Player-turned-agent Jefferson not surprised by mega deals

CEDAR RAPIDS - Don't count Reggie Jefferson among those shocked.

The former big leaguer and Cedar Rapids Reds first baseman is a player agent now. He had a little bit of inside scoop when it came to the mega, mega free-agent contracts Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols signed this off-season.

They may have stunned some in the baseball community, but not him.

“It's amazing,” Jefferson said Saturday night, in town for the Cedar Rapids Kernels' annual Hot Stove Banquet. “I figured they would be somewhere in that range. One thing I've learned as an agent and a player is it only takes one team. Look at Prince Fielder. It was getting to the point where he wasn't going to get (a big contract). But Victor Martinez gets hurt, and (Tiger owner) Mike Ilitch loves Prince because he had his dad in Detroit. It all came together.”

Jefferson, former Kernels general manager Jack Roeder and KCRG-TV9 sports director John Campbell were inducted into the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club Hall of Fame during the banquet at the Clarion Hotel. The 43-year old Floridian hit an even .300 in 680 career major league games with the Reds, Indians, Mariners and Red Sox.

Jefferson played parts of two seasons in Cedar Rapids, a member of the 1988 Midwest League championship team. He works for SFX Baseball, representing former Kernels pitcher Trevor Reckling, among others.

“You know, I went back to school and got my degree, and started out working with the Florida Marlins,” Jefferson said. “Then I got this opportunity to work for a great company in SFX. I enjoy it, I really do. I want to help these kids.”

Jefferson's big-league career was a unique one. He made his debut in 1991 and was considered one of the Reds' top prospects but came down with pneumonia and was mistakenly placed on the “designated for assignment” list instead of the disabled list, which meant Cincinnati had 10 days to send him to the minors, trade him or release him.

He was dealt to Cleveland for infielder Tim Costo, who, ironically enough, was a former college all-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes. (See this link)

“I had a great spring training with the Reds that year,” Jefferson said. “A lot of the players got to see me play, and they were like ‘OK, you've really got a chance to help us out.' I got called up, but got sick. And then that happened out of the blue. People were so surprised. Looking back, it was something that seems like it never should have happened. So weird. All they had to do was leave me on the disabled list. The whole thing just got confused.”