Kirkendall Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 From CincinnatiReds.comCINCINNATI -- The Reds continued their surprising offseason activity on Monday, signing veteran shortstop Rich Aurilia to a one-year minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.Despite coming off a disappointing season in which he hit .246 with six home runs and 44 RBIs in 124 games for the Mariners and Padres, Aurilia instantly becomes the most proven option to take over Cincinnati's starting shortstop job.A lifetime .275 hitter, Aurilia was an All-Star as recently as 2001 when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs with San Francisco.The job left vacant by the club's decision not to retain Barry Larkin was initially supposed to be won in a Spring Training competition between Felipe Lopez and Anderson Machado.With Machado suffering a knee injury while playing winter ball in Venezuela, however, the Reds have added some more experience with Aurilia.They've also added more flexibility because Aurilia, who owns a career .973 fielding percentage at shortstop, can also play second and third.He also brings more postseason experience to the Reds. Aurilia has played in 26 playoff games all with the Giants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hate to say it, but I would have rather had Larkin for another year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-U-D-I Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 I know what your saying, but I'm not sure. Barry needed to go. Miley needs to take control over the team and clubhouse and no one controls Lark or Grif. I hope he comes back some day in the front office, but for now, I think it's best he's gone. Maybe Bowden will trade for Grif to the Nationals!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 You watch, we'll trade Griff and he'll start hitting 50 homers a year again. Larkin may have costed a little more and I agree with you, but without being larkin bias I still would rather see him out there instead of Aurilla. What happened lo Lopez, I thought he'd finally start next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted January 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 Whoa... we just signed Aurilia to a one-year minor league (not worth much at all) contract from a guy only 3 years ago was an all-star and:“Aurilia was an All-Star as recently as 2001 when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs with San Francisco."I fail to see the bad side. Past the emotional connection with Larkin, what's the downside considering Machado being hurt something fierce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 What's happened to him the past few years? Just old? Injuries?I know his name, but don't really know a lot about him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-U-D-I Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 I hate to say it but I've almost taken a Dillon attitude w/Grifey... If he succeeds somewhere else, great - but, I'd like to see him go. It would be best for the team as a whole. He's too much a distraction with his superstar treatment and he takes up too much $ for this "small market team". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted January 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 Well, he's nothing great. Here is his BR page: http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/aurilri01.shtmlFew Notes:- Hit 6 homers during 2002 post-season (2 in 3 consecutive series').- All-Star in 2001.- Lead MLB in hits in 2001.While Rich isn't great, he's a ton better than the solution we had going into spring training!As for Griffey, it doesn't matter if he's on the team or not, this team has gone downhill since Linder took over; not because Griffey -- which we have Willie Mo, Kearns, Dunn not to mention Smitherman, Stratton, Kelly, and Clark as decent replacements.Then we've got AA guys like Darula.Things are a-ok in Red longstockings nation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjakq27 Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 He always seemed like a guy that had success against the Reds but with our pitching who knows what that means.For those wanting Larkin back, I don't think we could sign him until May 1st at the earliest. I also heard that the Reds were not real happy with his attitude at the end of the season since he was no longer starting. I know there are two sides to the story but I think they felt like it was just time for Larkin to be gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 I agree, but I still would have rather seen larkin out there. Even at his age he's a better player than Aurrilla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted January 24, 2005 Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 It's a little off topic. But does anyone think Larkin has a chance to be a first ballot HOFamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted January 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 I agree, but I still would have rather seen larkin out there. Even at his age he's a better player than Aurrilla. That's debatable. But Aurilia wasn't signed to take over the day-to-day operations at SS. I believe they are still going to give Lopez more of a look and keep Machado for hope that he recovers from surgery. Aurilia will probably be here for one year, considering he signed a one-year minor league deal, and then be gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted January 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2005 It's a little off topic. But does anyone think Larkin has a chance to be a first ballot HOFamer If writers look at stats -- which has been their trend -- then, wow, who knows. If they look at a player's impact on a team, a position, and an era, then hell yea he's a hall of famer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjakq27 Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 It's a little off topic. But does anyone think Larkin has a chance to be a first ballot HOFamer Long story short, No. His name does not get mentioned with the current great shortstops and I think he gets overshadowed by a guy like Cal Ripken. He may make it eventually but not first ballot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jditty47 Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 whoopie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalsfan33 Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 I'd rather brought Larkin back...This is an okay signing, but not who I really want to start at SS next season... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jditty47 Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 larkin would be a ton better. color me disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middy19 Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Other than the fact that they did not sign Larkin this is a great sign that gives the team a reliable feilder up the middle and a average hitter, which is an upgrade for the position. This has been a great offseason for the Reds upgrading the pitching staff and on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukbell Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 larkin didn't want to be a back-up shortstop and since we tried to have him starting last year (early) and it didn't work out, why make the same mistake twice w/ larkin?aurillia was hurt most of last year, hence the minor league contract... he could still be a MVP type of ss... he also had the same fielding percentage as larkin last year, and barry did very good defensively... he also has played more than 90% of his games... there isn't anything wrong w/ this signing imo, at all...the best thing about this signing, he WANTS to be here... larkin wanted to be guarenteed a starting job... no thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHO DEY AGAIN? Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 larkin would be a ton betterMaybe 5 years ago. If he plays he will be a part time reserve or an injury waiting to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semiotter Posted February 6, 2005 Report Share Posted February 6, 2005 It was a good move. And didnt cost the Reds alot.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.