Wednesday, March 08, 2000

Bowden settles on staff

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Says high cost, lack of quality make pitching trades unlikely

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds second baseman Mark Lewis leaps over Phillies' baserunner Ron Gant and throws to first to complete a double play. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said Tuesday he won't be able to acquire a front-line starting pitcher in the foreseeable future.

        Bowden named Minnesota's Brad Radke and Kansas City's Jose Rosado as two starters who either aren't available or are commanding too high of a price in young prospects during trade talks.

        “So you can scratch (them) as possibilities,” Bowden said. “That doesn't mean you don't continue to have conversations with clubs, because we do. The level of talent that we're looking for is not available or is too expensive.”

        Though a handful of available pitchers exist who could fill the fourth or fifth spots in a starting rotation, Bowden said, “We don't really believe there's pitching available that's better than what we have at this point, with what we have to give up to get it.”

        A swap before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline remains a possibility. The Reds have made such deals to strengthen their pitching in each of the last two years they've been contenders, obtaining Dave Burba, Mark Portugal and David Wells in 1995 and Juan Guzman last year.

        For now, the Reds will concentrate on eliciting maximum production from their existing starters. This means Pete Harnisch, Denny Neagle, Steve Parris and Ron Villone will anchor the rotation, as expected, with Portugal, Rob Bell and Osvaldo Fernandez competing for the fifth spot. Scott Winchester and Heath Murray also are possibilities, though they might be more fit for relief roles.

        Bowden and General Manager Jack McKeon have repeated that they do not intend to move Dennys Reyes, Gabe White or Scott Williamson out of the bullpen and into the rotation.

        “We need to make the best decisions we can with the talent we have in camp,” Bowden said.

       

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