June 2011 - Cincinnati Reds Wiretap

Edinson Volquez will miss the Cincinnati's spring training opener because of visa problems. He was scheduled to start Sunday against Cleveland. The right-hander was scratched because he doesn't yet have his work visa. Volquez is in the United States on a travel visa.

Reds outfielder Jonny Gomes has "reached out" to the Cardinals to squash any potential hard feelings over a report that he was singing and celebrating in response to news of pitcher Adam Wainwright's elbow injury. Gomes strongly denied the report and said he hopes to speak personally with Wainwright, who is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2011 season. "The guy is a good old Christian boy," Gomes told ESPN.com. "He's the guy that you root for as a fan and as a player. He did all his work in the minor leagues, grabbed the ball as a closer and converted to a starter. He's the guy every kid should mirror. "The hardest part was facing my friends and family. They're questioning me like, 'What's wrong with you? You're not that type of person.' I walked through the door and my wife questioned me right out of the gate. She was like, 'What's your deal already?' " A Dayton Daily News report said Gomes walked into the Reds clubhouse and "joyously" sang "Wainwright's gone" several times in response to news of the St. Louis starter's injury.

Reds manager Dusty Baker has named Edinson Volquez the team's Opening Day starter. Volquez, 21, made 12 starts for Cincinnati last season after returning from right elbow surgery in August 2009. "Volquez is very confident, plus we think he can handle it," Baker said. "Not much bothers him."

Edinson Volquez signed a one-year contract worth $1.625 million with the Reds on Jan. 31 to avoid arbitration. According to Volquez, he could have had a much longer deal. "They were offering me a four-year contract, the same as Johnny Cueto, but I felt it wasn't right for me," Volquez told the Dominican publication El Caribe in a recent interview. "I talked to the lawyer and the general manager of the team and we all agreed on only one season."

The Reds are impressed by the work left-hander Dontrelle Willis has done this offseason. Cincinnati signed him to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training in November. Willis has been working out with Reds pitching coach Bryan Price as they both reside in Arizona during the winter months. "I like what I see," Price said. "It's tough to evaluate just watching bullpens, but he is a dynamite young guy with a good approach. He's a unifying type of guy that brings people together with his great personality."