Reds, Harnisch talk long-term contract

SARASOTA, Fla. — Pete Harnisch draws attention with his past, which includes shoulder injuries in each of the last two seasons, and his present, which features his status as the Reds' top starting pitcher. But Harnisch's immediate future also is compelling.

His agent, Gregg Clifton, has held preliminary talks with Reds general manager Jim Bowden about a multiyear contract extension. A deal would prevent Harnisch from becoming a free agent after the season and would ensure the Reds of keeping an experienced pitcher to complement their fleet of young arms.

Harnisch has won a club-high 38 games in the last three years. He also indicated Thursday that he wouldn't hold up the Reds for the inflated eight-figure annual salaries some starting pitchers command. “At this stage of the game, I don't need a whole lot of money,” said the 12-year veteran, who'll earn $3.75 million this season.

Seems like a mutual fit.

“He'd like to stay a Red for the rest of his career,” Clifton said. “The initial discussion with Jim was that he feels the same way we do, which is a good thing.”

“Right now, he's our No.1 starter,” Bowden said. “He also has been a leader in the clubhouse and on the field.”

The sides could begin negotiating more actively after the Reds get past right-hander Osvaldo Fernandez's salary arbitration case Monday and accommodate their 19 other unsigned players.

In a perfect world, Harnisch already would have signed an extension. But arbitration has preoccupied the Reds for much of the offseason, because they had more players eligible for the process than any other team. A settlement before Opening Day would be the next best thing so Harnisch doesn't have to dwell on his contractual status during the season.

“I would hope that it happens sooner than later,” Harnisch said. “It's easier that way. But who knows? ... I'm sure there'll be a time when (negotiating) gets a little more serious.”

Should talks fail, the possibility of Harnisch being traded to a contending team before the July 31 non-waiver deadline would loom large. The American League Central champion Chicago White Sox expressed interest last summer before backing off.

“I would say if we weren't able to do an extension or something, I would be traded pretty soon,” Harnisch said. “But that's the way the game is. I accept that.”

For now, Harnisch is more of an asset in Cincinnati than elsewhere. No other pitcher in camp, which began Thursday with a three-hour workout for pitchers and catchers, even approaches Harnisch's 110-100 lifetime record. Non-roster right-hander Frankie Rodriguez is the second-winningest starter with a 29-39 record.

After Harnisch overcame the weakness in his rotator cuff that put him on the disabled list for nearly two months last year, he went 8-2 with a 3.49 ERA to finish the season 8-6, 4.74.

“He's invaluable to me. He has been where I'm going,” said right-hander Rob Bell, who's beginning his second major-league season. “He's a little bit of a cheat sheet for me.”

Almost every other candidate for the starting rotation is just as unproven as Bell. Like him, Seth Etherton, Ed Yarnall and Jim Brower have never spent a full year in the majors. Elmer Dessens, Scott Williamson and Dennys Reyes have never started for a full season. Fernandez is not far removed from elbow problems.

“Pete's huge,” manager Bob Boone said. “He's the truly known quantity. You have to be concerned about his health, based on his past history. But he's the No.1 (starter). Every team has one, and he's ours. After that, everybody wants to know, "What's the rotation?' They're all the same cat. We know it starts with Pete and ends with (relief ace Danny) Graves, and then in between ...”

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