Griffey to be traded

[CBin2k7]

Cincinnati Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. talked to his family last weekend and says he may be open to accepting a trade to the Chicago White Sox, if he clears waivers.

The White Sox and Reds completed a deal before the non-waiver deadline that would have sent outfielder Chris Young, first baseman Casey Rogowski and prospects to Cincinnati for Griffey. The trade included the Reds picking up at least $15 million of Griffey's remaining $41.5 million through 2008. But after the deal was completed and approved by White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Reds president John Allen, Reds owner Carl Lindner nixed the deal the following day.

Six high-ranking White Sox and Reds officials, including those close to Reinsdorf and Allen, confirmed the deal. The teams plan to revisit the deal if Lindner changes his mind.

"Junior is open to the possibility," said Brian Goldberg, Griffey's agent. "Originally, it caught us by surprise because we didn't know anything about it until we read it. We originally gave the Reds three teams that we would accept a deal (believed to be the Yankees, Braves and Astros), but that's not to say we wouldn't listen to the White Sox.

"Junior's first reaction is that the town is fine, the organization is fine, the people that run the organization are fine, but the only issue is that he'll be spending six weeks in Tucson (the White Sox's spring-training site in Arizona). But that doesn't preclude us from listening. And he will listen."

PLUS A TIDBIT ON O'BRIEN

Reds GM Dan O'Brien is expected to be fired this winter, according to sources close to president John Allen, and will be replaced by either Twins executive Wayne Krivsky or former Mets GM Jim Duquette

I don't know what to think about this, it was a story in USA Today, I like Krivsky alot but who's to say that O'Brien isn't doing the right things. Scanning papers and reading what other GM's think, they seem to think that O'Brien doesn't know what he is doing, and the Reds front office is cluttered. Maybe it is Lindner tying his hands, maybe it has to do with J. Allen. I don't know

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/columni...ue-report_x.htm

[BengalszoneBilly]

White Sox huh? I thought for sure if he went anyplace it would be either Boston or New York.

[Kirkendall]

Linder won't let Griffey go. He's the one that's stopped all griffey trades for about a year now...

[bengalboomer7]

I hope he doesn't let Griffey go. Even with the injuries, Griffey has been treated poorly in Cincy. And if there ever was a clusterf**k, it's in the Reds front office right now.

[UofLnMU]

I agree. Griffey deserves to win. He deserves to be loved. And he deserves to do it in Cincinnati. These things all need to happen in the next two years....

[bengalboomer7]

Sorry, but they won't. But if it's any cosolation, your right

[Columbusbengal]

Why in the world would the Reds (or anyone else) want the former METS GM? The Mets are financially irresponsible and have spent fortunes without winning anything. I don't know if the the Twins Asst. has ever done anything to indicate that he's any good either, but at least he hasn't proven himself to be inept yet. I don't know how I feel about O'Brien. I hated Miley from the day he was hired, but now the rumor is that Obie never wanted him to begin with. It's hard to tell what you can blame Obie for and what you can't. The real person that needs to leave the Reds is John Allen. He has shown time and time again that he is not a baseball man and does not care if the Reds win or lose.

[walshfan]

Griffey isnt going to be traded anytime soonn.. Pena is hurt now, hence 4 outfieders are much needed in cincy.....

griff will have 35-40 homers and over 100 rbi's this year.. he's still a great player.

[Kirkendall]

If it's true O'Brien is getting fired, then that'll just make my patience with this team thin even more. He's doing a fine job rebuilding the farm right now and if he's fired, we're back to square one. Back to not knowing the direction of this team -- at least there's progress being made right now.

[CBin2k7]

--This morning in Chicago Sun Times

By all indications, the White Sox still might be in the market for Ken Griffey Jr. to help jump-start their stagnant offense.

According to a source, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said his team would not put in a claim for Griffey if the Cincinnati Reds put him through the waivers process. The Yankees, who are in dire need of a center fielder, are the only playoff-caliber team that would seem to have the financial backing to stand behind a Griffey claim if the Reds decide they are willing to turn over the slugger and his hefty contract.

The information from Cashman was gleaned Wednesday, which would seem to indicate that at that point, Griffey had not cleared the 72-hour waivers process. Major-league personnel are under strict orders not to reveal which players have cleared waivers and which have not gone through the process.

