Saturday, January 29, 2000
Griffey talks back on
Bowden: Maybe the price will change
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Though the Reds seem no closer to acquiring Ken Griffey Jr., General Manager Jim Bowden insisted Friday that he won't let time or money impede his efforts to secure the Seattle Mariners star.
Bowden appeared at Redsfest, the team's annual baseball carnival for fans, fresh off his most recent conversation with Seattle General Manager Pat Gillick at 3:20 p.m. Moreover, Bowden sounded ready to keep pursuing a Griffey trade, though the Reds could sign the All-Century Team center fielder as a free agent after this season without losing any players.
“Maybe the price changes at some point between now and Opening Day,” Bowden said. “You never know. So you always leave the door open or at least cracked.”
That differed sharply from the impasse Bowden cited on Dec. 11, when the Reds withdrew from active talks involving Griffey. “The situation hasn't changed,” Bowden said Friday, suggesting that the teams remain far from agreement.
However, most observers always believed negotiations would be rekindled. Bowden admitted on Jan. 11 that the teams had talked, but that Griffey wasn't a hot subject.
He is now. With training camps due to open in mid-February, some Mariners officials are said to be chafing at the possibility of losing Griffey, who's in the final year of his contract, as a free agent after this season. The only compensation Seattle would receive in that event would be two high-round amateur draft choices.
Griffey, whose major-league tenure allows him to veto a deal, has said that the Reds are his only preferred destination in a trade.
Since the Mariners have filled most of their needs on the major league roster, they'd probably settle for a package featuring attractive minor league prospects instead of second baseman Pokey Reese, who gained fame by being the obstacle to a previous deal.
It has been theorized that the Mariners would establish a cutoff point for trade talks to avoid a spring-training sideshow. Many Reds, wondering just what kind of team they'll have entering the season, would applaud that. Said Reds manager Jack McKeon, “If we do it, let's do it and get it out of the way. You can't go to spring training with the constant distraction.”
Bowden would prefer to operate without a deadline.
“I'll never have a cutoff point to make a deal in my life,” he said, pointing out that he traded for Deion Sanders in June, 1994, and shipped the celebrated center fielder away in July, 1995 — both times with Cincinnati in first place. “If we can get better, we're going to make a deal,” Bowden said. “I don't like timetables.”
Nor will Bowden shy from Griffey's $8.5 million salary, which would expand the Reds' payroll beyond ownership's comfort level.
Bowden admitted that Griffey's salary was “an issue,” but added, “We did the Greg Vaughn deal. We couldn't afford it; San Diego paid (the difference in Vaughn's salary). We did the Dante Bichette deal. We couldn't afford it; Colorado paid.
“I'm open. People know when they do deals with us, they're going to have to pay (the salary difference). We can't afford it; we're a small-market team. There are always ways around barriers. I never want to box myself (in) and say, "You can't.' Every time people say "You can't,' that's usually when I want to do it even more.”
Bowden's eagerness for action was evident at Redsfest as he invited fans to offer Griffey proposals in question-and-answer forums.
Besides making themselves heard, listeners gleaned fresh nuggets of information from Bowden:
• Though he wouldn't divulge specific estimates of the financial windfall Griffey's arrival would generate, he said that additional revenue would range from $2 million-$7 million.
• He would resist including either shortstop Travis Dawkins or center fielder Mike Cameron in a Griffey trade. “If we get Ken Griffey Jr., we want Cameron to play right and Junior to play center,” Bowden said.
• The Reds proposed a Brett Tomko-for-Jaret Wright deal with Cleveland during the winter meetings, figuring a change of scenery would help both right-handers. Obviously, the deal died.
Reds Stories
UC's Johnson reaching potential
Satterfield to start again
Rams must stop 'The Freak'
George's road to stardom runs through OSU
Faulk major reason behind Rams' success
SUPER BOWL NOTEBOOK
Ensminger carries Miami on his (bad) back
Kentucky steps outside SEC
O'Brien's bold move energized Buckeyes
Tristate boys basketball scores
Cincinnati boys basketball roundup
N.Ky. boys basketball roundup
NewCath makes All 'A' semis
Brossart, Walton girls meet in All 'A' semis
Newport falls in All 'A' quarterfinal
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Moeller takes city hockey crown
Ohio boys basketball scores
Baltimore 92, Stuff 89
Hamilton 5, Mighty Ducks 3
Houston 3, Cyclones 0
Local golfers lurk in Phoenix Open
Reds page
