Gennett, Reds not close to extension

CINCINNATI -- Back in July, Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett had told MLB.com that he had begun very preliminary talks with the club about a multi-year contract extension.
It's been very, very quiet on that front since.
Asked about Gennett on Friday, Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said he didn't expect a deal was imminent.
"I wouldn't expect it before the calendar turns [to 2019]," Williams said. "There's too much up in the air in terms of roster construction going forward. I don't think you'll see us working on any extensions for anybody -- that's not just Scooter-specific. But I don't see any other extensions happening in the next 30 days while we're working out the roster."
There are four other Reds eligible for arbitration: starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (second year), reliever Michael Lorenzen (second year), backup catcher Curt Casali (first year) and shortstop José Peraza (first year).
Gennett, who is eligible for arbitration for the third and final time, can be a free agent after the 2019 season. He earned $5.7 million last season after winning his arbitration case, which went to a hearing.
A waiver claim from Milwaukee just ahead of the 2017 regular season, Gennett has put together back-to-back excellent years. Last season, he batted .310/.357/.490 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs while compiling 4.2 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference.
Williams still seemed open to the idea of retaining Gennett beyond the upcoming season.
"In the sense that we always remain open to good deals, if we find one that we really like," he said. "Flexibility is important to us. We will be careful about a lot of extensions."