Tuesday, December 8, 1998

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Reds, attempting to add some helpful experience and a little name recognition to a youthful roster, have made formal contract offers to left-hander Steve Avery and free-agent infielders Mark Lewis and Tim Naehring.

While the Reds' interest in Lewis and Naehring has been known for some time, Avery is a new addition to the mix. The left-hander, just 28 despite having pitched in nine major-league seasons, was 10-7 with a 5.02 ERA last season with Boston. Avery went 47-25 with Atlanta in 1991-93 before injuries and ineffectiveness knocked his promising career off track.

Neither Lewis, the Hamilton High graduate who excelled as a Reds reserve in 1995, nor Naehring, the LaSalle graduate and Miami University product who has been sidelined since June 1997 with an elbow injury, would likely play every day.

But Cincinnati could use support for projected starters Pokey Reese, a shortstop who is being converted to a second baseman, and Aaron Boone, who has played 65 career games at third base.

"We want to try to solidify our depth in the infield," Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said Monday. "We'd like some veterans to support our younger backups."

The Reds recently signed utility infielder Jeff Branson for exactly that purpose. As right-handed batters, either Lewis, 29, or Naehring, 31, would complement Branson, a left-handed hitter. With Philadelphia this year, his fifth team in five seasons, Lewis hit .249 with nine homers and 54 RBI as an everyday second baseman. He filled in at second, third and shortstop with the Reds in 1995, when he hit .339 in a part-time role to help the team win the NL Central Division.

Naehring was primarily a third baseman with Boston, for whom he hit .282 in eight seasons.

All of the Reds' offers are believed to include a relatively low base salary laced with performance bonuses. None of the trio is in a position to command the same wage he earned this year (Naehring, $2.8 million; Lewis, $1.35 million; Avery, $3.9 million).

On another front, a National League source said that Arizona's signing of center fielder Steve Finley to a four-year, $21 million deal lessened prospects for a trade that would have sent Reds outfielder Reggie Sanders to the Diamondbacks for left-hander Brian Anderson. Bowden declined to comment on this matter.

The Reds also are expected to try to negotiate a deal with utilityman Eduardo Perez by the Dec. 20 deadline for tendering 1999 contracts.

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