Monday, December 14, 1998

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Davey Johnson

NASHVILLE - Since Davey Johnson doesn't own a ballclub or wield a general manager's checkbook, anything he says about player acquisitions can be filed under the category of wishful thinking.

Still, Johnson made it plain Sunday at baseball's Winter Meetings that he wouldn't mind adding shortstop Barry Larkin to the Los Angeles Dodgers team he now manages.

Johnson's three-year tenure as Reds manager ended in 1995, the year Larkin earned National League Most Valuable Player honors. Larkin won that award for his off-field leadership as much as his performance, which Johnson obviously recalled.

"I love Barry Larkin. You know that," Johnson said. "Do I have any interest in Barry? I mean, Barry Larkin to me is one of the great players today. He was MVP for me. The influence he had on the ballclub was tremendous . . . I would always have interest in Barry. I don't care if he's 40 years old."

LARKIN UPDATE

Stories on Barry Larkin's latest demand to be traded: Larkin trade '99.9%' unlikely Dec. 12 Get rid of Larkin Tim Sullivan column, Dec. 12 Larkin trade will take work Dec. 13

Johnson wasn't fully aware of Larkin's latest remarks last week about wanting to be traded from the Reds to a contending team. Nor did he know that the Dodgers are one of the few teams Larkin would agree to join.

Upon hearing of Larkin's sentiments, Johnson playfully said, "You know, I'll talk to Kevin (Malone, the Dodgers' general manager). I could fit (Larkin) in (the lineup), I think."

Johnson was speaking partly in jest, but he might as well have been laughing uncontrollably. Shortstop might be Los Angeles' weakest position, manned by Mark Grudzielanek (33 errors this year, 21 more than Larkin) and Jose Vizcaino.

Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said he hadn't talked to the Dodgers and indicated that he had no plans to do so.

"We don't seem to match up," Bowden said. "They don't want to give us (Chan Ho) Park or (Raul) Mondesi or (Darren) Dreifort or some of their other top young guys."

One National League GM said that Bowden has told his counterparts that he wouldn't consider trading Larkin unless he received an overwhelming offer - which, in the Dodgers' case, would have to include one of the aforementioned players.

The St. Louis Cardinals, another team that could use Larkin or a competent middle infielder, would prefer to acquire Florida's Edgar Renteria or Milwaukee second baseman Fernando Vina. Cardinals Manager Tony LaRussa said that his team "has not had meaningful discussions" with the Reds about Larkin.

That mirrored the status of most of Cincinnati's trade talks, including those involving right fielder Reggie Sanders.

Bowden said that the handful of potential deals the Reds have arranged are low on other teams' priority lists. For example: The Reds have discussed Sanders actively with Arizona, Oakland and Seattle. But none will take Sanders unless other possibilities (Ryan Klesko, Greg Vaughn, Jose Guillen) fall through.

Oakland has dismissed Sanders as just a little too old (31) and overpaid ($3.7 million), even if the Reds assume part of his contract.

"If a team has five choices, they might want to explore deals one and two before they come back to us," Bowden said.

The Reds also have approached the California Angels about Jim Edmonds, who many consider to be the American League's second-best center fielder behind Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. But a high-ranking Angels source said that the Reds refused to part with any of their three top starting pitchers, Denny Neagle, Pete Harnisch or Brett Tomko.

Bowden reiterated that there was a "99.9 percent" chance that Larkin, Neagle, Harnisch and Tomko will be on the Reds' Opening Day roster.

"That still leaves you that .1," Bowden said.

Notebook: Johnson hooked on dog hair
Other Reds stories from Winter Meetings
'Outraged' Astros withdraw from Clemens derby