Reds general manager Jim Bowden deflated the latest rumor — but probably not the last — involving Sean Casey and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

        According to speculation emanating from Pittsburgh, the Pirates offered catcher J.R. House, their top hitting prospect who's currently with their Double-A Altoona (Pa.) affiliate, for Casey.

        “There's no truth to that at all,” Bowden said Wednesday. “I've never had a trade discussion regarding Sean Casey ... this year.”

        Casey's name was said to have been floated in some of the Ken Griffey Jr. proposals in 1999-2000. One of the more creative rumors involved Casey going to the Pirates in a three-way deal that would have brought Griffey from Seattle to Cincinnati.

        During December's winter meetings, Bowden denied a report that the Reds had offered Casey to Atlanta in a deal involving right-hander Kevin Millwood.

        Even if the Reds were to consider trading Casey, they'd want more than House, who began this year with a .335 career average but hasn't spent a day in the major leagues. Cincinnati has coveted Pittsburgh right-handers Jason Schmidt and Kris Benson and would insist on at least one of them in exchange for Casey.

        Several factors will cause similar rumors to resurface:

        • The Reds have tried to sign Casey to a multiyear contract. Until they do, their failure to settle will feed whispers that frustration, desperation or both will force them to trade him.

        • Casey, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Upper St. Clair, is popular among Pirates fans. Nobody in Pittsburgh seemed to mind that he, and not some Pirate, stroked the first hit and home run at PNC Park. Pirates fans have grown in creasingly restless with their last-place team, which lacks the talent to match its glittering new ballpark.

        • House, who set a scholastic career passing record at Nitro (W.Va.) High School, reportedly wants to play football. He's not contractually prevented from doing so. This could be a situation similar to the one of third baseman/quarterback Drew Henson, whose football leverage was a factor in being swapped from the Yankees to the Reds and back to New York.

Griffey says he's 2 weeks away Bowden denies Casey trade talk Cubs 4, Reds 2 Reds may call up Mercado Cubs find relief Reds box, runs

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