Mike Napoli Adds Toughness To The Reds Coaching Staff

 

 

Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Mike Napoli was a late addition to the Reds’ coaching staff.

His official title is staff assistant but functionally, he is another bench coach.

Napoli and manager, Terry Francona, formed a strong bond during Cleveland’s World Series season.

“When I was talking to Nick (Krall) and Brad (Meador) about the staff, being new, you don’t want to be too new,” Francona said. “There are some pretty good coaches here. I told them, I think it’s important we have a balance. I also think it’s important to have people that know how I like to do stuff. Millsy, bench coach Brad Mills, knows what I want to do before I do.  Nap (Napoli) was the single toughest player that I’ve ever been around.”

Napoli hit .239 for the Indians that season in 150 games. He hit 22 doubles and a triple and belted 34 home runs, driving in 101 as a catcher and first baseman.

“We were playing in Cleveland early in the year. It was about 30 degrees. He had short sleeves on. I forget who we were playing but the first base coach told me this. Nap was playing first when a guy on the other team walked asked him. Gee Nap aren’t you cold, he said no are you?,” Francona said. 

The Indians were not expected to compete for the World Series but they signed Napoli in January 2016. 

“I think we over-achieved in 16. I don’t think it was a coincidence that Nap was on that team and the leader of that team,” Francona said. “He sees the game so well. I was thrilled that we were able to find a way to get him here. I think he’s going to be a manager. If he wants to be, I think he’ll be really good. When guys like that want to stay in the game, it’s good for the game.”

Francona admitted a mistake in the World Series that he regrets to this day.

“We went to Chicago. If you remember, we didn’t have the DH. They had a tough righty going (it was lefty Jon Lester). I played Carlos Santana in left.” 

It was game 5 in a 3-2 Chicago Cubs win.

“I thought if I did this two nights in a row, it would bite me in the ass, so I sat Nap. It was the single biggest mistake I ever made. I knew he was going to want to kill me. I sat at the table in the middle of the clubhouse. We played cribbage. Nap sat right next to me and didn’t talk to me. I said Nap, I’m not leaving this table until you talk to me. It took about an hour. Looking back on it I screwed (sic) up. He was the heart and soul of our team. I should have played him.”

Napoli went to the Cubs as a quality assurance coach. He became the Cubs first base coach in 2022 but was let go after the 2024 season.

“When the Cubs let him go, I was a little afraid to reach out to him,” Francona said. “I didn’t know if we had a spot. I had reached out to him a few years back and it didn’t work out. I felt bad. I didn’t want that to happen. I kind of felt like I was stringing him along this winter. I talked to the guys about him (Krall and Meador). I’m glad he’s here. Having him here is going to be really good. Not only for the players but the coaches too. He has a good way about him.”

The title of staff assistant is a new one. The Reds have two bench coaches, Brad Mills and Freddie Benavides, who is also responsible for infielders. 

“He’s like a swiss army knife,” Francona quipped. 

 

 

Jose Trevino Is Becoming A Team Leader Quickly

 

Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Jose Trevino has only been a Red for a week and already his veteran presence has been noticed.

Trevino along with Wade Miley, Bryan Shaw, Taylor Rogers and Gavin Lux, whose last game was in the World Series in October. Trevino was in the opposing dugout.

Terry Francona is a veteran manager but allowed that sometimes players pay more attention to veteran players than coaches.

Trevino was on a bus with Francona during the Reds’ caravan ride to Louisville. While Francona was in conversation he overheard Trevino talking about catching with a younger catcher, Single A catcher, Alfredo Duno, 18 years old.

“Trevino had Duno. He had him corralled. They were going over catching. I didn’t want to barge in but I thought this was great. When a teammate, especially one that has just played in the World Series, with his defensive reputation, when he talks people are going to listen. I could tell a person the same way but if you do it too much, you’re considered over coaching or panicking. When a teammate does it, he’s considered a great teammate.”

