By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds chief operating officer John Allen has been impressed with the general manager candidates he's seen.

Allen interviewed Detroit assistant general manager Al Avila Wednesday and Minnesota assistant GM Wayne Krivsky Thursday.

"So far, every candidate has been outstanding," Allen said. "It was difficult to get it down to eight finalists. Both Wayne and Al were very well prepared and knowledgeable about our situation."

Allen will interview Montreal GM Omar Minaya this weekend. Minaya is coming in with the Expos for the final series of the year. He won't be here for today's game.

Allen won't reveal who the other five finalists are. But a Reds source said Atlanta assistant GM Frank Wren and Florida assistant Dan Jennings are not finalists.

The Reds have reportedly received permission to interview Houston assistant GM Tim Purpura. Purpura, when contacted Thursday, would not say if an interview had been scheduled.

Avila said the Reds job is an attractive one.

"They've made a lot of tough decisions to try to better the club," he said. "They've got a young nucleus. It looks promising for the future."

Avila is the son of former Los Angeles Dodger vice-president Ralph Avila. Al Avila worked nine years for the Florida Marlins before going to Detroit. He played for two years in the Dodgers organization.

Krivsky has been with Minnesota for eight years. He also worked for the Texas Rangers. One of Krivsky's responsibilities is scouting the National League, so he's familiar with Reds personnel. Krivsky is also well-versed in contract negotiations and the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.