SARASOTA, Fla. - Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said he has talked with agents for Jeff Shaw, Eddie Taubensee and Willie Greene about possible long-term contracts.
Bowden recently has been signing players to one-year contracts because of the Reds' limited revenues. But because all three of those players will be free agents after the season and are important for the Reds to keep, Bowden would like to see if they can reach an agreement before a bidding war starts on the open market.
''In the case of a free agent, you never want to let a guy walk,'' Bowden said Monday. ''We're limited in our parameters financially, so we've got to be careful because we're dealing in an inflated market.''
Greene signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract in January to avoid arbitration, and Bowden said he has talked with agent Seth Levinson about a long-term deal for the slugging third baseman. Taubensee, in his first year as the No. 1 catcher, also is signed only through this season.
Shaw, the 1997 National League saves leader, is working under a two-year deal he signed last year before taking over as the closer. It pays him only $650,000 this season, well under his market value. Shaw said he wants to get a deal this season so he can stay.
''We've had discussions to see if we can save ourselves some trouble and renegotiate,'' Bowden said.
Bowden said this doesn't signal a return to free-spending ways and that contract extensions could save the team money by sparing it from competition on the open market.
Young still backup
Manager Jack McKeon reiterated Monday that despite Dmitri Young's impressive performance at the plate this spring (.372), he will begin the season as a backup at first base and in the outfield.
McKeon believes the players that ended last year hot, like Chris Stynes, Jon Nunnally and Eduardo Perez, have earned the right to keep their jobs. They'll lose them only if they do something to lose them in the regular season.
Spring statistics, McKeon said, mean nothing. ''I haven't seen anybody lose the job because we haven't played yet,'' McKeon said.
Larkin feels better
Barry Larkin will be back in camp Saturday and Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said the shortstop could be taking infield and batting practice when the team opens the season March 31 in Cincinnati. Larkin began his rehabilitation Monday in Cincinnati after having neck surgery last Friday, and trainer Greg Lynn said Larkin ''feels better than he did before the surgery.''
Nieves rehab
Outfielder Melvin Nieves, rehabilitating from offseason hernia surgery, will begin playing in games Thursday and may be ready to start the season on the major league roster. ''We've got two weeks to go, and we'll see how he is then,'' manager Jack McKeon said.
McKeon plans to use Nieves as the designated hitter in away games against American League teams the next two weeks and may let him hit in minor-league camp and then rejoin the big-leaguers for their game.
McKeon says Nieves, who hit 20 homers last year with Detroit but struck out 157 times, second most in the American League, has been receptive to hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr.'s advice. ''He's real excited about cutting down on the strikeouts,'' McKeon said.
Oliver the Tiger
Former Reds catcher Joe Oliver, now with Detroit, was greeted warmly when the Tigers came to Sarasota on Monday night. Oliver turned down the Reds' initial contract offer this offseason, then signed with the Tigers for less money.
He says he has no hard feelings and doesn't rule out a return to Cincinnati. ''I don't want to burn any bridges,'' he said. ''It was time to move on, and I'm grateful for my time there. I'm in a year-to-year situation, and you never know what can happen.''
McKeon seeks to regain edge
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