Trevino caught two pitchers in their bullpen session on the first full squad workout. 

“He went to Nick Krall and said, ‘I need some background on these guys.’ Now we’re in our first day of camp but he wanted to know how to get them through their first 10 minutes. That’s pretty powerful man. You give those guys carte blanche. When you have leaders like that it’s easy to say the right thing but when they lead by example, also, it is pretty powerful.”

Trevino wasn’t a catcher in his youth.

“I played third base, second base, shortstop,” said Trevino, who grew up a Yankees’ fan but watched Brad Ausmus from Houston and Ivan Rodriguez with Texas. “Yeah, I watched them. If baseball was on, I was watching.”

Trevino took experience in the infield to help him develop as a catcher.

“I definitely think the infield helped me as a catcher for sure. I think of myself as an infielder with equipment on,” Trevino said.

Still watching those two great catchers did not inspire the young Trevino to catch. It was with the rookie league, short season Spokane Indians in the Northwest League that manager Tim Hulett and coaches cornered Trevino.

“There was a bag waiting for me in the locker.? I said no. You got an agent? I said yes. They said call your agent and have them send you two gloves and I’ll see you outside in 15 minutes. That’s how that happened.”

Trevino had a lot of catchers that helped him learn the ropes.

“One of the biggest was Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, Brett Hayes. I could go down a list of guys. Just by influencing  me on the catching side but the professional side as well.

Mathis was the starting catcher with Texas when Trevino broke in. Wilson was a catcher for Texas when Trevino was growing in the minor leagues.  Hayes was in the Texas minor league system for a season.

What are Trevino’s bona fides?

Trevino is 32, born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the Texas Rangers out of Oral Roberts University. Trevino made his debut with the Rangers at the age of 25 in June 2018. 

Trevino was with the Rangers for three full seasons. He caught 149 games, played one game at first base. 

Trevino hit .245 with Texas in that span with 31 doubles and nine home runs.

The Rangers traded him to the New York Yankees in April. 2022 for minor leaguers Robby Ahlstrom and Bobby Abreu.

The Yankees’ timing was impeccable.

Trevino made the American League All-Star squad and won the Gold Glove by catching 115 games with a .248 average, 12 doubles, a triple, and 11 home runs.

Trevino hit .252 with seven home runs by the break.

In the field he led the American League by throwing out 33 percent of attempted base stealers.

His average dropped to .210 in 2023 and .215 last season. He hit a total of 12 home runs, the last two years, including eight last season in 73 games. He also pitched in two games with three innings in which he allowed three runs in two innings.

The veteran of five seasons appeared in the postseason twice. He played in seven games in the 2022 season with the Yankees and four last year with two games against the Cleveland Guardians and two against the Dodgers in the World Series opposing new Red Gavin Lux in the fall Classic. He was 0-3 in the series.

That is just the experience the Reds wanted to tap into so they sent Fernando Cruz and Alex Jackson for the backup to Tyler Stephenson. 

The Reds’ spring training roster has five players with postseason experience; only 10 have five or more years experience. Only seven of the players are on the 40-man roster. Wade Miley, also a team leader according to Francona, Bryan Shaw and Josh Staumont are among the five-year, non-roster players competing for a job in the big leagues.

“These guys have been there, done that in their career,” Terry Francona said. “That’s the hope that veterans know when to be serious. It doesn’t have to be that way. A couple years ago (the Cleveland Guardians), we were young as hell but we found a way to win. The older guys know right from wrong. That’s important. The guys we brought in Lux, Trevino, are not overbearing but they have a lot to say.

The Reds’ staff are counting on them.

Xavier Beats No 25 Indiana In A Dramatic 10-Inning Win

 

Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico.

Xavier pitching did everything they could to help Indiana’s offense, fortunately the Indiana defense was just as generous.

In the end the Musketeers pulled out an 8-6 win at Surprise Stadium in the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic.

