Sean Casey agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Reds on Friday. The extension will go into effect in 2003 immediately following the one-year $4M deal he signed in January. He will make $5.8M in 2003, $6.8M in 2004, $7.8M in 2005, and the club has an $8.5M option for 2006.

Without the extension, Casey would have been eligible for free agency in 2004, so this buys out one, or with the option, two years of his free agency. Casey is reportedly an extremely nice guy, known as "The Mayor" in the Reds clubhouse, and is a Cincinnati fan favorite. Under a section entitled "Secret Talents", Lindy's Baseball Scouting Report comments on Casey's uncanny ability to remember the name of every person he meets, always an endearing quality. However, previous to this extension many questioned his future with the Reds.

Ben Broussard, the Reds second round pick in the 1999 draft, is a top first base prospect. Although he only finished last season at AA and still needs a full season of AAA ball before he's ready for the majors, he will be an impact player when he reaches the big leagues and has tremendous upside. Broussard hits for power, has some speed, and a developing batting eye. He will deserve a starting job in 2003. The problem is that even if he were able to make the defensive transition to LF, the Reds don't have anywhere to put him. The outfield will be full with Ken Griffey, Jr., Adam Dunn, and in a few months, Austin Kearns.

Therefore, Cincinnati needs to trade either Casey or Broussard. Casey's contract extension makes his continued presence less uncertain, but he is still very tradable. His new contract gives both the Reds and any potential suitor four years of cost certainty. Although Casey's production has dropped off from the fantastic performance he provided in 1999, his overall production is still high enough to warrant the salaries included in the contract. He will also just turn 28 in July, so it is likely that he is reaching his peak. As long as he can stay healthy and avoid the minor injuries that plagued him last season, I expect him to see a production spike this season and maintain that level of play throughout the duration of this contract.

One reason to expect him to improve in 2002 is that he has reportedly done a lot of work this off-season tightening up his fitness regimen and getting himself in excellent shape. However, Casey's technique might actually be standing in the way of further power increases, as he hits a lot of ground balls. If you hear that he is tinkering with his swing or his batting stance, this may be a sign that he is attempting to add more oomph to his at-bats, so you could then probably expect a sizeable uptick in his power numbers.

Multi-year contracts frequently signify an organization's commitment to a player, however Broussard also should be the kind of prospect that teams shuffle rosters for which to find room. Consequently, the intentions of the Reds are still unknown on this matter. Possibly Cincinnati's most uncertain position is third base, so they may attempt to put together a package for Scott Rolen, but then again it seems as though they could fairly easily wait and sign him as a free agent, so they may not bother.

Unsurprisingly, considering the lack of activity before the sale of the team, the flurry of transactions continues in Montreal. On Friday they picked Endy Chavez off waivers and signed Lance Johnson and Osvaldo Fernandez to minor league contracts.

After the bouncing around that Endy Chavez has done in his relatively short career, it didn't seem likely that he would stay long with the Mets. However, I'm sure Endy is none too enthused to be leaving the Mets, where he was united with his brother Ender a few weeks ago, to go to the Expos where they have no more use for him than any other team.

Montreal is in the market for a back-up centerfielder, so Chavez could make the team in that capacity but will have competition from Johnson. Johnson didn't play a game in the majors last season, but his past major league experience and name recognition may give him an edge over Chavez. Chavez may be known by Expos GM Omar Minaya since previous to his hiring he was an assistant GM for the Mets, but is unlikely to be recognized by manager Frank Robinson as Chavez didn't involve himself in any brawls during his brief major league service last season. On the other hand, Johnson at 38 has little upside, so the team may choose to go with Chavez, who at 24 has a small chance in seeing some improvement.

Fernandez should have at least a shot to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation or even the sixth spot in the bullpen. Prospect Zach Day hasn't had a lot of time at AAA yet, but shows definite potential and could make a case for himself for the 5th starters' role in Spring Training. T.J. Tucker did have a good bit of time at AAA last season and pitched fairly well, so he is also a candidate. Scott Downs had Tommy John surgery last March, so its unlikely that he will be able to return until the middle of the season, though if his recovery time is accelerated, he's a top candidate for both roles, despite weak qualifications. Troy Mattes, who made several starts last season, will also be in the competition.

Although he isn't a particularly good pitcher, Fernandez's major league time and the lack of an existing favorite for the role give him a decent shot. He will certainly be in line for innings as an injury replacement if he doesn't make the team out of Spring Training.