Reds G.M. Walt Jocketty
"This was a trade that Andy and I have been working on for quite a while and finally got it done late last night. We set our off season objectives, one of the big things for us was to try and acquire a quality catcher. We felt there was something that we were lacking last year. We have a young catcher in Ryan Hanigan who I think will help a lot this year and learn with Ramon Hernandez.
"But for us Ramon was a perfect fit for our club because he provides good leadership, got very good reports that sent several scouts out to watch him this year, and he provides good defense, handles a staff well, and will give us a good offense, and in our park, we think he'll have a very good year.
"It's something that we're excited about. I talked to Ramon a little bit ago. Dusty spoke with him and he's very excited to come over to the Reds and see how everything works out.
"But the other thing for us, in trading Ryan Freel, Ryan was hurt quite a bit this year, and when I spoke to him, I told him that unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see the real Ryan Freel play this year, but I expect him to do well for the Orioles and he'll be a big part of their success this year.
"And the two young guys we gave up were very difficult to give up, and as good a scouting director and farm director we have in Chris Buckley and Ryan Reynolds, they always hate to give up the younger players, but they understand that it's important for us to improve at the Major League level and try and win up there.
"The Orioles are getting three very good players and quality people, and in return we're getting a big fit for us. We think Ramon Hernandez is the right piece to help improve our club for next year."
* On Hernandez's frustrations on the field last year: "Yeah, that was part of our report that we got from our scouts, and not from just one. We did notice that they had seen him in the past and saw him again this year and felt that there was probably some level of frustration that he was experiencing, and we talked about it.
"I did some research on it with other people that I know that have had him and got great reports, so we do think that a change of scenery will help him immensely. We've got a pretty good pitching staff, and he's a guy that I think will help develop that staff, work well with the staff, and I think he'll have renewed energy, or hope that he will, and I know Dusty talked to him a little bit about that today.
"We think that a change of scenery will help him a lot."
Reds manager Dusty Baker
"The Ramon that I know was in Oakland as a young player. I saw him handle that staff up there in Oakland when I was with the Giants. We played him a number of times in spring training and in the Bay Bridge series and inner league play. So I think he's going to be perfect for our team. We have a young staff, and he has taught some very good pitchers and very good staffs in the past."
Orioles GM Andy McPhail
"Ryan Freel, if any of you have suffered through my talks in Baltimore, you've heard a lot about effort, energy and enthusiasm. Those are the three things as a franchise we want to instill in our players. It is hard to think of a poster child that more represents those things for a Major League player than Ryan Freel, so we were excited to have him introduce a right handed bat that can play some center field and the out fields and give Luke Scott a platoon in left. And then two infield prospects who we like that we need to add inventory and depth at that position are in our franchise.
"It was a delight to deal with Walt. I've never been quite chiselled so much as I was with Walt over a period of grinding me over what should have been announced days ago, but Walt insisted on a pound of flesh and five, which he got. But I do think this is a trade that makes perfect sense for both franchises, and we're delighted to have it.
"The last thing I will say is I know I've watched Dusty Baker at work, and I know this is the perfect kind of player that Dusty is going to have a tremendous impact on, and I think you're going to see Ramon give quite an offensive year in a ballpark that is really favorable towards him."
* On Freel's health: "sA it turned out, Walt and I had been talking about this trade, but in the period where we were talking about the trade Wayne Krivsky joined our organization as a special assistant. He comes with a great deal of information about that franchise. He and obviously our doctors and trainers certified to where Ryan was physically. I talked to Ryan today, as did Dave Trembley, and he said he's running 100 percent, feels good, ready to go, our doctors vetted his condition and are comfortable that he's ready to go, and we're delighted and excited about having him."