July 2007 - Cincinnati Reds Wiretap

Alex Sanchez is trying to return to the major leagues with the Marlins after being the first player penalized two years ago under baseball's toughened steroids policy. "I'm here to prove to everybody that I can still play. I've got some good things to give to this team," Sanchez said Thursday. He hit .297 last year for Cincinnati's Chattanooga affiliate. A veteran of 1,527 major league at-bats with a .296 career average, the center fielder was released by mid-June.

After months of rampant speculation, Ken Griffey, Jr. revealed that he broke his left hand in December while wrestling with his three children on the family yacht in the Bahamas. Griffey explained that he was wrestling with his two youngest children, Tevin and Taryn, when then-12-year-old son Trey joined in. It was at that point when an awkward fall had the elder Griffey land on his left throwing hand. "He just doesn't know his own strength yet," Griffey said of Trey, now 13. "He's at that age where he's getting to be a man. A little leverage and a little height helped. I also didn't want to land on my four-year-old, too." Trey took the accident hard, but Griffey was quick to offer his son consolation. "It was one of those things. We were messing around, and he got me," Griffey said. "I just told him it was an accident. 'I'm your dad, better me than you.' It's going to happen."

Former Reds pitcher and broadcaster Joe Nuxhall has been hospitalized in Florida for tests for a recurrence of lymphoma, his son said Friday. The 78-year-old Nuxhall was in Sarasota for the start of the team's spring training when he went to Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Wednesday for previously scheduled tests, son Kim Nuxhall said.

Right-handed reliever Kerry Ligtenberg agreed to a minor league deal Wednesday with the Reds, who will give him a chance to win a spot in their bullpen. The 35-year-old reliever hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005, when he appeared in seven games for Arizona. He had 18 saves and a 3.57 ERA in 53 appearances for the Cubs' Triple-A team in Iowa last year.

The Reds on Thursday completed a two-step commitment to their top starting pitchers by signing All-Star right-hander Bronson Arroyo to a two-year contract extension through 2010 with a club option for 2011. Coupled with the signing of Aaron Harang, who agreed to a four-year, $36.5 million deal on Tuesday, the Reds assured themselves of having the right-handed duo in their rotation for at least the next four seasons and possibly five. Arroyo's deal is worth at least $25 million in new money. The club option would bring the total to $33.07 million, including the possible buyout.

The Reds had people watch right-hander Dustin Hermanson pitch Wednesday afternoon. Hermanson, a 34-year-old from Springfield, Ohio, has worked out for prospective teams in Scottsdale, Ariz., to show that his back is sound. He pitched only 62/3 innings last year because of the back injury. "He's pitching as we speak," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said Wednesday afternoon. "He missed a lot of time with the back. There's work left to be done."

Right-hander Aaron Harang agreed to a four-year, $36.5 million deal Tuesday, making him the Reds' highest-paid pitcher. The 28-year-old Harang emerged as one of the NL's top starters last season despite pitching in a ballpark that is one of the most homer-friendly in the major leagues. He tied for the league lead with 16 wins and led the NL with 216 strikeouts and six complete games. The Reds have been working on an extension for Harang, their last player available for salary arbitration. Harang made $2.35 million last season, and asked for $5.5 million in arbitration. The club had countered with a $4.25 million offer in arbitration.

The Reds don't have a closer for Opening Day, but they could have one before the All-Star break. For that kind of opportunity, Cincinnati was willing to take a chance. On Sunday, the club signed injured closer Eddie Guardado to a Minor League contract and invited him to big-league camp at Spring Training. The signing will likely be announced on Monday. Reds GM Wayne Krivsky declined to comment on the story.