Xavier pitchers walked 15 Hoosier batters for them in the second inning and produced a run. The heart of the Musketeers pitcher sophomore Ryan Piech (Walsh Jesuit in Aurora, Ohio, had to be pounding when a drive by Joey sent left fielder Carter Hendrickson to the fence to catch the inning ending fly. Piech left after his sixth and seventh walks opened the Hoosiers fourth frame, Logan Schmidt walked the Hoosier’s leadoff batter, Tyler Cerny, in the fifth. Jasen Oliver sent him to third with a single. Brenczewski’s fly out to left made it 2-0. A grateful Indiana defense was generous in the sixth. Number nine hitter Jake Lambdin reached second base on a throwing error by Hoosier third baseman Josh Pyne. One out later, Aedan Anderson doubled Lambdin home offHoosier starter, who struck out 11 in 5 ⅓ innings,Reliever Ben Grable walked Isacc Wachsmann and Connor Misch. Freshman Landon Mensick delivered a game tying single that loaded the bases. Grable threw a wild pitch scoring Wachsman and Misch scored when catcher Jake Stadler threw the ball away. Cerny homered in the sixth off Luke Hoskins in the sixth. Xavier got the run back in the Hendrickson reached with one out in the eighth getting hit by a pitch in the left shoulder. Indiana shortstop Cerny threw a double play grounder past Oliver at second and Xavier had a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth. The plot thickened. Hoskins pitched a scoreless eighth. He struck out Devin Taylor from LaSalle High School to start the ninth. Hogan Denny and Cerny followed with singles. Xavier coach Billy O’Conner summoned Lambdin from third base. Oliver tied the game with a blow to left center. Lamdin walked Brenczewski. Geddes, the 6’6” lefty transfer from Indiana, came in to put out the fire. Geddes struck out Tyler DeMartino, who ironically transferred from Xavier. Korbyn Dickerson flew out to center field. Indiana’s Ryan Kraft entered in the 10th. He struck out the first two Musketeers hitters, Burdette from Moeller High School and Mensik. Eddie Peters, Donavan Canterbury, Lamdin and Hedrickson followed with singles to establish a two-run lead. The Hoosiers bottom of the 10th was as dramatic as the ninth. Geddes got two quick outs to start the inning. Taylor singled. Denny walked and Oliver was hit by a pitch to fill the bases. The Hoosier hero from the ninth inning, Oliver stepped to the plate. Geddes fell behind 3-1. Geddes landed a breaking ball on the inside corner that Oliver thought was ball four. Visibly upset Indiana coach, Jeff Mercer, came out of the dugout to calm the sophomore down. With runners moving Oliver lifted a ball to center which off the bat looked as if it would fall in but Anderson running at full speed caught it easily.

Xavier's triumph was their first win of the season. They lost to Oregon State, 8-3 in their first game

Walking Wounded Are Working To Come Back Strong

There are three players in camp slowed by injury but all of them are progressing.

Rhett Lowder, elbow, Spencer Steer right shoulder and Wade Miley elbow surgery are getting reps to come back but Terry Francona is pumping the brakes on a quick return.

“Steer is not throwing yet,” Francona reported. “He will be DHing early on in camp. I told him once he starts his throwing progression. We will have him play first base because he doesn’t have to throw as much. We told him and he was fine with that. I think the reps will be really good for him.”

Lowder’s elbow is not that serious but the Reds are being cautious with a jewel in their list of prospects. 

“We talked to the medical people. He will start throwing tomorrow. We will visit with him at the end of the week and start giving him some milestones to shoot for. I think he’s been down and not throwing for five weeks. You’ve got to give him some time to build up. Now, saying that he had already built himself up. We don’t want to give him an artificial time table. We explained to him when we get to this point, we’ll do this, when we get to this point, we’ll do this. We will let how he feels dictate, Francona explained.

The Reds thought Wade Miley was on track for May but was impressed with his early progress. 

