Sunday, December 13, 1998

BY BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reggie Sanders

NASHVILLE - Reggie Sanders may be the next Reds player headed elsewhere.

The Seattle Mariners have made no secret of their interest in right fielder Sanders.

A contingent of Mariners personnel, including manager Lou Piniella and scout George Zuraw, were leaving General Manager Jim Bowden's hotel suite as reporters covering the Reds were arriving for a briefing. Later, Piniella admitted to reporters covering the Mariners that Sanders was a primary topic of conversation.

Jay Buhner's proposed move to first base opens a spot for Sanders in Seattle. However, the Mariners have balked at yielding their top prospects. And the pitching-starved Mariners supposedly were rebuffed when they asked about Pete Harnisch, Denny Neagle and Brett Tomko, the Reds top starters.

"We're talking to every club about a lot of players," Bowden said, declining to address Sanders-related talks specifically. But, he added, "With these contracts going up the way they are, Reggie's a pretty intriguing guy at $3.7 million."

The Oakland A's also have expressed interest in Sanders. As a right-handed hitter, he would balance Oakland's batting order, which features left-handers Jason Giambi, Ben Grieve and Matt Stairs. The A's have a bounty of prospects, both pitchers and position players, in their minor-league system.

Bowden indicated the Reds might agree to Oakland's rumored request to pay part of Sanders' salary, repeating the word "creative" when discussing trade talks.

"We're trying to be really flexible in our thinking, and open-minded and creative," Bowden said.

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