According to the Kansas City Star, the Reds expressed interest in dealing with the Royals for Joe Mays before he was released on Monday:

The Royals wrote off right-hander Joe Mays as a $1 million loss by releasing him Monday after failing in efforts to trade him. The Reds had expressed some interest.

Mays, 30, was 0-4 with a 10.27 ERA in six starts. He was designated for assignment May 8 when the club activated Denny Bautista from the disabled list.

The release allows Mays to become a free agent. The Royals can still recoup of portion of his $1 million salary if he signs elsewhere. His new team would be obligated to pay a prorated share of the major-league minimum salary of $327,000.

General Manager Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky would remember Mays' 2001 season with the Twins where he was the owner of a 17-13 record in 34 starts (233 innings) with a 3.16 ERA. You might not be surprised to learn that Mays was injured shortly thereafter.

His 2006 start has hardly been scintillating, but he has been playing for the Royals, after all. But I guess Kriv-dawg has already passed, so we'll be deprived his double-digit ERA.

I'm shocked and horrified at what the Tiny-Casey-Nappers have done to everyone's favorite diminutive plastic fellow. What's next? A Casey sandwhich??

I demand Casey's immediate safe return!

I'm prepared to offer an autographed copy of Covering the Bases, several matchbooks, an autographed copy of the increasingly collectible book Funnyball, and whatever other crap I find laying around to the person who can find our tiny friend.

After pitching a few scoreless innings in the Hall of Fame game before it was rained out, Eric Milton has been cleared to return to the rotation and is scheduled to make a start on Saturday against Detroit.

To make room, Elizardo Ramirez will probably be the one sent back down. I guess that makes sense, but there are so many good candidates for sending to Louisville. I hope they'll all get due consideration.

Man, it's been a long time since I've done a blog buzz, but it's hard to find the inspiration when the team's just been swept for the first time. I was all ready to take solace in trouncing the Pirates, but then tonight's game happened. It's just depressing.

Maybe I can go find a photo to make fun of or something. Hang in there guys: it won't always be this bleak. Or, even if it is, we'll get used to it.