I went to the official site of the Milwaukee Brewers looking for some information about them signing my boy, Jason Romano. Instead, I was greeted with the smiling face of Dan O'Brien.

The article says that O'Brien is meeting with the front office for a few days, and it sounds like everything is a go for him to come on-board as a consultant. Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin specifically states that O'Brien will not be a threat to take the job of assistant manager Gord Ash. O'Brien was Melvin's assistant when Melvin was general manager for the Rangers.

Good to have buddies, I guess. Will O'Brien draw two paychecks this season? The Reds still have to pay him for 2006, you know.

The most intimidating quote of the story: “[O'Brien is] just a guy with a wealth of information.”

Yeah, he's got a wealth of information…about the Reds. If we're not careful, they're going to find out about our bad pitching.

I don't know Lou Piniella. To a relatively new fan like me, Piniella is a character of legend. Not necessarily baseball legend like Connie Mack, of course. More like a mythical legend. In my mind, Lou Piniella is the Sasquatch of baseball managers.

So when Reds' CEO Bob Castellini talks about bringing in Piniella as soon as possible, even to spring training this season, I'm not excited. I'm wary. I'm worried about a hairy creature stomping around Sarasota scaring off our remaining seven second basemen.

But according to Bill Madden in a story in the New York Daily News, Piniella probably will not be attending any baseball at all this spring. In fact, even in 2007 Castellini may have some competition in the pursuit of Piniella's services.

But despite having bonded again with Joe Torre, sources close to George Steinbrenner insist the Boss pines for “Sweet Lou” - his one big regret being that he fired him all those years ago. If Torre doesn't win it all this year, it wouldn't be at all surprising for Steinbrenner to pay him the $6 million he's owed for '08 and pay a like amount to Piniella just to keep him from signing on someplace else. Hey, it's only money.

Nothing will happen with Piniella this season. If he did accept a job in baseball, it sounds like Piniella would have to give a portion of his salary to Tampa Bay, which I can understand him not wanting to do. Plus, he could probably use a vacation. But after this season, what will Piniella do?

“I want to manage again,” Piniella said, “because I want to win at least one more world championship and another 250 or more games. But it's going to have to be with a team that's ready to win and an owner who's willing to spend what it takes to win, and if that's not the case then I'm content to call it a career.

Well, that could describe New York, but it might describe Cincinnati, too. We certainly could be in for a dose of big foot, especially if manager Jerry Narron can't pull off a miracle this season.

Scary.

What a treat for the Reds: they're mentioned in the last sentence of the last bullet of the tacked-on “Notes” section of this story on SignOnSanDiego.com:

If pitcher Pedro Astacio is to return to the Padres via a Triple-A contract, it could mean turning down a major league contract from either the Reds or Nationals. Astacio is working out in the Dominican Republic, said his agent, Steven Schneider.

I'd like to be offended that anyone would consider an AAA contract over a major-league contract with the Reds, but actually, I kind of understand.

I was watching the Reds Week programming on FSN Ohio tonight. During an interview with George Grande, Reds CEO Bob Castellini acknolwedged that he was consulted before the Casey trade went through and that he concurred with the decision.

Castellini said that “baseball reasons” were the impetus for the decision and that monetary concerns are a part of the baseball reasons. He said you have to spend something of value to get pitching and recounted a heartwarming tale of a neighborhood scamp giving his daughter grief over the deal.

I always figured that a trade of that magnitude wouldn't go down with at least a consultation with the probable new owner, but I didn't think he'd say anything about it for a while. Then if Dave Williams sucked, it would be easy enough to fall back on the It-Happened-Before-I-Was-Here excuse; alternately, Castellini could always claim some of the credit later if Williams rocked.

But, of course, Mr. Castellini doesn't seem to be the type to shirk the responsibility. Good for him.

I thought all that talk of the Reds trading right fielder Austin Kearns to Cleveland for 28-year old right handed starting pitcher Jake Westbrook had fizzled out by now, but accorrding to a story on Cleveland.com that is dated yesterday:

Pitcher Jake Westbrook shrugged off recent speculation he'd be traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Austin Kearns. “I've been traded three times before,” Westbrook said, “so I didn't give it much thought.

“I'm not really used to hearing my name in trade talks, but it's all part of the game.”

Unhappy as I am to say it, this could make some sense for the Reds. Westbrook would certainly be an upgrade for our rotation, and losing Kearns' production wouldn't kill the offense. Plus, you'd be sending a local guy to a team that's still fairly close to home, though not as close as Sean Casey ended up being.

I do wonder about the money involved. Westbrook is owed $4.25 million next season, a far cry from the $1.85 million Kearns is due.

Furthermore, I'm fairly horrified to think that this would mean an outfield with Adam Dunn AND Wily Mo Peña. The fans at Great American Ball Park would have to adopt “He'll get it back in the bottom of the inning!” as their battle cry any time the opposing team smacked something into the corners.