Don't dillydally. Stop with the tap dance. End this idiotic game of  waiting to see who blinks first, the front office or the player.

Cincy should sign their best average hitter right this second, if not sooner.

The cold reality is that the Reds probably can't do without the veteran infielder. They're in no position to allow his productive bat to go elsewhere.

Minus the 6-1, 190-pound Aurilia in the lineup, the Reds' offense loses one of its' vital components. It becomes considerably less imposing. It starts to bleed. It drops a peg. 

Just give Aurilia what he wants. Just show him a little love. That's all that he's asking. And given the way he's played the last two seasons, that's hardly an unreasonable request.

Money is not a major issue in this little passion play. All Aurilia desires is a guarantee that he'll occupy a regular spot  in '07.

If the Reds were smart they would say done and done. You've got it.

But for some unfathomable reason, management is hesitating and running the risk of losing a valuable commodity.

The answer is so simple that it smacks you right in the face. Just plug Aurilia in at second base and turn him loose. That would allow the gifted Brandon Phillips to return to his natural position of shortstop and suddenly all your infield questions are answered.

Having Aurilia settle in as a second sacker makes sense in every way imaginable. To begin with, it solidifies your inner defense. Moreover, it puts the 35-year-old in a less demanding spot, thereby probably extending his career.

Without having to shuffle between third (39 games) and short (25 games) and first (37 games) as he did last year, the physical toll doesn't figure to be as great.

As a result, Aurilia's stamina and strength should be easier to maintain and that could mean even more fireworks coming from his educated bat.

The Reds as currently constructed are hardly a Big Red Machine. Their offense has some noticeable holes and isn't exactly a juggernaut.

If you eliminate Aurilia from the mix, you're removing a core piece of your attack that would be very difficult to replace.

You might even being saying goodbye to your team MVP. A strong case can be made that Aurilia was the Reds' most important asset in '06.

Although numbers don't tell the whole story, they do substantiate Aurilia's worth. The 11-year vet paced the Reds in hitting (.300 ), was second in slugging percentage (.518 ), tied for second in hits ( 132 ) and was third in homers ( 23 ).

And all this was done in just 122 games. It's intriguing and tantalizing to project what Aurilia could accomplish if he played an entire season.  

You can't sacrifice that type of raking without feeling it. The effects of such a loss would be dramatic.

Subtracting Aurilia from the Reds' equation is bad arithmetic. It doesn't calculate. Management should be focused on adding some potent sticks, not deleting them.

In so many ways, Aurilia is the consummate pro. He's steady in the field and dependable with the bat.

Over the last two campaigns, Aurilia has been Cincinnati's most consistent hitter when it comes to producing in the clutch. That's an irrefutable fact.

He comes to the ballpark ready to play and sets a splendid example of how to conduct oneself on the diamond.

The guy delivers the goods day in and day out. Why in the world would you ever let a nugget like that slip through your fingers?

So here's a memo for G.M Wayne Krivsky, sent with the hopes that he heeds its' message.

Please end this silly charade and bit of cat and mouse. Just do the deal.

Offer Aurilia a two-year pact at 2.5 to 3 million per and be done with it. Put your arms around him and tell him that he's needed but even more importantly, wanted.

Convince him that those in the front office genuinely appreciate his past work and value him as both a player and as a person.

In that scenario, everyone walks away a winner. And at least for one day, all will be right in Redsland.