Catcher Ramon Hernandez agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million deal with the Colorado Rockies Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.

The Reds will get a supplemental first-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft because Hernandez is leaving as a free agent. This was directly affected by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Shortly after the CBA was announced, Hernandez’s status was changed from a Type A free agent to Type B.

That meant the Reds would get a pick for him without offering arbitration. I don’t think there was any chance the Reds would have offered him arb because he likely would have accepted. He probably would have gotten $4 or $5 million for one year under arbitration.

The status of closer Francisco Cordero was also changed from Type A to Type B. So the Reds will get a pick for him if he leaves, even though they didn’t offer him arbitration.

The most recent notable supplemental pick for the Reds? Todd Frazier.

From the Reds (this is a very nice thing and a big honor for Meggie, who I happen to know):

Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds and Sharon Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s daughter, will visit the 2011 Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life, grand prize winner, Meggie Zahneis at Lakota West Freshman School on Thursday, December 1.

Major League Baseball will be announcing the expansion of the Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life program. In addition, Meggie Zahneis of West Chester Township will be recognized and given a special role with MLB.

The Breaking Barriers Essay contest recognizes students for their efforts to overcome personal barriers using values exemplified by baseball great Jackie Robinson. The contest is a major component of Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life, a multi-curricular character education program developed by Major League Baseball and Scholastic, Inc.

The event is not open to the public.

From the Dragons:

The Dayton Dragons announced their 2012 coaching staff today, as assigned by the Cincinnati Reds.

Manager Delino DeShields, who guided the Dragons to a franchise-record 83 victories in 2011, will return for his second season in Dayton. Hitting coach Alex Pelaez, who helped the offense to a franchise record highest team batting average of .264 in 2011, also returns for his second season. Tom Browning, a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Fame, will join the Dragons as pitching coach. Tyler Steele will return for his fourth season as athletic trainer.

DeShields led the Dragons to a record of 83-57 and a second half Eastern Division title in 2011. The Dragons improved dramatically over the course of the season, finishing the first half at 35-35 before posting a 48-32 record in the second half. Their second half mark was the best in a half in Dragons history and the top second half record in 2011 in all of Minor League Baseball among teams playing a split-season format. DeShields will enter his fourth season in the Reds organization in 2012. He served as manager of the Billings Mustangs in 2010 and was the hitting coach at Billings in 2009.

Brandon Phillips, the man of the fans, is not scheduled to appear at Redsfest this weekend. With
Phillips’ representatives and the Reds working on a contract extension, that could be looked at as a bad sign, right?

But then Phillips, aka @datdudebp, put this out on Twitter Tuesday evening: “Just talked to my agent @Baseball_ACES and it feels good to know that we’re moving in the right direction to make me a #Red4Life #ALLREADY”

Things are moving along, Walt Jocketty said, but don’t expect a big announcement at Redsfest or anything like that.

“I’m glad Brandon is happy about the progress,” Jocketty said. “But we’re not ready to announce a deal. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Jocketty said he hadn’t even talked to Phillips’ agent on Tuesday.

The Reds picked up Phillips’ $12 million option shortly after the end of the World Series and agreed to keep talking.

I think because of price Phillips can demand, this is difficult contract to work out. My guess is it gets done.

The move of David Bell into the Louisville manager role may have more to do with Bell than getting Rick Sweet into a roving catching instructor job.

Bell is seen as rising star on the manager front. I’m hearing other clubs were interested in him. David’s father, Buddy, is the director of minor league operations for the White Sox.

Getting David to Triple-A, where results are easier to judge, may give the Reds a better idea if he’s ready for the big league role. Dusty Baker’s contract runs out after the 2012 season.

Bell played in St. Louis when Walt Jocketty was general manager there.

I’ve got a call in Sweet, but I have not heard back.

From Champions:

Champions Baseball Academy has moved to a new spacious location and will kick things off with an “Opening Day” celebration, December 4 from 12:30 – 4:00pm. Activities include a hitting clinic with Reds slugger Yonder Alonso, a pitching clinic with Tom Browning and Chris Welsh, and a fielding clinic by one of Champions’ top ranked instructors.

There will also be refreshments, prizes and give-a-ways including Louisville Slugger baseball bats and gloves, batting gloves, Reds autographed baseballs and more.

Admission and all activities are free.

