C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

SAN DIEGO — There's nobody on the Reds roster, general manager Walt Jocketty said on Tuesday, that's untouchable — including Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman.

But, he noted, the talks he's had on both have been incoming calls, not outgoing calls.

"I don't know where the Chapman stuff came from — when I walked into the room today, I asked the guys if there was anything on the internet about Chapman today, because I got like three texts and a phone call this morning," Jocketty said from the team's suite at the Manchester Grant Hyatt on Tuesday night.

There were rumors that popped up on Tuesday that the Reds were shopping their closer, who is eligible for arbitration for the second time this year and would be a free agent following the 2016 season.

Jocketty didn't deny he'd listen about Chapman — or anyone else.

"I'll listen to anything that makes sense. It was not something we initiated," Jocketty said. "Listen, nobody's given us anything. They just want to know if the rumors are true. I tell them, whatever you want to think. I don't consider — unless we get proposals from clubs — that it's anything legitimate other than just inquiring."

That includes Cueto as well.

However, if the team is going to try to win in 2015 — as Jocketty has said — it may behoove them to have the Cy Young runner-up on their staff. When asked if Cueto would be "essential" to those efforts, Jocketty answered in the affirmative.

The Reds would rather deal either Mike Leake or Mat Latos, who like Cueto and fifth starter Alfredo Simon, are free agents after the season.

With 11 players under contract for $75.5 million — plus another $6.5 million owed to Jack Hannahan and Ryan Ludwick — and seven arbitration-eligible players, the team is already operating above the payroll limit set by ownership.

"We know what we have to do to get to our payroll number and that obviously involves moving player contracts that put us over," Jocketty said. "We're not moving guys to move guys, we're moving guys to improve the club, as well. We're still focused on trying to win and be competitive this year at the level of payroll we have to be at. What it means is we have to move a player or two, but in doing that we'll try to address our immediate needs."

Jocketty said he thought the team was close on "a couple" of trades, but they fell through. The Reds GM didn't formally meet with other teams on Tuesday, spending most of his face-to-face time with agents (including representatives for Cueto), but did talk to other teams about trade possibilities.

"It is difficult. That's why we haven't done anything," Jocketty said. "We've tried, we thought we were close on a couple of things, but they didn't work. In the end, we'll keep trying."

FRICK AWARD TO BE ANNOUNCED: Joe Nuxhall's latest Hall of Fame fate will be announced at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. Nuxhall is one of 10 finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.

Other finalists are Richie Ashburn, Billy Berroa, Rene Cardenas, Dizzy Dean, Dick Enberg, Ernie Johnson Sr., Ralph Kiner, Ned Martin and Jack Quinlan.

Nuxhall's long-time broadcast partner, Marty Brennaman, is among the 20-member electorate, which includes the 16 living Frick Award winners — Brennaman, Gene Elston, Joe Garagiola, Jaime Jarrin, Milo Hamilton, Tony Kubek, Tim McCarver, Denny Matthews, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Lon Simmons, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff — and four historians/columnists — Bob Costas (NBC and MLB Network), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian).

Brennaman was honored with the award in 2000.

According to the Hall of Fame, voters are "asked to base their selections on the following criteria: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, including national assignments such as the World Series and All-Star Games; and popularity with fans."

Nuxhall, who spent 38 years with the Reds from 1967 to 2004, will be tough to top in the first two and the last one, but that hasn't helped him in his previous nominations for the award.

On Monday, former Reds general manager Bob Howsam was not elected by the veterans committee, but neither was anyone else. The Frick Award will at least be awarded to someone on Wednesday, even if it's not Nuxhall.

HALL BALLOT COULD INCREASE: The Baseball Writers Association of America recommended to the Baseball Hall of Fame that it increase the number of players voting members can vote for in the Hall of Fame election from 10 to 12.

Currently, Hall of Fame voters can only vote for 10 players on a Hall of Fame ballot, which has created somewhat of a logjam thanks to differing opinions on players suspected of steroid use.

The recommendation is non-binding, the Hall of Fame makes all decisions. Earlier this year, it shortened the window for players to stay on the ballot from 15 years to 10.

REDS DONATE TO LUNGEVITY: Three Reds — Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco — have donated an experience to meet them before a game, as well as their game-used bats and batting gloves from that game as part of Major League Baseball's charity auction on MLB.com.

Also in the auction is a "media experience" for this year's All-Star Game in Cincinnati, including access to the game and other media events surrounding the game.

The proceeds from the action will go to LUNGevity, the largest national lung cancer-focused nonprofit, in memory of the late Baltimore Orioles Public Relations Director Monica Barlow, died from the disease in February.

The auction, hosted on MLB.com, runs through Thursday night.