I told you the Reds were going to win the rest of their games to finish at 81-81. After Aaron Harang beat the Cardinals last night, they’re right on pace.
I don’t care about the end record, as long as Corey doesn’t hit so well that he prices himself out of reach for next year. I know that’s selfish, but I just don’t want to have to pay more than $3.5M next year.
How much of a lineup makeover should we expect on this team for next season?
I assume that CF and LF as well as C will be points of contention for an upgrade. Votto, Bruce, Phillips, Encarnacion, Arroyo, Harang, Volquez, Cueto, and most of the bullpen seem likely to be retained. I assume they are counting on Gonzalez to be back at SS.
I’d like to get a few more looks at Roenicke, and a few less at Richar and Castillo. It’s funny, Bruce hasn’t shown much over the last two months, and yet he’ll likely end up w/ more than 20 homers. It’s not crazy to project him to hit 30 next year, along with 20+ from Phillips, Votto, and Encarnacion. Give me one more .280-22-85 guy like that in left field, and this team will have a nice mix of power and average in a lineup that has more depth 1-8 than this year’s team ever did.
Yep, CF LF and C are the positions we have to upgrade. For the money, LF is your best bet, so settling for solid platoon players at the other positions will likely be the reality. Who knows. How much spending money are we talking here?
I’m hopin for a few big splashes…maybe an OF, a SS if Gonzo can’t go, and possible a catcher. Few upgrades in teh pen.
MOre than anything, I want to see some of the dead weight, like Valentin, Bako, Weathers and Patterson gone.
If nothing else..find some other guys who might be mediocre, but just might possible maybe have an upside…which none of the aforementioend have.
Last point..I have no idea why so many of you are down on Dickerson. Great outfielder….shown he can hit. I say put him in CF and look for a LF for next year!
I’m hoping for one big move for an outfielder (FA signing like Burrell, for example), and a serious trade for a good catcher or CF, hopefully including a serious pitching prospect like Bailey. If we fill 2 out of 3 of those positions with actual good players, then I can deal with a platoon of Dickerson/Freel or something or Hanigan/somebody at the third position. If those moves get made, the rotation pitches like it can and the bullpen pitches like it can, I don’t think we’ll be as bad as we were this year (I’m not ready to claim that we can contend next year, but maybe put together a respectable record).
I was actually going to suggest Bailey to the Rangers for Saltalamachia as it looks like he’s not going to catch in Arlington. Bailey goes back to Texas where he can be loved on, fresh start, etc. Salty gets to come to hitter friendly (not that the Ballpark isn’t) Great American and play C, hell even 1B every once in a while to give his knees a break.
I do not want Burrell, but that’s just personal preference.
I don’t want Burrell either–too streaky. Problem for us is that there is not much excess talent laying around to trade. Outside of our core (who has to stay), it’s a team full of utility guys. So we’ll either have to trade some of the farm system, which is like giving a discount, or overpay in free agency. Neither scenario is very appealing, but if I had to choose, I’d go the free agent route. Offering up Bailey is pointless. His stock is right there with AIG.
I think people in the front offices are not so quick to give up on a 21 year old kid with stuff like Bailey’s. Texax, for example, saw what happened with Volquez after a change of scenery…why not with Bailey? People don’t seem to want to give up on Phil Hughes and his road has been pretty similar.
Frankly, I don’t knw that I’m “ready” to give up on Bailey as I think the potential is still there and he could still be great, but with the addition of Owings in the Dunn trade, I see him as trade bait. I just think Texas would like to get a good ol Texan who ain’t afraid to carry around a huntin’ knife, you know, just in case.
I’d rather not give up on Bailey. I don’t think Saltalamacchia is the answer for the Reds’ catching problem.
The big thing with the Reds is their depth for starters isn’t probably drawing interest from other teams. Most if not all except Bailey aren’t projected to be impact pitchers. I’m not saying that they can’t and I hope they can be great. I’m just saying the only one that has value as a prospect is Bailey and if Bailey is good why wouldn’t we want him in that rotation?
The Reds are shooting a video — for a 2009 promo I assume. The participants are Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Keppinger. This is probably reading too much into it, but you’d think none of those guys will be traded. So does Edwin Encarnacion not being part of it mean anything?
re: #13 – It seems like Fay might be reading too much into the situation. Those 5 guys are all fan favorites. EE isn’t so popular, and he almost never smiles.
Yeah, signing Burrell would make no sense after how the organization mishandled the Dunn situation.
We all know we need a good catcher, but dang, those are hard to find. Frankly, Ross with his power and good OBP skills was a pretty decent catcher. That may sound silly but look around MLB. There aren’t many good catchers. Too bad he’s gone although I don’t know if he was worth what the Reds were paying him.
Everyone is so high on Phillips. I kind of wish the Reds would test the trading market for him. I’m not sure what he would bring. He’s got a lot of skill, but I just think he’s overrated. He does everything really well except get on base, and he’s pretty bad at that. And that’s the most important skill to have.
2009 stats: Sarasota 2-1 8 Games 8 Games Started 42.1 IP 4.89 ERA 1.44 WHIP
Carolina 3-2 6 Game 6 Game Started 36 2/3 IP 2.95 ERA 1.09 WHIP
Louisville 2-2 5 Game 5 Game Started 29 IP 2.48 ERA 1.21 WHIP
RN Exclusives!
The Big Board -- In-Depth Reds Organizational Depth Chart (updated 2/7/10)
Salary Chart -- Our chart on the current and future contract status for the Reds roster (updated 2/7/10)
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I don’t care about the end record, as long as Corey doesn’t hit so well that he prices himself out of reach for next year. I know that’s selfish, but I just don’t want to have to pay more than $3.5M next year.