“I was stunned,” said the manager with 23 years of experience. “I was just sitting there and his first pitch, like he followed the glove. I was stunned. I couldn’t believe how good he was. I told him we have to piss you off. Guys like him want to pitch now, that’s part of what makes them good. You’ve got to care about them and not let them hurt themselves.

Miley sets an example for the younger pitchers in camp.

“Miley watches things he sees things. He’s going to be very good for our guys. I listened to Nick (Krall) and Brad (Meador) talk about him the other day. He sees things during the game that are valuable. He’s a baseball rat,” said Francona.

Could Francona see Miley as a manager?

“I don’t know,” Francona said. “The reason I say that is not because of his baseball acumen. Guys that play as long as he has make a lot of money. You have to want to. It’s not like he needs to so I don’t know. I hope guys like him stay in the game because it’s good for the game.”

Terry Francona Is Putting The Infield Puzzle Together

One would think a manager of 23 years would be comfortable with talking to a group of baseball players, many of whom were born after he started managing, but Terry Francona has anxiety as he addresses a young group of Reds on Monday.

“We will have the meeting at 9:00, that is something I probably have anxiety about. It’s weird because everybody has been here. It doesn’t feel like the first day. You’re laying a foundation for how you want your team to be. As many years as I’ve done it I have some anxiety until it’s over. You’re up in front of a bunch of guys you care about. I’m excited but I will feel better when it’s over.”

One of his on-field tasks is sorting through the Reds' glut of infielders.

The plan is for Matt McLain to play second base. That is one of the pieces of the infield puzzle that was put into place. The other is third base which is more complicated.

How many positions will we see Matt McLain play this spring?”

“One,” was Francona’s quick answer.

“That’s the hope. You will see Matt go over to short and take  ground balls because he can do that,” Francona said. “In fairness to him and trying to keep him healthy, we’ll keep him at second.” 

Francona’s philosophy is based on fairness. He doesn’t want to give players too much, too quickly but players will eventually move around to add versatility.

“If we have to make an adjustment anywhere, we’ll do that,” Francona said. “You want to have players get their legs under them, some reps under them. If you start moving guys to different arm angles, I’m not sure you're setting them up for success.”

With McLain at second and Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, first base and third base are up for grabs for the 12 listed infielders in camp..

The conversation turned to Gavin Lux.

“That’s the thing we were talking to him about. We talked about moving him around. Putting him in left field, second base, third base the first week of camp I don’t think that’s putting him in the best position to succeed.  We’re on the same team. This isn’t the time to test his manhood.”

The Reds have a split squad set up for next Saturday in which half the team plays Cleveland at Goodyear while another group plays Milwaukee at Maryvale. 

Lux will play second base against the Brewers and have Sunday off and will play third base against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday after a team day off on Tuesday.

“We’ll keep him out of the outfield at least in the beginning because I don’t think that it’s fair. Let’s let him get his legs under him and then we’ll look at some things,” Francona said.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand will play first and third.

“As of now, he will play first base here (Goodyear) and the next day he will play third, because some guys will have to play back-to-back. I’ve never seen a split-squad on the first day. We kind of walked through that with him.”

Jeimer Candalario is another guy who will play third base.

“Candy knew coming in that we really wanted to give him a shot to play third. I don’t think it worked out last year like they wanted to. To his credit, he came in here looking good. He’s given himself a chance to be better.  If he can do that it kind of sets us up, it sets us up a little bit better.”

Spencer Steer came to Goodyear with an aching right shoulder. The Reds are going to have him DH the first few games and then play first base because he won’t have to throw as much.

Defense, Baserunning Are Reds' Priorities This Spring

Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Reds defense let them down last season. It wasn’t just too many errors, it was makeable plays that weren’t made.

The Reds have 13 players listed as infielders and two players, Cooper Bowman and Spencer Steer, who have extensive infield experience.

Many of the infield crew also have experience at multiple positions in their toolbox.

