Reds trade LaRue
BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Reds traded catcher Jason LaRue, their longest tenured player, to the Kansas City Royals today for a player to be named.
LaRue, 33, lost his starting job to David Ross last season and hit a career-low .194. He was due to make $5.2 million next season.
LaRue had played his entire eight-year career with the Reds. Ken Griffey Jr. is now the longest-tenured Red.
Also today, the Reds announced that they have signed shortstop Alex Gonzalez and left-handed reliever to Mike Stanton to multiyear deals.
Gonzalez, 29, was signed to a three-year deal. He is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball.
He had only seven errors in 111 games last year. He led American League shortstops with a club-record .985 fielding percentage. He went 57 games without an error, setting a Rod Sox team record for shortstops.
Gonzalez hit .255 with nine home runs and 50 RBI for the Red Sox. Gonzalez played the frist eight seasons of his career with the Florida Marlins.
Stanton, 39, signed a two-year deal with a club option for 2009.
He went 7-7 with a 3.99 ERA and eight saves in 82 games for the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants last season. He began the season with the Nationals and made 56 appearances before he was traded to the Giants on July 28 in exchange for a minor leaguer.
He finished the season as San Francisco’s closer. He was 4-2 with eigh saves and a 3.09 ERA after the trade.
Stanton is the active leader in appearances with 1,108. He is third all time behind Jesse Orosco (1,248 relief appearances) and John Franco (1,119).
Stanton has a career ERA of 2.10 in 53 post-season appearances. He was with Yankees for their run of three straight titlte for 1998-2000. He is 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA and a save in 20 appearances during six World Series.
