By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Add Boston's Mike Port and Texas' Dan O'Brien to the list of eight finalists for the Reds' general manager job.

The Boston Globe reported Monday that the Reds asked the Boston Red Sox for and were granted permission to interview Port, the club's vice president/baseball operations.

A source said the Rangers gave the Reds permission to interview O'Brien, the Texas Rangers' assistant general manager/baseball operations.

Chief operating officer John Allen so far has interviewed Montreal GM Omar Minaya, Detroit assistant GM Al Avila and Minnesota assistant GM Wayne Krivsky.

Allen said he spoke to Houston assistant GM Tim Purpura Monday, presumably to set up an interview.

San Francisco's assistant GM Ned Colletti is also a finalist.

Oakland assistant GM Paul DePodesta, however, is not among the finalists.

Port is a former GM. He was the general manager of the Anaheim/California Angels from 1984 to '91.

He has held his current post with the Red Sox since October 1996. He served as interim GM in 2002.

Port played briefly in the San Diego Padres' minor league system. He spent a year as president of the Arizona Fall League before joining the Red Sox.

O'Brien was named assistant GM in Texas in October 1996. Before joining the Rangers, he spent 15 years in the Houston Astros' organization. He rose to director of player development/scouting for the Astros.

O'Brien is a graduate of Rollins College, the same school that former Reds GM Jim Bowden attended.