SARASOTA, Fla. — The Reds wanted Drew Henson, but not at his price. They appreciated outfielder Michael Coleman's hitting, but not the personnel complications that would have arisen had they kept him.

        And the organization's baseball brains always have loved Wily Mo Pena.

        This led to Tuesday's all-but-official trade in which the Reds sent Henson, the minor-league third baseman and University of Michigan quarterback, along with Coleman to the New York Yankees. The reigning world champions parted with Pena, 19, an outfielder the Reds pursued as an undrafted free agent two years ago.

        Neither the Reds nor the Yankees announced the deal. It's said to be contingent on all three players passing physical examinations. More important, the Yankees are believed to be negotiating with Henson on the money — believed to be close to or more than $20 million — that would persuade him to skip his senior season at Michigan.

        Reds general manager Jim Bowden and Dan Henson, Drew's father, did not immediately return phone calls. But Coleman confirmed the trade as he cleaned out his locker at the Reds' training complex.

        “Yeah, I was shocked,” Coleman said. “You make a lot of friends here.”

        The Reds would spare themselves a pair of potential headaches by making the deal:

        • Though Henson possesses legitimate baseball talent, his NFL leverage made him unaffordable to Cincinnati, which has tried to return him to New York since last year.

        After leading Michigan to a 9-3 record and a No.11 ranking last year, Henson was projected as the top quarterback eligible for the 2002 draft, thus putting himself in line for a signing bonus of $20 million-$30 million.

        Privately, Henson made it clear he'd require this kind of money in salary or in bonus payments to play baseball. Publicly, he showed his disdain for the Reds by choosing a spring break vacation with college buddies over an invitation to big-league camp.

        Henson, who has managed to hit .275 while playing only parts of three minor-league seasons, also was said to be pushing for a trade back to the Yankees, who selected him in the third round of the 1998 amateur draft. The Reds acquired Henson and three other prospects in the Denny Neagle trade July 12. The Yankees, with their appeal and riches, were said to be the only team that would have a chance to divert Henson from football.

        Henson said in the upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated that he planned to leave whatever minor-league team he would play for in mid-July instead of Aug.1, reflecting his seriousness about football.

        • Coleman had no minor-league options, which inconvenienced the Reds as they tried to plan their Opening Day roster.

        Obtained with utilityman Donnie Sadler from Boston for Chris Stynes Nov.16, Coleman was hitting .312 this spring with a .719 slugging percentage — tops among players with more than 11 at-bats — and a team-high four homers and nine RBI.

        But Coleman's poor defense made him a borderline player. Because Coleman had no options, the Reds couldn't send him to Triple-A without exposing him to the waiver process, in which he could be claimed by another team.

        Cincinnati will have an easier time forming its Opening Day roster without Coleman, who nevertheless thought he would be a Red.

        “Yeah,” he said when asked if he envisioned a deal due to his lack of minor-league options. “I didn't think it was going to be me, though.”

        Now the Reds are likely to begin the season with only four “true” outfielders — Dmitri Young, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Ochoa and Michael Tucker — because utilitymen Sadler and Wilton Guerrero also can play outfield.

        Besides, if the Reds need another outfielder after May1, there's always Deion Sanders.

        Pena's skills are considered to be as raw as they are vast. If he's not in the majors by 2003, when his unusual contract expires, he'll be out of minor-league options and whatever organization he's with could lose him.

        Pena's impressive build (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) hasn't helped him make contact. The right-handed batter has compiled a .234 career average with 17 homers, 64 RBI and 168 strikeouts in 488 at-bats while playing at and below the Single-A level.

        The Reds invited Pena to take batting practice with them one night in Tampa — before a 1999 exhibition game against the Yankees, ironically enough — before New York signed him to a $3.7 million deal. Of that, $2.44 million was a signing bonus. He's owed salaries of $260,000 this year, $280,000 next year and $300,000 in 2003.

Cinergy's wall outgrows Fenway Reds unload Henson, Coleman Reds rotation still has opening Etherton could miss whole season Ballpark lights to cost $1 million less

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