Getting caught up on Reds news and notes from the past week

Stop, drop, and roll! Baseball season
is almost here!

+ The beginning of spring training is quickly approaching, folks. Dusty Baker and his coaching staff are slated to arrive at the Goodyear, Arizona complex on Feb. 11. Pitchers and catchers are set to arrive the following day on Feb. 12. All other position players are due in camp by Feb. 15. The first preseason game will take place on Feb. 22 against the Indians. Remember, Opening Day is scheduled for April 1 against the Angels (4:10 PM) at Great American Ball Park. Three cheers!

+ Speaking of spring training, the team's equipment staff loaded up a 53-foot tractor-trailer truck full of stuff destined for Arizona, on Friday. Reds clubhouse manager Rick Stowe spearheaded the monster effort. All totaled, there will be an estimated 25,000-30,000 pounds of stuff packed on to the truck which is scheduled to depart Cincinnati on Monday. The goods will travel nearly 2,000 miles before they reach their ultimate destination in Goodyear.

+ Cincinnati announced on Thursday that they had come to terms with two of their six arbitration cases. They reportedly reached agreements with both Chris Heisey and Alfredo Simon. Heisey filed for $1,650,000; the club countered at $1,050,000. Simon filed for $1,050,000; the club countered at $750,000. It's probable that the final figure for both players rested somewhere in the middle between their demand and the team's offer. The Reds have yet to reach an accord with Shin-Soo Choo, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, or Mike Leake regarding their respective cases.

Grandal performed well in his short
stint in the majors last season, but
was it legitimate?

+ The retirement saga of Scott Rolen continues to be ongoing. Although no official decision has been made, John Fay reports that the MLB veteran wants to play in 2013. GM Walt Jocketty confirmed Rolen's interest in returning via Fay's post. Jocketty has stated multiple times this offseason that he hopes to have the final word from Rolen in a "matter of days" or "within a week." Obviously, the situation has not been resolved yet.  Both the Reds and Rolen are running out of time to make a move. The Dodgers are another team rumored to be interested in Rolen's services should he decide to make one final return.


+ Former Reds catching prospect Yasmani Grandal was implicated as a performance-enhancing drug user in a recent article by the Miami New Times. He was also busted for PED use during 2012 and will serve a 50-game suspension at the beginning of the 2013 regular season. You may remember Grandal as one of the players dealt by the Reds to San Diego in exchange for Latos. Grandal, Cincinnati's first round pick in 2010, clearly outplayed Devin Mesoraco last season albeit based on limited at-bats. This has some fans worried that the club may have traded the wrong catcher. However, if Grandal's performance was aided by PEDs, and if indeed he is a dirty a player, the Reds may not have made a bad decision after all.

+ Jocketty was busy with the almighty pen on Friday as the club announced the signing of two free agent players. First, Cincy announced the signing of backstop Miguel Olivo to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Olivo will compete with Ryan Hanigan and Mesoraco for a spot on the big league roster, although it is expected that he will begin the year at Triple-A Louisville. Hours later, the Reds announced the signing of left-handed reliever Manny Parra. Parra, who has spent his entire career previously with the Brewers, is being brought in to add left-handed depth in the bullpen alongside Sean Marshall.

+ Are you curious to see what the Reds' spring training schedule looks like? If so, here is a link to a user-friendly version on the club's official website.

+ Don't forget to cast your vote for the 2013 Redlegs Review Preseason All-NL Central Team. Remember, every vote matters! Here is how readers voted for last year's team.

+ For those of you planning to watch the Super Bowl, enjoy! It should be an intriguing matchup. For those of you who could care less, rejoice at the fact that the conclusion of this game marks the final football affair of the season, and inches us that much closer to baseball season.