The Reds will use the Cactus League to sort through their options.

“There are some changes,” Francona said. “Hopefully it stays that way. What I mean it’s getting (TJ) Friedl back healthy. Having (Matt) McLain is going to be huge. We’re going to have a challenge to figure out where our guys go and why they go there. So you’re going to see guys move around. You’re going to see (Christian) Encarnacion-Stroud at third. We want to see where (Gavin) Lux feels. We want to get his bat in the lineup and we also want to accomplish a really good defensive team. You’re going to see a lot of different lineups. Hopefully, and again hopefully, because everything doesn’t work out the way you want. As we get closer to the season guys will be playing where they're going to play and we have some flexibility.”

Defense and baserunning are two of the game's elements that are overlooked because they don’t lend themselves as easily to statistical analysis but are often the difference between wins and losses.

“So often and I’ve been guilty of it too, you chase offense and you end up chasing your tail because you’re not catching the ball the way you need to. It is a really hard way to be successful when you’re giving extra opportunities and extra outs.”

The Reds have infield coach Freddie Benevides and bench coach Brad Mills “really getting after it.”

“You will see early in spring Freddie when they come out of a game,  will take two or three guys back here (the Reds development complex) while they’re hot and they’ll go through their defensive work. You go see guys to go through infield and it’s nice and easy, because you can’t kill guys (with overwork) but when they’re hot it’s a really good time. Freddie can take whoever he wants. He can have the whole field. They accomplish what they want and the guys are done.”

“These guys take ground balls at every position,” Francona said. “I try to give them a heads up where they’re going to play but if you have guys that can move around, it really helps. If you’re moving guys around because you have to or it’s not working, that’s not really what you’re shooting for. There are going to be some swings and misses and hiccups along the way. I get that. We have to answer some questions and I’d rather that happens in the first couple weeks of spring training than in July,”

Baserunning can be overlooked as well. The Reds are going to push defenses on the base paths this spring to evaluate what works and what doesn’t before the season starts.

“That’s where you can make some gains. Our responsibility, our goal, our challenge is to beat the teams we’re playing. Ok how do we do that? How do we separate ourselves from other teams? Baserunning is one. Defense is the other.”

“This is where I need to be careful. I love the fact and I say it all the time, running like your pants are on fire. Like get your ass down the line. Run somebody into making a mistake. If you do that enough, someone is going to run into an out, it’s almost impossible not to. I can’t over react when that happens. There’s times when a guy has a really good opportunity. A guy makes a good play and there are two outs. I don’t want guys looking over our shoulder. In spring training, I do want them to push, like going first to third. If they’re out they can say maybe that's too much but now they know. I’d rather them find out now.”

There is also a fine line about taking opportunities that are worth taking and just running aggressively.

“I don’t want us running to run,” Francona said. “We’re running to help us win. There can be a difference. In the minor leagues they let you run because they want them to know how to do it. Then you get here and you’re running to win, not just because it’s in your toolbox.”

Elly De La Cruz Teaches Francona

 

Elly De La Cruz is still learning in the Major Leagues but now he has a teaching assignment. 

Terry Francona sat with De La Cruz for 20 minutes on Thursday and the skipper gave him an assignment. Teach me one Spanish word or phrase each day.  

The first phrase is Nunca te rindas or never give up.

Francona had to look it up on his cell phone but nailed it in his Pennsylvania accent.

Now it's Francona’s turn to further De La Cruz baseball education.

“I talked to him yesterday and it was fun,” Francona said. “I went home thinking it was a good day because of that.”

So what does De La Cruz need to do to take steps forward?

“With young players as they accumulate at bats, they get to that 1,200 (1,123 for De La Cruz), you see them grow. The game slows down for good players. The messaging is that the game slows down but you don’t play at a slower pace. It makes it easier for them to make better decisions. That’s what you want to let them do. We’ve got a lot of guys who can run. We don’t want to take that away. We want them running like their pants on fire but also being intelligent. Sometimes that’s kind of a challenge but that’s what they want them to do.”

