Yesterday the Reds convinced catcher Jason LaRue to sign a two-year contract:

The deal allowed LaRue to avoid arbitration with Cincinnati and ensured his spot as the team's starter behind the plate. The 31-year-old will earn $3.9 million in 2006 and $5.2 million in 2007. If he is traded after Oct. 15, his 2007 salary jumps to $5.45 million automatically.

I'm psyched. LaRue is a good catcher, a hell of a guy, and just as hot as can be.

I caught a little bit of Andy Furman interviewing LaRue on WLW last night. He talked about being ready to step into the leadership role of the team, which will be a good thing. LaRue has a harder edge than Sean Casey could provide, but he still embodies the down-home goodness that has come to be a hallmark of the Reds culture. Maybe this nice guy won't lead the team to finish last for a change.

LaRue sounded more confident than I remember him being. I guess a good year will do that for you. And smarter, too, laying down some pretty sharp sarcasm a couple times. He's so good-looking that I think I assume he's not bright, and that's really not fair. I mean, if being attractive always made you vapid, then the Red Hot Mama's head would be as empty as the red level at Cinergy in August. Or, at least the yellow level.

LaRue got bonus points in my book for calling Furman “Seg” twice.

Back when I was doing the research for LaRue's Human League profile (which is in dire need of re-writing), I stumbled upon these entries at Outsports: The Home for Gay Sports Fans and Athletes. LaRue was very well-liked there, as evidenced by the fact that he was awarded the 2001 Brass Balls Award for Catchers and then named the Hot Red the next year. The same writer did both pieces, and I'd like to say that he has excellent taste, except he nominated David Eckstein for the Rookie Brass Balls award. Ew.

So, long-story-short: I'm pleased that we'll be enjoying the stylings of LaRue behind the plate for a while longer.

Now to lock-up the Latin Love Machine.

According to The Official Site, everyone's favorite human hummingbird Ryan Freel has signed a 2-year, $3 million-plus-incentives contract.

“It hasn't really sunk in,” Freel said. Understandably so. Freel will turn 30 during spring training; seems a little late for the hyperkinetic to finally be coming into their own. But he'll probably still be crashing into outfield walls and battling Godzilla Toe when he's 55.

“He is arguably one of the best lead-off hitters on our team,” said general manager Dan O'Brien. I wish that guy could put a cap on his emotions sometimes. It's so embarrassing when he gushes.

I, of course, am quite pleased, and I can't wait till my blog comes back online so I can gush about it myself.

Go Reds!

Marc (and surely about everyone else in the world by now) says:

DALLAS -- Officially, the Reds have acquired Tony Womack from the Yankees for minor leaguers Kevin Howard and Ben Himes. The Reds will also get $900,000 from New York, which will take out a good chunk of the $2 million due to Womack in 2006.

Readers of Red Hot Mama know that I have not been a baseball fan very long, and I don't make a secret of the fact that I don't know much. There are many things about this sport that I don't understand.

This signing is one of them.

As soon as I heard that the Pirates were interested in Sean Casey, I thought it seemed like a likely deal. Casey would have the chance to be nearly as loved near his home as he is here, plus Pittsburgh has some pitching to offer. Win-win.

But it took until Marc said it was true for the possibility to really hit me. I didn't expect it to feel so weird. I…I…I think I'll change the subject now. There will be plenty of time to second-guess the wisdom of Dave Williams later.

On the Post Away! thread over at On the DL, someone suggested Dan O'Brien as the possible identity of the mystery man described in this posted comment:

This NL Central general manager once ate 16 Boston creme doughnuts in one sitting. He was supposed to be on a diet, but he was sneaking out of the house late at night for his sugary fix. At first, his wife thought he might be cheating…that is until she found chocolate on the sleeve of his shirt. Either way, he was caught red handed.

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that it is a physical impossibility for Dan O'Brien to get sugared up on Boston Cream. How would he ever keep his slender figure and perfect complexion?

It looks like the Cardinals have lost their bid for A.J. Burnett, refusing to guarantee a fifth year in their offer. Instead, he'll sign on with the Blue Jays for five years and $55 million, just shortly after the team signed B.J. Ryan to a five-year, $47-million contract.

In related news, the Blue Jays will be setting fire to piles of money outside their stadium later this week. Honestly, what has gotten into teams and their free-agent bids this season? Give people a little bit of ESPN money and all hell breaks loose.

Speaking of the Blue Jays, twice in the last couple weeks, someone has gotten to my site via a search for “Adam Dunn Blue Jays.” Finally! My inside source! When Dunn goes to the Blue Jays, just tell everyone you heard it here first.

And speaking of the Cardinals, the Reds not-so-recently signed one of their minor-league pitchers in Jimmy Journell, and rumors swirl about their interest in Wily Mo Peña and Austin Kearns. I'd love to hear from my Cardinal contingent about what we should expect from this Journell character, as well as what you'd like to see, outfield-wise. I'm not interested in no freakin' Marquis!

The Toronto Sun is reporting that the Blue Jays have made an early bid for the services of free agent starting pitcher A.J. Burnett with an offer of US$50 million over five years. Toronto is one of nine teams interested in Burnett.

With the Reds sitting out this free-agent season, I guess we'll miss out on all the fun. Man, when are we going to get to throw a multi-year contract and loads of cash at a pitcher coming off a good year?