Loading ...As I mentioned in the comments below, I didn’t have much of a problem with the Jeff Conine trade. We gave away nothing, and got a backup in return: nothing to get excited or upset about.
This guy disagrees, and I found his analysis interesting:
Where the Reds are losing is that Conine is probably going to take away at-bats from Chris Denorfia, who’s a better player, and the organization is too cowardly to platoon Conine with Hatteberg after Hatteberg’s fine season. Not that organizational cowardice is anything new – this is the team that boldly cuts Josh Hancock for being fat and Brandon Claussen for being injured but refuses to take any kind of a stand with players that the average talk radio casual fan has heard of.
Dunn-Griffey-Conine is a really comical defensive outfield – Eric Milton should sue the Reds for violating his rights under the 8th amendment.
Another thumbs-down for the Reds. Wayne Krivsky’s Problem Solving Policy remains “Look at team, identify hole that Marty Brennaman or Hal McCoy comically rant incoherently about, acquire the most famous, cheapest player Wayne remembers from when he was making Terry Ryan’s coffee or picking up Terry Ryan’s lunch from Gleuk’s on 6th Street with exact change and tip because Wayne can’t figure out what the numbers on different bills signify.
Ouch. I agree that this deal is a stinker if Conine is anything more than a part-time player with the Reds. (I agree, as well, with the sentiments above about Hancock and, especially, Claussen.) I just can’t imagine that the Reds think Conine still has the ability to play every day.
Conine got almost 500 ABs last year and the Reds have shown no inclination to believe that players get old, so I can easily foresee them giving him 500 ABs.
I’m also not convinced that Denorfia is a better player, but he might be and one has to assume that he’ll get better than what we saw last year.
If Brandon Claussen and Dave Williams one game in the major leagues this year, Krivsky should be sent the way of Joe Mays…and be shown the door.
Conine is probably one of the better options out there to fill our particular need (right handed bat with pop that can play first and the outfield). Now let’s concentrate on pitching, please!!!
I guess I really don’t like this deal since I have complete confidence that Narron will find this guy 500 ABs. If he played first against lefties, OF only in an emergency, and PH from the right side, I’d be OK with it. But I don’t like that the deal resulted in Harris being cut loose, and I fully expect Conine to get way too many ABs in the OF. Conine looks to have begun a big decline last year, and it’s likely to continue. By the way, Conine has next to no pop left, hasn’t for some time. The Reds would probably be better off to start Votto and use both Hatteberg and Conine off the bench.
These are BBTF Zip Projections for the 1B and OF that Conine will suck ABs from, along with Harris just to show his potential, note he can play middle infield.
Name P Age AVG OBP SLG OPS
Scott Hatteberg* 1b 37 .270 .360 .398 .758
Joey Votto* 1b 23 .259 .334 .451 .785
Jesse Gutierrez 1b 29 .256 .324 .402 .726
Chris Denorfia cf 26 .287 .353 .440 .793
Ryan Freel cf 31 .265 .361 .376 .737
Jeff Conine 1b/of 40 .266 .333 .394 .727
Brendan Harris 3b 26 .258 .318 .431 .749
Like I said, I’m not at all impressed with this pickup, 2M for a guy most likely in serious decline who I feel will get far too many ABs due to his being a veteran.
I don’t know how Conine couldn’t get 400 ABs this season. Unless Josh Hamilton turns into a punisher of lefties, Conine is going to start in the outfield everytime Griffey or Freel need a day off or, as is very possible, breaks or tears something. The team is one outfield injury from Conine being a starter and Freel and Griffey do not exactly inspire health-related confidence. And while I want Denorfia to do well, he was not particulary good last season, so I think he will need a fantastic spring to show the team that he deserves to be more than a defensive replacement in the outfield.