The talent of De La Cruz is off the charts but he is still learning as his talent brought him to a higher level than most players, earlier.

“It’s not just here. It’s everywhere the good players are brought up quickly and that’s o.k. You just have to be a little because there’s going to be some mistakes. They are going to see stuff at the major league level that they’ve never seen before. That’s part of it. When you’re that ultra talented you can out run some of your mistakes in the minor leagues that you can’t necessarily do here.”

The good thing about De La Cruz is that he wants to be good. He works hard to be good. Now coaching takes effect to allow him to fine tune his skills.

“I told him I want you to be the best player in baseball on the best team in baseball. He got a big smile on his face.”

“Then I told him I want you to teach me one Spanish word or phrase every day.  I don’t think it’s fair (for the young Spanish players). He does a great job in English which is to be commended because it’s not easy. If he can teach me something every day, he’s a star.”

Francona copped to not having a command of spanish after being around latin players, all these years.

“I know the word but I don’t know how to put them in sentences,” Francona said with a colorful modifier. “And with my western Pennsylvania accent some of the things I say don’t sound right to them.”

He played in Venezuela one winter after he made it to the big leagues.

“I would nod my head but I had no idea what they were saying. So now you think about a 19-year old kid coming here. That’s got to be hard. That’s not their fault. I try to tell those guys that. I don’t want that to be an impediment. I tell them if they don’t know, ask somebody.”

De La Cruz was eager to learn. Last spring he told the team translator that he wanted to talk on his own.

“I give him credit for that,” Francona said. “He’s not afraid. He wanted to learn. He said his girlfriend has helped him a ton. I think the guy who learns helps him not only in life but it slows the game down for them.”

“I told Jose Ramirez, I feel bad Josy but I can’t help you. I want to help you but I can’t. Fortunately for him, he kind of figured things out in more than one language.”

Evaluations Are Coming But Not Yet, Competition For Connor Phillips and Cooper Bowman Will Tell The Tale

 

Reds’ first year manager, Terry (Tito) Francona told his squad, “I’ve gotta be careful. One thing that we preach to our guys early is that we’re not evaluating. There is a time to compete and if I say that we’re not and I go ahead and evaluate, I send the wrong message. They’re getting their legs under them. They’re building their arm strength. They’re working on their delivery.”

Francona watched Connor Phillips pitch against hitters on Thursday morning. 

Phillips, just 23-years old, came to the Reds in the Winker, Suarez trade in 2022. He was the player to be named later.

The Reds chose to bring him to the big leagues in September of 2023. He made a start against the Mariners on September 5th. He made a quality start against the Minnesota Twins, pitching seven innings of two-run, three-hit baseball.

Phillips spent 2024 with Louisville in a nightmare season. He made 19 starts, with a 3-9 record and a 8.01 ERA. Phillps walked a whopping 60 batters in 78 ⅔ innings. He allowed 16 home runs, striking out 77. It made a horrible walk to strikeout ratio of 1.28.

Phillips pitched better in the Arizona Fall League. He made four starts with a 2-2 record and a 4.19 ERA. He struck out 26 and walked 14 for a much better strikeout to walk ratio of 1.86.

“He was pitching against live pitchers yesterday, so he is advanced in his progression,” Francona said. “You’ll see him in one of the earlier games. He’s got a big arm. He has to harness it, command it. I know last year there were some struggles. That happens. I tell them if you did good, I recognize that. If you didn’t it’s kind of a clean slate. Take advantage of it.”

Cooper Bowman is a Rule V addition from the Oakland A’s roster. That requires the Reds to keep him on the 26-man roster or offer him back to the Athletics. Josh Hamilton, who was a Rule V selection by the Cubs but purchased by the Reds before the 2007 season. He stuck with the Reds. The likes of Connor Joe, Mark Payton, Jake Cave and Chris O’Grady did not. Two others that stuck with the Reds were reliever Jared Burton and catcher Stuart Turner.

