"Hey, what happened to all of those available closers?

What was once a lengthy list has essentially dwindled down to two free agents in Ryan Madson and Francisco Cordero. As far as the Reds are concerned financially, it's really only Cordero, because Madson is widely viewed as being above Cincinnati's price point.

The last major closer acquisition came during the holidays via a trade, when the Red Sox acquired All-Star Andrew Bailey from the A's in a five-player deal. Earlier in the offseason, the Reds were connected to Bailey in some speculation.

The declining number of closers -- and job openings -- seemingly makes a reunion between the Reds and Cordero more realistic. But the 37-year-old's agent, Bean Stringfellow, insists multiple suitors remain.

"We're still talking with [Cincinnati] and a couple of other clubs," Stringfellow said on Tuesday. "We're making progress on a lot of fronts. Multi-year contracts are definitely involved.

"The Reds are involved, and are still interested in bringing him back. I am talking with them on a regular basis." "