It isn't likely a team other than the Yankees would put in a claim for Griffey, though the Los Angeles Angels are a remote possibility. The Sox are the last team that gets to put in a claim based on their major-league-best 74-39 record.

The Sox certainly had interest in Griffey and had a deal in place for him less than two weeks ago, the day before the non-waiver trade deadline. The Sox were going to send minor-leaguers Chris Young and Casey Rogowski to Cincinnati, along with a lower-level prospect. The Reds were believed to be willing to pick up a chunk of what remains on Griffey's contract, which pays him $12.5 million a year until 2009.

That deal reportedly was halted by Reds controlling partner Carl Lindner before it got to Griffey, who has the right to veto any trade. Griffey has said he never heard of the Sox deal until a day after the deadline, and it is unknown if he would have agreed to join the Sox.

''I don't really worry about the he-said, she-said as far as this organization says this, our organization [says that],'' Griffey told WSCR-AM's George Ofman this week. ''I'm not worried about that. Until our GM comes in and sits me down, or the ownership sits me down and says this is what they want to do, then I'm a Cincinnati Red. That's the best I can do.''

Would Griffey approve a trade at this point of his career?

''I don't answer questions like that simply because it hasn't happened,'' Griffey said. ''I don't believe in what-ifs.''

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-ssep12.html

[UofLnMU]

If it's true O'Brien is getting fired, then that'll just make my patience with this team thin even more. He's doing a fine job rebuilding the farm right now and if he's fired, we're back to square one. Back to not knowing the direction of this team -- at least there's progress being made right now.

Sorry, Kirk, but your idea of a "fine job" and mine must be different. The farm system turned world-beater prospects Ty Howington and Justin Mosely into, well, wth ever happened to those guys?!

If Encarnacion ever realizes his potential, I will be pleased, but all-in-all, I haven't seen the great farm team revival. I still seethe thinking about the fact that we could have gotten Willie Randolph in the dugout and Omar Minaya in the front office.

[BengalsFanForever]

I live outside of Chicago. It seems at the end of every sports section of the news on the local channels, they talk about Griffey Jr. coming to the White Sox. Griffey says he isn't going. I hope he isn't blowing smoke up our asses.

[Kirkendall]

I live outside of Chicago.  It seems at the end of every sports section of the news on the local channels, they talk about Griffey Jr. coming to the White Sox.  Griffey says he isn't going.  I hope he isn't blowing smoke up our asses.

Yea, honestly, it's a pretty dead issue around here. It's rare the local guys carry the story at all anymore.

UofLnMU -- I honestly didn't see your post until just now. I understand where you're coming from, I really do. And the simple fact is the minor leagues are very uninteresting -- it's not like the big show, which many find corrupt, fiscally doomed, and questionable when a guy with tree trunk arms takes a bat and crushes a 500 foot homer. If you catch a minor league game it's a great experience. They are a fresh reminder of what baseball was, at one point, about.

But at the same time, having six-seven teams affiliated with a single MLB team, creates a massive joint (no pun there, btw) of teams and it's hard to keep up with all of them. They’re very under covered in local media, and associated MLB team's media. You might get a once a week reminder that they do exist.

So I think on that scale, there's a lack of information getting out about the teams and conversely, the players-- and honestly, I've heard bits and pieces and in no way an authoritive figure on the farm system happenings. And if anyone is, then it's for one reason, the love of the game, not the love of the single MLB team -- but even that may not be enough.

And the unfortunate MLB world we live in -- not a result of Bud Selig or greedy players rather a Free Agency system that's killed MLB, NHL, NBA, with the NFL following the same path, albeit more controlled -- the Reds have to play 'money ball'. A system proven to work in smaller market arena, and a system the Reds MUST use to compete annually.

But as Jim Bowden gutted our farm system, for flash and big bangs, we're in the painful slow baseball process of rebuilding. And it worked for the Indians during their 90's domination -- until they got too greedy and traded for more and more 2 month solution -- and it could work here, if the foundation is developed with a desire to complete long-term, not immediately as the Reds are so often pressured to do; and unfortunately, they listen.

How much did we hear about the MLB draft? Dan O'Brien's draft picks from 2003 on have enough starters that could replace our entire rotation, and "prospect"ly do much better. We have that Jay Bruce kid that many suspect will replace Jr. when he retires (or 3-4 years from now). Our 'pen with five rookies, has performed, lately as one of the best.

How's that for a response, bitches!!