Reds Cleaning House

The Cincinnati Reds lopped roughly $3 million off their 1996 payroll by trading pitcher David Wells to Baltimore, and need to make one more trade to hit their spending target.

The Reds sent Wells, who will make $3 million next season, to the Orioles for outfielder Curtis Goodwin and minor-leaguer Trovin Valdez.

Cincinnati has made several moves to reduce its payroll, which was one of the biggest in the major leagues last season. The Reds now have $33.3 million committed to a core of 14 players.

General manager Jim Bowden said he has to make one more payroll-reducing trade to hit the unspecified salary target set by owner Marge Schott.

The Reds got Wells from Detroit on July 31 for left-hander C.J. Nitkowski, minor-league pitcher Dave Tuttle and a player to be named later. Infielder Mark Lewis went to the Tigers after the season to complete the trade.

Schott’s decision to reduce the payroll has prompted Bowden to release outfielder Darren Lewis, come up short in efforts to keep home-run leader Ron Gant, and get rid of Wells, one of the team’s three left-handed starters.

The Chicago Cubs signed free-agent third baseman Dave Magadan to a one-year contract.

Magadan, 33, a left-handed hitter, hit .313 in 127 games for Houston last season with 24 doubles, two homers and 51 RBIs.

Armando Reynoso, who went 7-7 with a 5.32 ERA last season in a comeback from elbow surgery, signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies.