Comments on: Reds Talking to Colorado (or: Please, Don’t Let This Be True!)

By: More on the Rockies, Reds, and Edwin Encarnacion – Redleg Nation

More on the Rockies, Reds, and Edwin Encarnacion – Redleg Nation — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:55:53 +0000

[...] that the Reds have been in discussions with the Rockies. In addition to the discussions that we mentioned earlier, Jocketty said they also were involved, briefly, in Matt Holliday talks: Jocketty said the Reds did [...]

By: preach

preach — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:13:35 +0000

Gee, it seems like our whole team should bat sixth

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:51:03 +0000

Agree preach…and don’t get me wrong, i bash EE, but honestly, he has a place on this team, I just feel it’s not at 3rd making 25-30 errors, and it’s not hiiting clean-up, he is a 6th spot hitter in a lineup that needs better hitter up top. On most clubs, he would still be at AAA, learning to correct his errors, both in the field and at the plate, but he is getting hard on the job training.

By: preach

preach — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:27:32 +0000

I still say Atkins should be considered for first base and move Votto to LF. I think our lineup instantly improves. Of course with EE and Atkins on the corners it would be a nail biter, but Votto doesn’t need to make any room on his mantle for a gold glove either. Atkins is a natural first baseman. Someone made the comment that he was so bad at third that they switched him to first when Helton went down out of desperation. Actually, he was switchted to third base becuase of the presence of Helton in the lineup to begin with. Whether or not we get Atkins, and the reports look like it was nothing more than intiial talks and rumor mill gossip, we need a right handed bat who can hit .300/25HR/100RBI. That would be him.

By: Mark in CC

Mark in CC — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:59:03 +0000

Glad nobody bit on the Adam Dunn comment!

By: GregD

GregD — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:25:58 +0000

I’m not sure how you can say next year’s team will be either a 74-win team or a 90-win team until we see what happens to the roster this offseason. Obviously, if they don’t make any changes to what the end of the season roster looked like, you can hardly expect a big improvement in the standings.

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:54:55 +0000

David, because i don’t see Atkins as below average. I see where his errors have gone down every year, and that he has driven in 100 runs every year. And i know…”The Coors Factor”, but EE hits in an equal hitters park, and hits .250 and drives in 70, then add the 25 errors and the increasing strikeout #s and EE is getting worse, not better. I’m not saying i want to give up on EE, but he is only 25 and has been handed 3B for lack of options.

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:46:59 +0000

I agree Dan, there is a lot of hope, but thats all it is at this point. Hope that Cueto can further develop, Hope that Jay Bruce isn’t a .250 hitter, Hope that Dickerson can play and stay healthy. I think it is safe to say Harang will be better, but i honestly don’t know which pitcher Arroyo is, that good, that bad, or somewhere in the rocky middle. I hope i am wrong, but i also doubt Volquez can duplicate his numbers. Maybe just being a Reds fan has made me negative, but i’ll go on record and say the Reds cannot even get close to .500 if EE is at 3rd and Kepp at short, the left side of the infield might as well be vacant.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:19:59 +0000

Volquez is not likely to be as good, pete. Let’s be realistic. There are not many pitchers in all of baseball you can realistically expect to go 17-6, 3.21 ERA in 2009.

That said, I do think it’s fair to expect Harang and whoever fills the #5 starter slot to be better than this past year.

All in all, maybe that’s a wash, but expecting the Reds (74 wins) to jump to 90 wins is insanity, IMO.

I would expect 74-78 wins, and I would hope for a commitment to youth, starting pitching, and OBP that would lead to improvement in 2010 and beyond.

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:11:16 +0000

True, Atkins grounded into the most DPs by 3rd basemen last year…ARod was 3rd on that list, David Wright was 5th…wouldn’t want those guys either!

By: Dale

Dale — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:49:58 +0000

Everyone always harps that the Reds don’t spend enough, but they never spend wisely! Time to let Weathers go! His numbers were decent, he did his job while here, but closing in on 40 years old, its time for a drop-off. Reds have to stop paying old vets based on past performance, if someone else will give Weathers big money based on last year, better them than us. Same with Merker, Stanton, ect.. there are good enough young arms here to fill the void.

By: mhopp

mhopp — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:45:10 +0000

Well, looks like David Weathers is ready to move on. Can’t say I blame him as his numbers were good and could play for a winner next year plus make more money and not have to deal with Baker and crew. Of course Hairston wants to come back…since nobody wants him anyway knowing last year was just a fluke. check out mlb.com for the latest.

By: David

David — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:48:37 +0000

Dale – that is exactly my point. Why spend 6 million on an average/below avg. 3B when a year of EdE is just as good?

By: pete

pete — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:34:20 +0000

I think we’ll contend regardless.
Consider this:
1) Arroyo and Volquez roughly repeat this years performance
2) Harang returns to his norm
3) Cueto does what should be expected for his sophomore year based on his rookie performance and his raw stuff.

Toss in the fact that we’ll probably have one of the better # five pitchers in the league (considering all of our options), and we won’t have the dead weight of Patterson and Bako dragging us down. Plus, regardless of what Jocketty does this winter, I really can’t envision him not improving the team in some capacity. Call me crazy, but I truly believe we will win 90 games.

By: cgcpa

cgcpa — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:32:22 +0000

Adam Dunn would