boards, the Reds also signed one minor league free agent, Jeff Kennard. Additionally, Jolbert Cabrera elected free agency.

Among the players on the release list, in addition to the four I listed, the only ones who were not on the DSL summer team were Eli Rimes and Hugo Calderon, who were on the GCL roster.

[TOBTTReds]

it appears that Adkins and Pettyjohn, who have the service time to become free agents, are bound to the Reds for unknown contractual reasons as they were outrighted to Louisville.

From what I believe I heard, they both had the option of FA, cleared waivers, but decided to remain with the Reds, be outrighted, and accept the same deal they signed before this season.

[camisadelgolf]

Camisadelgolf, none of those players (Drew T. Anderson, Camilo Vazquez, and Yuber Rodriguez) would be eligible for six year free agency. There were no other six year free agents other than the ones I listed. The only others were Bolivar and Kroski and they were re-signed before going into free agency, and it appears that Adkins and Pettyjohn, who have the service time to become free agents, are bound to the Reds for unknown contractual reasons as they were outrighted to Louisville. It could be that when those two players were signed before the 2008 season, the Reds negotiated a one-year renewal, preventing them from going into free agency. I am just guessing on that.

As has been pointed out elsewhere on these boards, the Reds also signed one minor league free agent, Jeff Kennard. Additionally, Jolbert Cabrera elected free agency.

Among the players on the release list, in addition to the four I listed, the only ones who were not on the DSL summer team were Eli Rimes and Hugo Calderon, who were on the GCL roster.

Thank you very much for the info. I'm thrilled to hear these things from a reliable source so long before these things come out in Cliffs Notes form from sources I'm skeptical of.

Would you happen to know what the Reds liked about Eli Rimes? Based on his draft position, size, stats, and playing time, I was surprised that he made it through all of 2007 without being cut.