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'All about winning'
Cormier also added for playoff run
BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Jerry Narron and general manager Wayne Krivsky both said on Monday that Reds CEO Bob Castellini held up his end of the deal.

Castellini approved the funds to facilitate two Reds' trades made Monday at the non-waiver deadline.

“The guy is all about winning,” Krivsky, the Reds general manager, said.

The Reds obtained left-hander Rheal Cormier and his $2.5 million salary for Justin Germano, then got Kyle Lohse and his $3.95 million salary for Zach Ward a little bit later.

To facilitate the Cormier deal, the Reds had to extend his contract to 2007 and offer a club option and a buyout.

“That’s not a small pittance,” Krivsky said.

The Reds didn’t get any of the big names that were out there at the deadline, but they obtained established major league pitchers making fairly big money at the deadline.

That a stark contrast to what’s happened on deadline day in Redsland lately.

“One thing I like and I know our players appreciate is how much we’re trying to win,” Narron said. “We’re trying to do everything possible. It might be lost on some people. We could have very easily not made a player move until (today). We made a player move (Sunday) to try to win one game.

Narron was referring to the decision to option Germano out Sunday and bring up Brandon Watson for a day.

Watson pinch-ran, stole a base and was on second as the potential winning run.

“Bringing a player in for one day is something a lot of teams wouldn’t do,” Narron said. “I hope that’s not lost on our fans.”

The Reds optioned Watson back to Louisville Monday to clear one spot. The Reds have to make another move today before the game.

Monday was the first time the Reds have been buyers at the deadline since they traded for Ryan Dempster, Brian Moehler and Shawn Estes at the deadline in 2002.

That didn’t work out so well: The Reds finished 78-84 and in third place in 2002.

There’s no guarantee that this year’s moves will work out either. But they're further evidence that the Reds are trying – and spending the money – to win now.

“This doesn’t happen without our ownership,” Krivsky said. “They stepped up here. We took on extra payroll here. They’re putting their stamp on some of the statements they made when they took over the club.”

Krivsky has added five pitchers to the bullpen since July 5.

“The bullpen is much, much better,” Narron said. “You get somebody like Cormier and he can just about be used as a right-handed specialist. His numbers against right-handers are outstanding. You want guys who can get left-handers and right-handers out.

“Lohse is a guy who could start for us, pitch long for us, even come in and pitch one inning. I’ve heard his velocity’s gone up. It’s big to have a guy who’s pitched down the stretch with a team that’s contended.”

The Reds gave up two pitchers that could end up in the big leagues to make Monday’s deals.

Germano, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 8-6 with a 3.69 ERA at Triple-A Louisville. Ward, a 22-year-old right-hander, was 7-0 with a 2.29 ERA at Single-A Dayton.

Krivsky targeted Cormier and Lohse a while ago. He knew he’d have to give decent prospects to get them.

“You’ve got to step up,” Krivsky said. “All these teams you’re dealing with have other alternatives. I’ve got to do what I think makes sense. They could have traded Kyle Lohse other places. I wasn't going to get Kyle Lohse without giving up something.”

Deadline deals have a way of looking bad a couple of years down the road.

The Mets gave up Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. That was a bad deal because it didn’t get the Mets to the playoffs, and Kazmir turned out to be a star.

The Reds gave up B.J. Ryan for Juan Guzman in 1999. That deal looks awful in hindsight, but it helped get the Reds to a playoff for the Wild Card.

“I didn’t like giving up a guy like Germano,” Krivsky said. “He’s got a future. But in a situation like we’re in with a chance to win it, if you can get a guy like Rheal Cormier, you’ve got to go ahead and do it.”

The Reds are in a strong position to make their first run at the postseason since 1999 and break the streak of losing seasons at five.

That’s how Monday’s trades will be measured: Were they enough to get the Reds over the top?

“I feel good about it,” Narron said. “I would have loved to have this bullpen at the start of the season.”

The bullpen has a 3.45 ERA since the All-Star break. It was at 5.16 before the break, so the biggest weakness on the club hasn’t been a weakness lately.

“It goes back to bringing Eddie Guardado in,” Narron said. “That started things rolling in the right direction. We’ve got a chance to have a good pitcher out there in any inning.

“Right now, we do.”

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com