According to Dan O, AK didn't ask for a trade...

[missionhockey21]

Per Lancaster's blog:

CLEVELAND -- Contrary to published reports, Austin Kearns did not demand (or request) a trade out of Cincinnati, according to Reds GM Dan O'Brien.

"His comment was, ‘I’d like to play the rest of my career in Cincinnati, Ohio, if that’s possible,'" O'Brien said Friday afternoon.

Besides, said O'Brien, the Reds have no desire to deal the 25-year-old outfielder.

"We’re not interested in trading Austin Kearns," said O'Brien. "He’s in Louisville with a very specific program, and the goal is to get him back to being the player that we know he’s capable of being, wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform."

The GM again declined to provide any sort of timetable for Kearns' return to the majors. Kearns is hitting .379 with a home run and six RBIs in seven games since being optioned to Louisville.

http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/spring/

[redsrbetter]

OK now somebody is a definite liar. I don't think that DanO would lie about something this big either. But these are 2 completely different stories. The writer that supplied his inside story was the highly trustworthy Hal McCoy. So what are we looking at here? We need some definite closure here. Is DanO lying and further jeopardizing his career?

[Reds_fan_4_life]

maybe that is what he is trying to do. I personally don't want to trade Kearns b/c like others on the reds team i do believe that Kearns can turn it around and bounce back from this.. So maybe its just rumors or thoughts that AK requested a trade.. wouldn't you request one? i mean one second your destined for a very bright future in this well known organization and you slump some in a year and get sent down with your future in the club TBD.. its hard telling what the real story is until we actually hear it from both of them.. not writers making articles about it.

[Sea Ray]

To me the most interesting piece of that article had to do with Kearns' weight:

The Reds weren't happy with the shape Kearns is in. He was playing at 255 pounds when optioned.

Asked if the club wanted Kearns to improve his conditioning, O'Brien said: "There's certain elements to the overall program that I would just as soon not comment on. Let's just say it is a diverse program, covering quite a few components."

This is a public statement on what a lot of us have discussed where Austin's problems lie...his weight

Being the curious type that I am, I wondered what weight he was listed at when he came up in 2002. Baseball Almanac listed him at 220 lbs!!! This seems about right and confirms what my own eyes tell me. He's 35 lbs heavier than he was three years ago and that's not coming off in one AAA stint. He may improve but he's not going back to the Austin Kearns we expect until next year and that's provided he participates in a dedicated off season conditioning program.

As for whether he wants to be traded, I think he'd be fine staying with the Reds if they traded someone else in order to relieve the logjam in the OF. He's not going to say publicly, "hey trade Casey or Pena". He wants a cushy situation where if he gains 35 lbs and hits .223 he'll still have a spot in the lineup the next day.

[missionhockey21]

35 pounds is a lot of weight to gain in that time period for a normal guy.... let alone a young ATHLETE. Do the Reds not monitor players weight or try to encourage a specific diet?

[CincyRedsFan30]

O'Brien's lies will come out eventually. I see more evidence every single day that O'Brien manipulates many things that go on within the organization. I can't wait for the day that those lies come out. It may be not be for up to another year or so before they do, but I really think we'll end up hearing some stuff about him.