Comments on: Reds Showing Interest in Joe Blanton

By: Peter Nincompoop

Peter Nincompoop — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:04:50 +0000

In response to who ever says the Red’s need to focus on winning now (pro-blanton trade) rather sitting tight with their prospects obviously have no idea how good the Red’s top prospects are. They have 2 of the top 10 prospects in the Majors in Bruce and Bailey. Votto and Cueto are top 50 prospects also. The case can be made the Cueto is just as good as Bailey. He is one of the most underrated pitching prospects in baseball and maybe the best under the radar prospect. The best part is, all four of them are if not Major league ready, then right on the cusp. I’d much rather let these guys blossom into what they possibly could be (2 pitching studs, a man-child of an outfielder, and an above average stick at first), then throw them away for a soft tosser with no outpitch who would most likely meet his demise at the pathetic excuse for a MLB ballpark known as Great American Ballpark.

(Let the barrage of “there’s no guarentee in prospects” comments, and the like, commence)

By: Tampa Red

Tampa Red — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:15:01 +0000

Yes, of course I realize that GABP inflates ERA Doug. And I love your website and I look at it almost daily.

But having said that, the Reds will NEVER get out of their current cycle of losing as long as they have your mentality. It’s always next year, and the year after.

And then next year comes, and the Reds have filled one hole and another opens up. The Reds are only guaranteed Griffey and Dunn for 2008. After this year, the OF becomes a crap shoot. And those are only the holes we now about TODAY.

If the Reds can somehow pry Blanton out of the A’s grasp for one near-ready prospect and a lower-level prospect or two, they need to make that trade.

There is a window in 2008. No one is promised tomorrow.

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:27:09 +0000

How does Blanton get people out? If he gives up a bunch of fly balls, then there is no way he should pitch in Great American considering he doesn’t strike out anyone.

That should be called the Eric Milton rule.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:23:01 +0000

Even though we would be giving up a lot, I feel like the only chance to be in contention this year is to get a guy like Blanton. If we can get a dependable pitcher without giving up Bruce, I say do it because next year we may not have Griffey or Dunn.

By: Dphill

Dphill — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:51:55 +0000

I agree that a combo of Bailey or Cueto and Votto is way to much. I am a little nervous about Blantons numbers to when you look at his era on the road, but Bronson Arroyo benefited very nicely since coming to the NL, so maybe Blanton could to

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:24:14 +0000

Thank you, Doug! I could not agree more.

I posted basically the same sort of comment (Bailey’s probably as good as Blanton now) over on John Fay’s blog, to which some commenter replied “LMAO.”

I’m a bit new to the lingo of the internets, but I can only assume that “LMAO” stands for “Listen man… astute observation!”

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:42:20 +0000

Tampa Red,

You realize that the hit Blanton would take from pitching in GABP instead of Oakland would trump any decrease in his ERA realized by changing leagues, right?

He’d likely have an ERA around 4.50. Homer is quite likely to post an ERA close to that, and it won’t cost us Votto. NO WAY IN HELL do I make this deal for what Fay is suggesting.

By: Tampa Red

Tampa Red — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:24:47 +0000

Dan:

As I said earlier in the thread, I think the asking price as reported by Fay was too much.

My comments were in response to the line of thought that Blanton, my translation, ain’t worth a crap.

Put Blanton in the NL and you can knock half a run off of his ERA, home or away. And he will get you a ton of quality innings and 15+ wins. There is real value in that.

I would definitely give up EITHER Bailey or Cueto for Blanton, not both, and if needed, I would throw in another prospect from around the A ball level. Travis Wood, perhaps?

If the A’s would actually agree to do that deal, which I think is questionable, the Reds would be foolish not to do it.

By: Pauly

Pauly — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:54:55 +0000

And remember, that 3.8 million will just go up the next couple years because of arbitration. That’s why Beane wants to dump Blanton. He’s starting to get expensive.
Either way, I don’t think much of Krivsky, but I don’t think he’d be dumb enough to trade Bailey, Cueto or Votto.I think two or three lower-level guys can get this deal done.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:19:25 +0000

Would you rather have…

Blanton, age 28, a tad better than average, under control for 3 years (I think) for $3.8 million…

or…

A 21-year-old (Bailey or Cueto) potential stud (granted, not a sure thing) under team control for 6 years (I think), for something like $400K?

Have patience… we didn’t develop these two potential studs just so we could flip them for league-averageness.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:15:38 +0000

Dude, this isn’t slide rule stuff, these are basic facts (I’m recopying from above):

Joe Blanton

2005 home – 3.35 ERA
2005 road – 3.73 ERA

2006 home – 4.52 ERA
2006 road – 5.12 ERA

2007 home – 2.69 ERA
2007 road – 5.11 ERA

Career home – 3.55 ERA
Career road – 4.66 ERA

The guy is durable, and probably around league-average. I don’t see how he is POSSIBLY worth even ONE of our better prospects.

By: Tampa Red

Tampa Red — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:27:12 +0000

Here’s a suggestion:

Put away your slide rules and quit spending so much time analyzing Algebraball (Pecota, Replacement Value, etc) and look for Baseball players.

That’s what Blanton is.

By: Tampa Red

Tampa Red — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:21:44 +0000

Reds fans crack me up, always overvalueing prospects and never willing to try to win now.

Blanton is a quality big league starting pitcher, a category the Reds are woefully lacking in. Yes, he pitches is a good ballpark for pitchers, but he also pitches in a bad LEAGUE for pitchers, and on a bad team.

And yet he won 14 games last year. No, the Reds couldn’t use a guy like that!! Not when we have NEXT YEAR to worry about!

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:57:47 +0000

Oh. Never mind about that last post.

I just went over to the Reds official site and saw that they just signed Craig Wilson to a minor league contract.

Goodbye Votto. I guess this deal is done. Question is: Who’s going with him?

If we walk out of this with Bailey and Cueto intact, it’ll be a miracle……..

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:44:51 +0000

One of you guys out there help me on this please:

If the A’s ARE asking for Votto with one of these young pitchers plus whatever else (if it’s more than that, I say forget it anyway), why did the Reds dump Cantu for…….uh, nothing?

I’m obviously ignorant on this one. Somebody enlighten me, seriously! Was the guy some sort of cancer that we, the average fan, don’t know about because his upside (especially considering his price) seemed well worth keeping around at least for a year to give him a chance if we aren’t going to keep Votto.

Not that I don’t think that Hattie and Kepp (probably) wouldn’t do a decent job over on 1st, but come on, all of you know what I mean! The Hat isn’t going to be around for anything but a few more years.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that decent 1B aren’t THAT hard to come by, but still……..