How much of a lineup makeover should we expect on this team for next season?
I assume that CF and LF as well as C will be points of contention for an upgrade. Votto, Bruce, Phillips, Encarnacion, Arroyo, Harang, Volquez, Cueto, and most of the bullpen seem likely to be retained. I assume they are counting on Gonzalez to be back at SS.
I’d like to get a few more looks at Roenicke, and a few less at Richar and Castillo. It’s funny, Bruce hasn’t shown much over the last two months, and yet he’ll likely end up w/ more than 20 homers. It’s not crazy to project him to hit 30 next year, along with 20+ from Phillips, Votto, and Encarnacion. Give me one more .280-22-85 guy like that in left field, and this team will have a nice mix of power and average in a lineup that has more depth 1-8 than this year’s team ever did.
Yep, CF LF and C are the positions we have to upgrade. For the money, LF is your best bet, so settling for solid platoon players at the other positions will likely be the reality. Who knows. How much spending money are we talking here?
You made sense there Sultan.
I’m hopin for a few big splashes…maybe an OF, a SS if Gonzo can’t go, and possible a catcher. Few upgrades in teh pen.
MOre than anything, I want to see some of the dead weight, like Valentin, Bako, Weathers and Patterson gone.
If nothing else..find some other guys who might be mediocre, but just might possible maybe have an upside…which none of the aforementioend have.
Last point..I have no idea why so many of you are down on Dickerson. Great outfielder….shown he can hit. I say put him in CF and look for a LF for next year!
If CP and PB, the Mendoza twins, are re-signed, I’m officially a Brewers fan.
I’m hoping for one big move for an outfielder (FA signing like Burrell, for example), and a serious trade for a good catcher or CF, hopefully including a serious pitching prospect like Bailey. If we fill 2 out of 3 of those positions with actual good players, then I can deal with a platoon of Dickerson/Freel or something or Hanigan/somebody at the third position. If those moves get made, the rotation pitches like it can and the bullpen pitches like it can, I don’t think we’ll be as bad as we were this year (I’m not ready to claim that we can contend next year, but maybe put together a respectable record).
And doing better next year would mean a winning season, since we’re going to end up 81-81 for 2008!
I was actually going to suggest Bailey to the Rangers for Saltalamachia as it looks like he’s not going to catch in Arlington. Bailey goes back to Texas where he can be loved on, fresh start, etc. Salty gets to come to hitter friendly (not that the Ballpark isn’t) Great American and play C, hell even 1B every once in a while to give his knees a break.
I do not want Burrell, but that’s just personal preference.
I don’t want Burrell either–too streaky. Problem for us is that there is not much excess talent laying around to trade. Outside of our core (who has to stay), it’s a team full of utility guys. So we’ll either have to trade some of the farm system, which is like giving a discount, or overpay in free agency. Neither scenario is very appealing, but if I had to choose, I’d go the free agent route. Offering up Bailey is pointless. His stock is right there with AIG.
I think people in the front offices are not so quick to give up on a 21 year old kid with stuff like Bailey’s. Texax, for example, saw what happened with Volquez after a change of scenery…why not with Bailey? People don’t seem to want to give up on Phil Hughes and his road has been pretty similar.
Frankly, I don’t knw that I’m “ready” to give up on Bailey as I think the potential is still there and he could still be great, but with the addition of Owings in the Dunn trade, I see him as trade bait. I just think Texas would like to get a good ol Texan who ain’t afraid to carry around a huntin’ knife, you know, just in case.
I’d rather not give up on Bailey. I don’t think Saltalamacchia is the answer for the Reds’ catching problem.
The big thing with the Reds is their depth for starters isn’t probably drawing interest from other teams. Most if not all except Bailey aren’t projected to be impact pitchers. I’m not saying that they can’t and I hope they can be great. I’m just saying the only one that has value as a prospect is Bailey and if Bailey is good why wouldn’t we want him in that rotation?
From Fay’s blog:
The Reds are shooting a video — for a 2009 promo I assume. The participants are Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Keppinger. This is probably reading too much into it, but you’d think none of those guys will be traded. So does Edwin Encarnacion not being part of it mean anything?
LF should not be a priority for FA $.
That, and 1B, are the easiest positions to fill on the diamond. We need a good SS and CF. One of those needs to be a priority.
re: #13 – It seems like Fay might be reading too much into the situation. Those 5 guys are all fan favorites. EE isn’t so popular, and he almost never smiles.
EE doesn’t speak English all that well, as I understand it. Kepp is a Woody Woodward type.
If Pat Burrell is signed to this team – the same team that ran Adam Dunn out of town – that will probably do it for me.
Yeah, signing Burrell would make no sense after how the organization mishandled the Dunn situation.
We all know we need a good catcher, but dang, those are hard to find. Frankly, Ross with his power and good OBP skills was a pretty decent catcher. That may sound silly but look around MLB. There aren’t many good catchers. Too bad he’s gone although I don’t know if he was worth what the Reds were paying him.
Everyone is so high on Phillips. I kind of wish the Reds would test the trading market for him. I’m not sure what he would bring. He’s got a lot of skill, but I just think he’s overrated. He does everything really well except get on base, and he’s pretty bad at that. And that’s the most important skill to have.
It’s the most important skill for a hitter, I agree. But Phillips greatest asset is his glove.
If he were hitting 7th instead of 4th (!), we wouldn’t have as big a problem with his OBP. That’s not his fault, though – that’s inept management.
He’s just not a good hitter. He should be lower in the order.