Loading ...Hal McCoy reportedly said that Ryan Freel is on the block. Makes sense, given the glut of utility/spare part types (Keppinger, Castro, Andy Green, Andy Phillips, Jolbert Cabrera, and howevermany Drews Anderson).
Hat tip to whomever’s manning ctrentrosecrans.com today (Mr. Redlegs?).
Usually, I’m not a big fan of interdivision deals, but in this case I’d be in favor of approaching the Cubs.
So if the season started today, would general manager Jim Hendry be satisfied with his roster?
”No,” Hendry told the Sun-Times on Sunday. ”We’re going to have to add somebody before Opening Day. I can’t say for sure because you are going to have to acquire somebody from somewhere else, but we are going to have to add at least another outfielder to be in the mix off the bench — from the right side.”
The need for another outfielder has become so great, manager Lou Piniella will give right fielder Kosuke Fukudome some looks in center this week.
Fukudome has made it clear to Piniella he prefers right field. Piniella stressed that Fukudome is simply an insurance policy for center.
”I think Jim will be able to pick up a center fielder,” Piniella said.
Hendry has been working overtime to swing a deal.
I’m all for the Freel for Pie trade. . . .
Yeah, I’ve been manning Rosecrans’ site all weekend and stealing material from every SOB on the web. Not that I don’t know how to build content, but it’s really much harder when you’re behind a desk instead of in the field.
Tough crowd, too. Not one yee-haw for my Kenny Rogers recital. Maybe all the young people didn’t know there’s another Kenny Rogers. One who married a Hee-Haw girl.
Not that I would actually know anything about Hee-Haw. . . .
Freel for Lee. Straight up.
The Padres have to be looking at backup plans for Jim Edmonds, right?
What happened to the Lizard? Last I knew he was rehabbing and set to be back this year and the Reds mailbag said he is with the Rangers now. I thought I had been keeping up on everything, but I missed that one. He wasn’t part of the Hamilton deal was he?
The Tampa Tribune lists Freel as a possibility for the Rays:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/16/sp-rays-are-still-mulling-outfield-possibilities/?sports-rays
Alex, he was a minor league free agent and went and signed up with Texas before the Hamilton trade and before they signed Guardado.
Dusty quote from today:
“Those guys came out of A ball. It’s a matter of sometimes you go with the talent, especially when you haven’t been winning with the stuff you’ve been using.”
So you go with talent. Like going with Bruce instead of bringing in people to take his place and criticizing him at the drop of a hat.
Yeah, but what about the Reds needs?? If we trade Freel and Encarnacion tanks the first few weeks again while AGon is on the shelf, that means Castro would actually sniff the field. Kepp can’t play two positions at once. Can he? We might want to hold onto him for a month. The timing of this deal will be crucial to maximizing his value.
Sultan makes a point. If Freel himself cannot bring a needed piece to your team, and I don’t think his trade value is that high, the smart move might be to keep the utility guy around until the real critical need arises for several teams, and then maybe you can package Freel with a Belisle, Fogg, or Patterson for what you really need. We talk about Patterson and Fogg a lot, but those guys could bring something back in return with a guy like Freel. It’s not so bad to have a few spare parts early in the season, you just don’t want to have to depend on them come June and July.
I’d hate to see Freel leave this team. He brings the right approach to baseball and can’t help but have a positive influence on the young players in the system right now.
The right approach does not equal the right results. He is fragile, a poor fielder who keeps himself from being a serious liability through hustle alone, and he hits in very streaky fits of nothing.
Bruce to AAA.