DaytonDailyNews.com

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Cincinnati Reds are so close to Arizona they can smell the cacti.

Beating the deadline by a full day, the city of Goodyear, Ariz., told the Reds on Wednesday, March 12, that they have the $33 million necessary to lure them to their town for spring training.

Earlier this spring, Reds owner Bob Castellini said, "If they come up with the money, we're going."

The Reds would join the Cleveland Indians at the same site in 2010, sharing the $75 million stadium. The additional $33 million is to build the Reds separate practice fields, a clubhouse and offices.

The next step is an April 7 Goodyear city council meeting, but unanimous approval is expected. Just where the money came from remains a mystery, as per the negotiating agreement between the Reds and Goodyear.

"It's not a done deal," said John Allen, the Reds negotiator. "We still have some i's to dot and some t's to cross, and we have to make sure everything is in the MUI (mutual understanding agreement) for us that is in the lease for the Indians.

"Everything is going good, this is another positive step in the process and now we march on," he added.

Meanwhile, they are still trying to fix the 88 malfunctioning toilets in Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium.

Subtract five

Nobody fainted in the clubhouse when five players were trimmed from the spring training roster, although manager Dusty Baker said, "This is always a tough time right here. But it is part of the game, a part you don't like, but it is real."

The reality was that pitcher Alexander Smit was outrighted to Class A Sarasota, pitchers Richie Gardner and Tyler Pelland were optioned to minor-league camp and catcher Chris Koski, plus pitchers Matt Maloney and Adam Pettyjohn were reassigned to minor-league camp.

And add one

Just when it is time to trim the roster, the Reds add one — another pitcher.

General Manager Wayne Krivsky claimed left-handed pitcher Jose Capellan, 21, off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. The problem with this is that he is a Rule 5 pick and must be kept on the Reds' 25-man roster all season.

"If we want to keep him without keeping him on the 25-man roster, we can work out a trade with the Giants," said Baker. "Or we can offer him back to them, and if they refuse we can send him to the minors."

Asked what he knows about Capellan, 13-8 with four saves and a 2.74 earned run average in four minor-league seasons, Baker said honestly, "Not much. I don't know anything about him. It is impossible to know something about everybody. That's why we have scouts."

Quote of the day

"He never throws 'em back, he wants to eat 'em." — Baker on his 9-year-old son, Darren, catching a sheepshead fish near their condo on the Gulf of Mexico and having it cleaned and fried at Gus's 12th Street Cafe.