Bowman has value because he has played a lot of infield and has a reputation of being a plus fielder but circumstances will influence his future with the Reds.

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter what they do. By that I mean with a Rule V player, our guys like what they see. He has athleticism, some versatility. Saying that it's got to fit. You’ve gotta feel like you can keep him and not sacrifice a spot because we’re trying to win. He’s going to play a lot this spring. Our scouts really liked him. His ability to move around will help his case for making our team.”

The development of players career factors in, Could the player benefit from another minor league season?

“It’s hard. You don’t want to stunt the guy's development,” Francona said. “We see that all the time. Guys stay in the big leagues for three or four months, or even if they stay the whole year, then the next year they go to Triple A or Double A but they lose that big year of development. We’re just getting to know this kid. Obviously, we like him. We’ll see where it goes. A lot of it is dependent on how he’s situated with the rest of our guys.”

Bullpen Veterans Add Talent And Experience To The Reds' Roster

 

The Reds are loading up with veteran pitchers.

Manager Terry Francona says it all the time, “When you think you have enough pitching go get more.”

Nick Krall is doing that.

This week, Krall signed right handed reliever Scott Barlow, a pitcher with closing experience, who saw a decrease in velocity last season.

Francona and Krall are hoping Barlow returns to the closer form he had in Kansas City. The 32-year-old from New London, Connecticut was drafted in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011 but was granted free agency without making it to the Majors. He broke in with Kansas City and amassed 56 saves in six seasons with his high of 24 in 2022.

Last year was tough for Barlow with 63 games for the Cleveland Guardians. He was 3-3 with two saves and a 4.25 ERA. He just could not find his velocity.

The Reds scouted him last season according to Krall. “We saw him in the off season. He worked hard to regain his velocity. We also see there is room to get better even though he’s an older guy. He had a down year last year but is still a productive reliever. If he can regain what he had in Kansas City, He’ll have some room for one.”

Francona’s Cleveland teams saw enough of Barlow as a division opponent. 

“I told him yesterday. It will be nice to cheer for you instead of hating you,” Francona said. “Over the winter he has really worked to regain that velocity that wasn’t there last year. He’s a guy with leverage back end experience that can be really helpful. He’s a solid teammate, a solid guy. I’d like to see him healthy. It is kind of like (Austin) Hays on the offensive side, who has something to prove going in.”

Barlow was added to the 40-man roster. Julien Aguiar was placed on the 60-day injured list. Barlow was signed for $2.5 million and a club option for 2026.

The Reds signed Bryan Shaw, a 37-year old right handed reliever who pitched seven seasons under Francona.

“He’s hard not to like,” Francona said. “We had our meeting the other day and he was talking to guys about his usage, I said shit that was me. This kid, man, when you say take the ball, he’s the poster child for that. It’s pretty impressive. He knows, he’s in here competing. But the fact that pitching last year in Triple A is not beneath him. The ball is coming out of his hand really well. In the meantime some of the young guys being around him will be really good.”

Shaw is four appearances away from 800 career games.

“I know he tells me that all the time,” Francona said. 

The Reds also have Wade Miley back. He is probably out until May but is here working to get past his 2024 injury. 

“Wade yesterday I was sitting there watching bullpens and he plopped down next to me,” Francona said. “He doesn’t have to be out there. He’s doing his own stuff. These guys know him a lot better than I do but I can see why they say the things they do. We have to lean on him. He wants to pitch yesterday. I think we owe it to guys like that and not let them hurt themselves. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I told him that we’ll probably piss you off a time or two. It’s guys like him that want to play so bad and pitch so bad.”

The pitching in spring is one thing the other is the effect they have on influencing the younger pitchers in camp. Their experiences are models for the twenty somethings to reach the top and stay there.