Francisco Cordero has cashed in on his outstanding season.

The Cincinnati Reds, making their first big acquisition of the Dusty Baker era, have reached a preliminary agreement with free-agent closer Francisco Cordero on a four-year, $46-million contract, major-league sources say.

Joe Nuxhall, who was the youngest player in major league history and the beloved "old left-hander" on Cincinnati Reds' radio broadcasts, died overnight following a bout with cancer, the team said Friday.

John Allen, who ran the Cincinnati Reds after former owner Marge Schott was suspended in the 1990s, resigned Tuesday as the team's chief operating officer.