In a continuing effort to make Tom Shearn REALLY earn that rotation spot, the Reds have signed right-hander Josh Fogg to a 1-year contract for $1 million. Press release below.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds Executive Vice President and General Manager Wayne Krivsky today announced the signing of free agent RHP Josh Fogg to a one-year contract through the 2008 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Fogg, 31, last season for the National League champion Colorado Rockies went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 29 starts and one relief appearance. During the Rockies’ postseason run he posted a 2-1 record in a relief appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies during the National League Division Series and starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the NL Championship Series and the Boston Red Sox during the World Series.

In 2007, Fogg ranked among Rockies team leaders in wins (2nd), starts (2nd) and innings pitched (165.2, 3rd). Eight of his 10 victories were against playoff teams or teams that were in the playoff hunt going into the season’s final week. In his last seven starts of the regular season he went 3-0 with a 3.82 ERA.

A seven-year Major League veteran, Fogg has posted a 60-60 career record with a 4.90 ERA in 197 appearances, including 179 starts, for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Rockies.

To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Bobby Livingston (left shoulder surgery, 9/6/07) went on the 60-day disabled list.

Yesterday the Pirates announced the signing of Byung-Hyun Kim to a Major League contract worth $850,000.

Kim will join the Pirates bullpen, grabbing one of the spots for himself thanks to his big-league deal. No announcement on who will be moved to make room for Kim on the roster.

• Charlie at Bucs Dugout is somewhat excited by the signing, citing Kim’s entertaining and unorthodox delivery.
• Matt at the Pittsburgh Lumber Company hopes that Kim will be used as a reliever instead of a starter. And then mentions that Kim is only 29. That’s hard to believe. It seems like forever ago that he was crumbling under the pressure of the World Series. Something like that should have destroyed his baseball career, so perhaps it’s telling that he signed with the Pirates.
• Lastly, Pat at Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke had an initial negative reaction. It’s hard to find any fault with that, considering the moves the Pirates have made over the years. Pat thinks it could be beneficial if Kim is used selectively as a reliever, but finds Kim’s Strikeout to Walk ratio scary.

If used as a reliever and a spot starter, I think this deal could help the Pirates. It’s not the sort of thing that will turn a team around, but Kim is a guy who’s won before. And he’s still young. The Pirates need youth and experience to help improve the team. Right now, they’re only going to be able to sign players with lots of negatives, too.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost shows off his new M.C. Escher leg.

Miguel Tejada, shortstop for the Houston Astros, seems a little smaller than usual coming into spring training this year.

The Reds started off the early injury news with reports that left-handed reliever Bill Bray is being held back because of a sore shoulder. This comes as no shock to me. Bray is the only player from Krivsky’s Trade that has any hope of contributing something positive to the team. The Trade reeks so badly even these many years later, that its stench pervades everything directly in contact with it. I don’t see Bray ever panning out.

The Cubs’s Alfonso Soriano continues to have leg problems. There are reports that he’s only running at 75%. Granted, Soriano’s speed at 75% is more than most other humans, but this just might put a fork in his ridiculous idea that he’s a leadoff hitter. We’ll see.

In Cardinals-land, it looks like Matt Clement is the first to fall. He won’t be available until who knows when, and lboros isn’t happy about it. Apparently, the Cardinals, like so many clubs before them, like to mislead fans about how healthy players are.

The Brewers got into the injury fun, too, with Yovani Gallardo missing the first week or two of the season. Gallardo had surgery to repair knee cartilage this week. Looks like the Brewers’ rotation depth is going to get an early test since Gallardo was expected to be one of the locks for the top 5 after his wonderful rookie debut in 2007.

Despite all of the injuries, I think the Best Injury Award has to go to Houston’s Hunter Pence. Pence apparently was possessed by Evel Knievel and walked through a sliding glass door, suffering cuts on his hands and knees. Almost as humorous as when Sammy Sosa missed a week after a sneezing fit.

At this rate, how many players will be left standing by the time Opening Day rolls around? Perhaps this is the Pirates’ plan for competing in the division. I notice a conspicuous lack of injuries for them…