SARASOTA, Fla. — The Reds added $1.5 million to their player payroll the last couple of days by putting Joey Hamilton, Jimmy Haynes and Jose Rijo on the roster. The question is, are the Reds over budget? The answer: yes.

        But not by enough to hold a fire sale.

        “You always want to get the payroll down,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. “But right now, we're concentrating on getting the 25-man roster set.”

        Hamilton, Haynes and Rijo signed one-year, $500,000 contracts. That's all Haynes can earn. Rijo has potential for $250,000 in incentives. Hamilton, the Opening Day starter, can make up to $1.75 million if he reaches all his incentives, which start at 160 innings pitched.

        Adding $1.5 million to $3 million to the New York Yankees' payroll can be done with a transfer from petty cash. But with the Reds' payroll in the in $42 million range, a million here and a million there add up.

        The only way to reduce the payroll is through trades. But anyone making significant money is on a guaranteed contract, so even if the Reds release them, they still have to pay them.

        Three big salaries the Reds are in a position to move are left-hander Gabe White ($2.35 million), utility player Wilton Guerrero ($850,000) and backup catcher Kelly Stinnett ($1.15 million).

        The Reds are constantly pursuing trades, but few teams want to take on payroll.

        “We're not close on anything,” Bowden said.

        The Reds' best hope is for a contending team to have an immediate need for a catcher or lefty reliever because of injury. That could facilitate a trade.

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