Baseball: Danny Graves designated for assignment

The Reds sent closer Danny Graves to the minors on Monday, a day after he made a profane hand gesture at a fan taunting him for his latest poor performance.

Graves, the Reds' career saves leader, gave up five ninth-inning runs in Cleveland's 9-2 victory Sunday at Great American Ball Park, then was booed and heckled as he left the field.

Graves didn't react as he walked off the field and went to the end of the dugout to get a drink. When he returned to the end by the bat rack, a man in one of the high-priced seats next to the dugout yelled at him. Graves yelled back and gestured.

Graves spoke with general manager Dan O'Brien and other Reds official by phone before the club decided to designate him for assignment to the minors, a move that could end his career with Cincinnati.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com...


I dont think it was the gesture that got him sent down as much as his past poor performances. Losing 18 of their last 23, the Reds are in a horrible slide and they need to address that and I'm sure they hope that this will send a message to the other players on the team. Graves has been pretty bad lately, it looks like their new closer will probably be Ryan Wagner.

Wow they sent him to the minors even, wasn't too long ago he was almost as lights out as Gange and Smoltz. I'm sure that the Reds were considering this move for a long time and the gesture at the fan was just the final nail in the coffin.

I agree, he's been a consistent closer for years. He has been pretty awful lately but I think with the Reds only winning 3 of their last 21, that the Reds are trying to send a message to the young guys that no matter who you are, if you dont perform then you wont have a job. As surprising a move as this is, dont be surprised to see the Reds throw a few good games together, this can often spark a team.

The Cubs' bullpen has been so bad this season that they are thinking about picking up other teams' discards.

Manager Dusty Baker admitted the Cubs would have interest in Danny Graves, who was designated for assignment Monday by the Cincinnati Reds after allowing five runs Sunday to Cleveland and then making an obscene gesture to a fan after he was roundly booed.

The Cubs and others have two options for getting Graves, who is owed about $5 million for the rest of this season:

They could trade for him in the next 10 days, asking the Reds to eat a large share of his remaining salary. Graves also has a mutual option in the contract for next season at $6.5 million, which a new team could void at the end of this season.

They could wait for 10 days, after which time Graves is a free agent and the Reds will have paid him all his contract money. The signing team could then make any deal it wants with Graves, from anywhere near the prorated minimum, about $250,000, to more than $1 million depending on the number of suitors.

The Cubs would like to know the exact reasons Graves was released. But one of them is obvious-he's 1-1 with a 7.76 ERA and 10 saves in 12 chances.

ChicagoSpo rts.com



[Edited on 5-24-2005 by ProudAmerican]

In the first save opportunity tonight for the Reds since letting Graves go, they decided to go with David Weathers to close it. He gave up a run in the ninth to send the game to extra innings and another blown save chance for the Reds.

Although he had quite a few saves his ERA was terrible. You think someone like the cubs will take a risk on him?