By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The list of Reds reclamation projects grew by one Thursday.

Cincinnati signed journeyman pitcher Todd Van Poppel to a non-guaranteed minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Louisville.

"You can't sign enough pitchers," Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. "He'll go to Triple-A and we'll see if we can get him back to where he was in 2000 and 2001."

Van Poppel, who at 31 years old is now with his eighth organization, was in the second year of a three-year, $7.5-million deal with the Rangers when they released him June 4.

The right-hander is 34-45 with a 5.55 ERA in 302 career major-league games (83 starts). He was 1-0 with an 8.53 ERA for the Rangers this season, but Van Poppel's best seasons were as a middle reliever with the Cubs in 2000 and 2001, when he was a combined 8-6 with a 3.18 ERA, 167 strikeouts and 86 walks.

The Reds, who tried to acquire the former first-round pick after the 2001 season, plan to use him as a starter first at Louisville before moving him to the bullpen.

"We'll see," Bowden said. "If you sign 30 of them and one of them makes it, it's worth signing all 30."

RUMOR MILL: Reports in Thursday's editions of Newsday and the Newark Star-Ledger mentioned the Reds as among those possibly interested in acquiring 35-year-old second baseman Roberto Alomar from the Mets. The 10-time Gold Glove Award winner has approximately $4 million remaining on the final year of his contract. Entering Thursday's game against the Rangers, Alomar was hitting .261 with 2 homers, 19 RBI and 5 stolen bases.

Bowden declined to comment specifically on Alomar.

"Pitching is our No.1 priority, our No. 2 priority and our No. 3 priority," he said. "If we can upgrade in another area of the club though ... we're certainly pursuing every area to improve the team if we can."

MOVE COMING: With shortstop Barry Larkin expected to come off the disabled list today, the most likely candidates to be optioned are infielders Felipe Lopez and Rainer Olmedo.

"I have options, but I'd say that premonition is correct," manager Bob Boone said. "We're going to discuss that on the airplane ride home."

After sitting five straight games, Lopez started his second consecutive one Thursday. He entered in a 0-for-23 and 4-for-43 slump, but went 1-for-2 with two walks. Olmedo was hitting .296 with two doubles since being recalled from Double-A Chattanooga for the second time this season on May 30.

ODDS AND ENDS: Though John Riedling has allowed 17 earned runs in his past three starts covering 10 2/3 innings, Boone indicated the pitcher will make his next start against the Cubs on Monday. ... Ohio state baseball champions St. Xavier (Division I) and Purcell Marian (DII) will be honored before Monday's game. ... The Reds expect to draw their 1 millionth fan to Great American Ball Park today. The club has drawn 975,137 and averaged 28,681 fans through its first 34 home dates.