From John Fay:
"I have no plans to meet with Rich at the moment," O'Brien said.He said the club still hasn't decided whether to pick up the $2 million option.
But it sounds as though Aurilia might be willing to return even if the Reds won't guarantee him an everyday spot in the lineup.
"Rich still thinks he can be a starter," his agent, Barry Axelrod, said. "But if there's at least an opportunity for that - even in that super-utility role - he'd be willing to listen."
It's kind of funny to see John Fay editorialize right in the middle of a news story:
There's no question the Reds would be better with Aurilia in that role. It gives them insurance on a number of fronts, as Aurilia can play shortstop, second and third.Offensively, Aurilia was one of the Reds' most productive hitters. He hit .282 with 14 home runs and 68 RBI and led the club with a .343 average with runners in scoring position.
Rich Aurilia had a very good season, especially when you remember how bad his first two months were. But I still don't think he was one of the Reds most productive hitters. Griffey, Dunn, Felipe, Casey, and Valentin/LaRue were all more productive, and that's damn near the entire starting lineup. All that's left is second, where Aurilia himself played quite a bit, third which was split between EdE and Randa, and right field where Kearns struggled.
The problem with signing "veterans" like Rich Aurilia is that managers tend to play them too much. We saw it at the beginning of the season when Felipe couldn't crack the starting lineup despite Rich hitting below the Mendoza line. If he's resigned then he needs to A) be a utility guy and B) not cry about it.
If he can't handle that then let him go. I'm not sure he can based on his comments this season, but I guess we'll see.