A long day of sitting in front of the computer, reloading Mr. Lancaster's blog has finally yielded the tidbit we've all been waiting for:

Rich Aurilia will be back with the Reds this season. He agreed tonight to a one-year, $1.3 million deal that also carries a mutual option for 2007 at $2 million. Not sure about a buyout.

That's a pretty good rate for the Reds, considering the market. Now we'll see if the roster stays put or this is a precursor to another deal.

I'm mildly surprised that Aurilia landed with the Reds again. When the Cardinals snapped up Junior Spivey for $1.2 million, it seemed like the market might have been stronger for Aurilia. Plus, the Reds infield is getting awfully crowded.

But I'm not complaining. I like Aurilia. And with Ryan Freel's shenanigans early this morning, the Reds might be glad to have the additional flexibility.

So says Marc:

Ryan Freel was arrested early this morning in Tampa and charged with disorderly intoxication. I don't have any further details about what happened quite yet, but Freel was released on $250 bond at 11:05 a.m. today, seven and a half hours after the arrest time.

Of course you want to reserve judgment until you know all the details. But damn, boy!

UPDATE: The Official Reds Site has some additional information.

Am I the only one who couldn't satisfactorily sleep in this morning because I was worrying that I might miss the big Aurilia signing?

I am? Oh.

Anyway, while you're waiting for the Reds to do something interesting, you can head over to BaseballGeeks.com and check out their first podcast. Around 15 minutes in, you'll be treated to a 10-second promo for Red Hot Mama.