By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW ORLEANS - The Reds got their man. David Mattox, a 23-year-old right-hander in the New York Mets system, was on the top of the club's list for the Rule 5 Draft Monday. They were able to take him with the eighth pick.

"We got the one we wanted," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said.

Given the Reds' dearth of starting pitching, Mattox has a shot at making the 2004 rotation.

"We think he fits in the mix with (Jose) Acevedo, (Aaron) Harang and (Brandon) Claussen," O'Brien said.

Acevedo, Harang and Claussen are probably Nos. 3, 4 and 5 on the depth chart right now.

Mattox will have a built-in advantage on the other three because of Rule 5 rules. The Reds must keep him on the 25-man roster all season or offer him back to the Mets for $25,000, half of what the Reds paid to pick him.

Mattox, based on his minor-league numbers, is probably ready for the jump.

He went 8-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 20 starts for Double-A Binghamton last year.

He is 26-14 with a 3.13 ERA in the minors. The Mets named him their minor league pitcher of the year in 2002 after he went 12-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 26 starts at Single-A. He was an 11th-round draft pick in 2001.

The Reds also drafted infielder Jorge Mejia in the Triple-A phase of the draft.

Mejia, a 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic, hit .377 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 50 games in rookie ball last year.

The Reds lost outfielder Eric Valent in the Triple-A phase of the draft. Valent was the player the Reds got in the Kelly Stinnett trade with Philadelphia.

Valent hit .218 with two RBI in 18 games for the Reds after the trade.

The Reds contingent was staying in New Orleans until today - a lot of clubs left Monday. O'Brien was hopeful that the extra time might help the club make a trade.

"We're going to be here through the day, so something could happen," O'Brien said.

The Reds are seeking starting pitching - the No. 1 commodity in baseball right now.

After Paul Wilson, the Reds' rotation is wide open. Jimmy Haynes likely will be in there, but he's coming off a 2-12 year that was cut short by a bad back.

Acevedo (2-0, 2.67 ERA in four starts) and Harang (4-3, 5.28 ERA) showed some promise last year, but neither has spent a full year in the big leagues.

Claussen has only one big-league start, but he's further along than Mattox, having spent two years at Triple-A.

He was 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA last year before the trade. Claussen, 24, is coming off Tommy John ligament replacement surgery June 25, 2002. He's expected to fully regain his velocity this year.

The Reds would be hugely disappointed if he didn't make the rotation this year.

But given the inexperience of Acevedo, Harang and Claussen, adding Mattox to the mix can't hurt. The Reds are still hopeful that they'll be able to add a veteran to the rotation.

While the Winter Meetings are baseball's biggest annual swap meet, there is nothing to keep teams from trading after the meetings conclude.

"We're having ongoing discussions," O'Brien said. "Something could still come together."