With one acquisition, the Reds filled two holes.
Free agent Willy Taveras agreed to a two-year deal with the Reds, and he will take over as Cincinnati's center fielder and leadoff hitter. Taveras was the major's stolen-base champ in 2008 with 68 thefts for Colorado, but the Rockies non-tendered him in early December, choosing not to go to arbitration with him. The likely reason: Taveras' .308 on-base percentage and .296 slugging percentage.
For his career, Taveras, 27, has a .331 on-base percentage and just 80 extra-base hits in nearly 2,000 at-bats.
Corey Patterson played 82 games in center for the Reds in '08, but he hit just .205 before leaving as a free agent. Five other players saw time at the position.
Patterson was also the leadoff hitter at the beginning of the season, but Jerry Hairston Jr. (now a free agent), Jay Bruce and Chris Dickerson also saw extensive time atop the batting order.