Champions Baseball Academy’s new indoor location is located at the Riverstar baseball/softball complex, 5994 Linneman St., Cincinnati, OH 45228. That is just a few blocks west of I-275 and Kellog Ave., near Riverbend Music Center and Coney Island.

Champions Baseball Academy has been the area leader for baseball/softball instruction for more than a decade. It boasts a staff of three former major league players: Tom Browning, Chris Welsh and Director of Pitching, Buster Keeton. Champions offers indoor leagues, group, private and expanded lessons, camps, clinics, tournaments and player showcases.

For more information contact, Mike Bricker, GM: 513-831-8873 or visit championsbaseball.net.

Rick Sweet, out after managing Triple-A Louisville since 2004, will remain with the Reds organization as a roving catching instructor.

“We’ve got a lot of good young catching and we want to develop it,” said Bill Bavasi, the club’s director of scouting, player development and international operations. “We think that will help us develop our pitching. We have a lot of good pitching but it’s at the lower levels. We want to develop it as fast as we can.”

Bell, 39, managed Double-A Carolina from 2009 to 2011. He was 176-239. Bavasi says, despite the record, Bell’s done a good job at Carolina.

“Record is the last thing you judge a minor league manager on — unless you stack the team, which we haven’t done,” Bavasi said. “He spent two years developing Denis Phipps. Then, as soon as he was developed, we moved him. He’s done a terrific job with developing players.”

Bavasi says the Reds have hired managers for all their affiliates. But the club allows the minor league teams to make the announcements. He said “most” managers from this season would be back. Bakersfield manager Ken Griffey Sr., Dayton manager Delino DeShields and Billings manager Pat Kelly was the lineup for 2011.

From the Bats (checking to see where this leaves Rick Sweet):

Former Louisville Redbird David Bell will manage the Louisville Bats in 2012, marking the first time since 2004 that someone other than Rick Sweet will serve as skipper of the Bats. Joining Bell, who spent the last three seasons at Double-A Carolina, on the coaching staff will be Ted Power, who returns for his seventh season as pitching coach for the Bats, and hitting coach Ryan Jackson.

Bell, 39, was manager at Double-A Carolina from 2009 to 2011 and compiled a 176-239 record. The 2009 season marked his first as a manager or coach at the professional level and this will be his first season at the Triple-A level. Bell played parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Indians, Cardinals, Mariners, Giants, Phillies and Brewers. A member of one of Major League Baseball’s three-generation families, Bell is the son of former third baseman, Buddy, and the grandson of former Reds great, Gus. He played for the Louisville Redbirds from 1995 to 1997 and is just one of four players in Louisville franchise history to hit for the cycle.

Ryan Jackson, 40, enters his first season as Louisville’s hitting coach. It will mark his sixth season in the Reds organization and he spent the last three seasons as hitting coach at Double-A Carolina. Jackson enjoyed an 11-year professional career that included parts of four seasons at the Major League level with the Marlins, Mariners, and Tigers.

Former Redbird Ted Power, 56, will enter his seventh season as Louisville’s pitching coach. Power enjoyed a 13-year Major League career, including five seasons (1983-87) with the Reds.

Three-time All-Star Sean Casey, Big Red Machine infielder Dan Driessen and 19th century first baseman John Reilly will be the next three players inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Casey was selected by the fans through the Modern Player Ballot presented by Cincyfavorites.com. The Veterans Committee selected Driessen and Reilly to make up the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

The trio will be honored June 22-24 during Reds Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, which will include on-field ceremonies at Great American Ball Park, the star-studded Hall of Fame Induction Gala and a variety of festivities at the Hall, including meet and greets with Reds Hall of Famers and alumni.

One of the most popular players to ever wear a Reds uniform, Casey came to be known as “The Mayor” during his eight-year Reds career.

A versatile infielder of the Big Red Machine clubs of the 1970s, Dreissen played 12 seasons for the Reds from 1973 to 1984.

A Cincinnati-native and dominant first baseman in the 1880’s, Reilly wore a Reds uniform for his nine-season Major League career and held Reds records for most singles, double, triples, home runs, runs scored, RBI and games played.

Casey was the top vote-getter of the thousands of ballots cast online at RedsMuseum.org, at Great American Ball Park and at participating Skyline Chili and Montgomery Inn locations.

