By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Todd Walker will take his team-leading .299 BA to the Boston Red Sox. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

The Reds' trade of second baseman Todd Walker on Thursday begs one question: Will there be more deals?

The Reds sent Walker to the Boston Red Sox for two minor-league players to be named later.

"This was clearly a fiscal move," Reds manager Bob Boone said. "I love Todd Walker. He did a fantastic job for us. We're going to miss him."

Walker led the Reds with a .299 average last season and had 11 home runs and 64 RBI. But he was due to earn $3.4 million in 2003 and possibly an additional $925,000 in incentives and award bonuses.

Even with that money off the books, the Reds' trimming might not be done. Their budget will increase with the opening of Great American Ball Park, but the Reds go into the winter meetings, which open today in Nashville, Tenn., still having to shed payroll.

Reds chief operating officer John Allen said Thursday that the Walker trade isn't likely to be the team's last. But he also said the Reds aren't under the same pressure as last year. The Reds went into the 2001 winter meetings basically with a mandate to trade second baseman Pokey Reese and first baseman/outfielder Dmitri Young.

"It's not like (Reds general manager) Jim Bowden has been told to cut, cut, cut," Allen said. "It's a matter of how to best spend the money we have."

What Bowden plans to do at the winter meetings is hard to gauge. Contacted Wednesday, Bowden answered "no comment" to six straight questions.

Allen said the Reds' final budget isn't written in ink yet.

"But it's going to be substantially more than last year's," he said.

The Reds' payroll last season was in the $45 million range. It has been speculated it would be $50 million to $55 million for 2003.

"I think it will be more than that," Allen said. "That could mean $55.1 million, but I think it will be more."

Given the Walker trade, the Reds probably are looking at $60 million to bring back last season's team.

That might spare the Reds from trading one of the big three: outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., shortstop Barry Larkin or first baseman Sean Casey. Not that the team wouldn't be willing to part with any of the three, but because of contracts and injuries, none has great trade value.

The Reds had a trade that would have sent Griffey to the San Diego Padres last week, but the player the Reds were going to get, third baseman Phil Nevin, exercised his no-trade clause.

Griffey's salary is listed at $12 million, but the Reds only pay $6 million as salary. Another $3 million is set aside for deferred payments. That's a good deal for a player of his caliber.

Griffey would prefer to stay in Cincinnati.

"Kenny wants to play out his contract here," said his agent, Brian Goldberg. "He wants to get healthy and put up big numbers again."

Griffey has gotten word out that he'll willingly accept a trade to only three or four teams (he's not saying which teams). General managers are being cautioned not to trade for him without making sure he wants to play for their club.

As a veteran under a multiyear contract, Griffey could demand a trade after spending one season with the team he's traded to.

Casey feels the same as Griffey.

"I don't want to go anywhere," Casey said. "I want to finish my career with the Reds. I love it in Cincinnati."

Casey is due $5.6 million in 2003, the first year of the three-year, $20.2 million contract extension he signed in February. He has a clause in his contract that allows him to renegotiate in the event of a trade.

"That's the only trade protection I could get," Casey said. "The Reds don't give no-trade clauses."

Larkin is in the final year of a three-year, $27 million contract. He's coming off his worst season as a professional and turns 39 in April, so he's not likely to fetch much in a trade.

The Reds might look to move one of their setup men. Left-hander Gabe White will earn $3.25 million this season; right-hander Scott Sullivan will make $2.8 million.

Allen doesn't think there will be drastic changes.

"People say we don't have a plan," he said. "(But) we're trying to keep together the nucleus of this team - (Aaron) Boone, Austin Kearns, Adam Dunn, Casey. We've been able to do that so far.

"The fans showed they wanted Larkin and Griffey. They're still here. You would think we were the scum of the Earth last year. We were in first or second place 121 days. That's pretty good."

Allen, despite the payroll talk, expects much of the same this year.

"We're going to have a good team, in my opinion," he said.

Who could be the next to go?

Player	Pos.	2002 salary
Barry Larkin	SS	$9,000,000
Ken Griffey Jr.	CF	$8,557,223*
Sean Casey	1B	$5,600,000
Danny Graves	RHP	$3,525,000-&
Gabe White	LHP	$3,250,000
Scott Sullivan	RHP	$2,800,000
Ryan Dempster	RHP	$2,475,000-&

*-$6 million up front; rest deferred

&-Arbitration-eligible

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com