By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The trade didn't come as a surprise to Chris Reitsma, but the timing did.

Reitsma had already been told by the Reds that a trade was likely, but the reliever thought it would come later in the season.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Tuesday's game

Instead, it happened during spring training on March 26, just a little over a week before Opening Day.

"They were telling me that I was going to be traded," Reitsma said, "and all of a sudden it happens and I sit in the office for five minutes and they don't tell me where I'm going. It was nice to hear Atlanta."

Reitsma, who spent three seasons with the Reds, made his first trip back to Cincinnati as an Atlanta Brave on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park. He was on the field before the game shaking hands and exchanging greetings with his former teammates.

"It feels a little bit strange being back at this ballpark wearing a different jersey," Reitsma said, "but it's part of baseball. Guys who spend their career in one city are very rare."

As they have with several other pitchers - Scott Williamson and Danny Graves to name two - the Reds had a difficult time figuring out what to do with Reitsma. They tried him as a starter. They used him in long relief, as a setup man, and last year, after manager Bob Boone moved Graves to the starting rotation, they used Reitsma as a closer.

With one of the best changeups in baseball, he responded with a 9-5 record, a 4.29 ERA and 12 saves.

But when new manager Dave Miley moved Graves back to the bullpen to regain his role as the closer, and with Ryan Wagner being grooved as setup man, Reitsma became expendable. As insurance, the Reds signed veteran reliever Todd Jones on March 25, paving the way for the trade.

"They said they're going with young starting pitching and they wanted to stockpile as many arms as they could," said Reitsma, 27.

In exchange for Reitsma, the Reds received 23-year-old left-hander Jung Keun Bong and 22-year-old right-hander Bubba Nelson, both of whom are pitching for Class AAA Louisville.

Reitsma, who has taken over as setup man for closer John Smoltz, gave up a run in his Braves debut April 7, but hasn't been scored on in six innings since.

He has a 1.23 ERA with six strikeouts and no walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Reitsma has nothing bad to say about the Reds.

"It was a good experience," Reitsma said. "They gave me my shot in the big leagues and I'm thankful to them for that. I look back on it with fondness, but with me moving on, getting into a different role and getting to concentrate on one role maybe I can excel even more."

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E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com