Driessen and Reilly were selected by the Reds Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee, comprised of members of the media, Hall of Famers, historians and Hall of Fame executives.
“Since 1958, the fans have played an integral part in the Hall of Fame election process, and this year was no exception as record participation resulted,” said Reds Hall of Fame Executive Director Rick Walls. “I’d like to thank Cincyfavorites.com, the thousands of fans that voted, and the Veterans Committee for recognizing the contributions of these players.”

The addition of Casey, Driessen and Reilly will bring the Hall’s membership ranks to 75 players, three managers, and three executives.

Sean Casey (First Baseman, 1998-2005)
One of the most popular players to ever wear a Reds uniform, first baseman Sean Casey came to be known as “The Mayor” during his eight-year Reds career. Acquired by the Reds on the eve of Opening Day in 1998, Casey overcame a serious eye injury and established himself as the club’s starting first baseman and would remain in that position for the next seven seasons. A lifetime .305 hitter as a Red, Casey eclipsed the .300 mark five times during his Reds career, posting a career-best .332 average in 1999. Casey was one of the offensive forces of the 1999 Reds, a club that won 96 games and fell just one win short of securing a playoff berth. For the 1999 season, Casey led the Reds in batting average, hits, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. During his Reds career, Casey ranked in the league’s top ten in batting average three times and was the Reds batting average leader in six of his seven seasons as a starter. Only twelve players in Reds history posted higher career batting averages than Casey’s .305 mark. A three-time National League All-Star, Casey was also the 1999 winner of Major League Baseball’s Hutch Award, was twice the recipient of the Reds’ Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award and was the 2004 winner of the Reds’ Most Valuable Player Award.

Dan Driessen (First Baseman/Third Baseman, 1973-1984)
A versatile member of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine clubs of the 1970s, Dan Driessen was signed by the Reds as an 18-year-old, undrafted free agent in 1969. In his Major League debut season of 1973, Driessen’s .301 average helped propel the Reds to the Western Division title and earned him a third place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Over the next three seasons, Driessen excelled at multiple positions for Reds teams that averaged over 100 victories a season and won back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976. In the 1976 World Series, Driessen became the first designated hitter in National League history and hit .357 in the Reds sweep of the Yankees. In 1977, Driessen became the Reds everyday first baseman and enjoyed his finest offensive season, batting .300 with 17 home runs, 91 RBI and 31 stolen bases. One of the finest defensive first basemen of his era, Driessen led the National League in fielding percentage three times and shares the Reds all-time single season record for fielding percentage at the position. A member of the Reds from 1973 to 1984, only eight players in history have appeared in more games as a Red than Driessen.

John Reilly (First Baseman, 1883-1891)
The Reds starting first baseman from 1883 to 1891, John Reilly was the club’s leading hitter for most of the 1880’s and paced the club in home runs, RBI and batting average with a .301 mark. At 6’3”, Reilly was tall for his era, earning him the moniker “Long John” years before he played his first professional game. A Cincinnati native, Reilly wore a Reds uniform for his nine-season Major League career. Reilly held single-season Reds records in numerous offensive categories including most doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage at multiple points in his career. When he retired after the 1891 season, Reilly held Reds records for most singles, double, triples, home runs, runs scored, RBI and games played. While all of these records have since been broken, Reilly remains one of only four players in Reds history to lead the league in home runs twice. Reilly died in Cincinnati on May 31, 1937 at the age of 78.

We will have news on the Reds’ front today. They will announce their Hall of Fame class at 4 p.m. The modern-player candidates are Jeff Brantley, Sean Casey, John Franco, Danny Graves, Hal Morris, Paul O’Neill, Reggie Sanders and Scott Sullivan.

My guess is Casey gets the nod. It’s a fan vote and no one on the list is close to Casey in fan popularity.

We’ve also got Redsfest coming up on Friday and Saturday. The Winter Meetings are next week.

But will anything happen as far as current club this week? It’s been a quiet offseason so far. The Reds’ shopping list has grown by one item since it’s very unlikely that Francisco Cordero will return. Here’s the list in order of priority:

–Top-of-the-rotation starter

–Right-handed bat

–Closer

I’m on record as saying I’d be much more concerned with the first two items. I think the Reds can stay in house and convert saves at the rate Cordero did (37 of 43). The $8 or $9 million it would cost for an established closer can be spent better elsewhere.