Saturday, October 24, 1998

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jeff Shaw

Former Reds closer Jeff Shaw hasn't decided whether to demand a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers but said he doubted the Reds could get him back.

Shaw can demand a trade because he was traded just after signing a multiyear contract. The 32-year-old closer, who led the National League in saves in 1997 for the Reds, signed a two-year contract extension in April, then was traded to Los Angeles July 4 for pitcher Dennys Reyes and first baseman Paul Konerko.

Shaw has until Nov. 5 to ask for a trade. Shaw, his agent, Joe Bick, and new Dodgers General Manager Kevin Malone met in Columbus last Wednesday to discuss the matter.

Shaw said he, his wife and Bick "are still going over all the options, trying to figure out who might be interested, who the Dodgers might be offering. We're not going to push it to the wire. We'll make up our minds in the next week to 10 days."

Seattle, Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Colorado, Milwaukee and the Chicago White Sox are some of the clubs that may shop for a closer. Teams may want Shaw because he led the NL in saves in 1997, was third with 48 saves last year and has a relatively small salary ($2.7 million).

If Shaw demands a trade, the Reds may try to get him back. The Dodgers may not want anything the Reds would offer. Reds GM Jim Bowden won't give back Reyes, and the Dodgers probably won't take Konerko.

"I don't think Jim would be willing to give up enough," Shaw said. "He'd have to give up some quality players."

Shaw has a good relationship with Malone, who was GM of the Expos when Shaw played in Montreal, and Bick said the Dodgers have offered to consider re-negotiating Shaw's current contract if he stays.

Shaw can pick six teams he would not go to, and he said he would pick those based on the location of teams that need a closer. Bick declined to name those teams.

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