Winter Meetings kick off – MLB News
The Winter Meetings on Monday, December 3, witnessed a flurry of activity with multiple teams carefully threading their way out of the free agent market with success. These are, after all, ideal times to get a rewarding deal available in the form of free agents and potential trade targets.
At the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn, Cincinnati Reds’ focus, among other things, remains securing a leadoff hitter.
The Reds have tried a number of leadoff players the past season. They included the likes of Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs and Zack Cozart. This mixing and matching was part of the strategy to observe which of the aforementioned players clicked as the leadoff hitter.
Provided the Reds fail to get their hands on the player they deem can potentially deliver, chances are that they may once again rely on one of the three tried this last season.
That is what the manager Dusty Baker alluded to while sharing his views about the subject.
"I've been trying everybody. If we don't get one, I've just got to keep trying like I've been trying," Baker said. "We've been saying this for three or four years. We're trying to get Stubbs into the maturity of a leadoff man because he's a perfect leadoff man for the team if he could get it together."
Another player whose name – as left fielder, has recently resurfaced is Ryan Ludwick. A free agent at the moment, Ludwick was one of the instrumental players in the Reds’ run to win the National League Central title.
On Monday, it came to fore that Ludwick’s agent Dan Horwits is scheduled to meet the general manager Walt Jocketty on Tuesday. Baker confirmed that the club had an offer for the player on the table.
"I spoke to him about a week ago," Baker said of Ludwick. "We have an offer on the table. But he's a free agent, and he's weighing his options even though he wants to come back here first. I'm hoping that we get it done."
With multiple developments simultaneously, the Reds next move will be of immense interest for all those keeping an eye on Winter Meetings.
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