From Mark Sheldon’s Reds Notebook:

Johnny Cueto says that his oblique feels fine. I certainly hope he decides not to test it in the World Baseball Classic.

Scott Rolen has decided not to rejoin the Reds in camp. He says he isn’t ready to make a commitment but wants to keep his options open. I don’t see Rolen playing for another team. I would like to see him retire. He is not close to the offensive player he once was and has trouble staying healthy. It is the normal aging process for a professional athlete. That is what happens to players that don’t cheat by taking performance enhancing drugs.

The transition plan for Aroldis Chapman remains unknown. Hopefully, this is just a smoke screen to keep the media in the dark. I find it hard to believe that the team has gone through the entire offseason and made no plan on how to transition Chapman into the starting rotation.

Dusty Baker has put last year’s health scare behind him. He has lost weight and has a plan to keep it off. Fans and members of the media may question his lineups and decisions, but the players love Baker. He is a great guy and an excellent manager. That’s good enough for me.