that isnt awfully expensive. he should never have gotten that 2nd year guaranteed, but if he performs the way his career norms say he should, he should be worth more than 6 mil over the 2 years.

and what took so long?

Obviously he wasn’t going to get something that low, and while $6.25 million isn’t a lot of money, it is money that is being inefficiently spent.

The Cubs gave Joey Gathright $800,000 for one year.

I can’t imagine Taveras was getting a ton of interest and even if he was signed to a one year deal, with his amount of service time, he’d be arb-eligible after one year if the Reds really wanted to keep him — and they wouldn’t be forced to.

1 yr or 2 yrs, doesnt matter to me. I am glad its not a three year deal, however. He is a MLB ballplayer, which is more than can be said for CPAT. Bottom line, the reds HAD to sign an outfielder desperately. Does anyone else remember the great offseason when the Reds signed both Cecil Espy and Gary Varsho? Kinda seems like deja vu all over again (just without the second signing).

posted a fairly long mailbag this afternoon.

Are the Reds seriously considering signing Wigginton and moving EE to the outfield?

And Sporting News has an article about NL trading needs.

Cincinnati: Righthander Homer Bailey, once an untouchable prospect, remains available as the Reds search for a power-hitting right fielder. They would still gladly ship Bailey, who has not developed a pitch to go with his fastball, to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Jermaine Dye, but that possibility seems to be shrinking daily.

...Washington: After missing out on free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, the Nationals have money to spend on a needed big bat. General manager Jim Bowden has a long-running crush on free-agent outfielder Adam Dunn.

says the Reds aren’t done shopping yet.

However, the work isn’t done yet to assemble a team that will be ready for the final year of Spring Training in Sarasota, Fla. After signing free-agent center fielder Willy Taveras to be their new leadoff hitter, they are still looking to sign a right-handed power hitter that can fit between the lefty-hitting Votto and Bruce. Jocketty also wants to add an extra shortstop and some additional bench help.

More moves are likely to come in January — and even February — as unsigned free agents start scrambling to secure jobs. In part because of the nation’s financial crisis, this offseason’s market was slow to take shape until the recent Winter Meetings.

and I think the second year for Taveras was a little high. I would have been ok with a second year at around 3 million. Is this guy really going to be that much more valuable than CoPa?

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that he may be trade bait.