Hernandez is a classic “change of scenery” guy. It doesn’t hurt that 2009 is a contract year for him, too. He posted a .257-15-65-49-0 line for the Orioles in ‘08, not too bad for a catcher but also not the 20 HR, 80 RBI form we’ve seen him flash. I’d like to blame his early-season sore wrist, but the monthly trends don’t fully support it. He’s 33 in May; will it ever come back? Don’t look for the ballpark to inflate his stats; both Camden Yards and Great American Ballpark boost right-handed HRs by at least 20%. But the move back to the NL and the aforementioned factors make him a solid buy. I can see him sneaking into the top ten for catchers, his strong contact rate boosting his AVG back past .270.

Freel says he’s healthy now, but his hard-charging ways make him a constant injury risk. He’s not slated for full-time duty currently, but an injury or a Brian Roberts trade could change that. This year he’s only outfield-eligible until he racks up some games in the infield. Freel is a guy who’s going to attempt a steal 25-30% of the time he reaches first base, and that’s his value. He’s a waiver wire pickup you can spot in for cheap thievery.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.osnotes11dec11002023,0,1881109.story

“I really had a good time in Baltimore. I played my hardest. I gave it my best when I was there. I guess that’s just the way baseball is. You’re here one day, and the next day you are in another place.”…He did, however, acknowledge that it’s nice to get a fresh start with a new team. Hernandez’s defense, effort and conditioning had been sharply criticized during his final two seasons with the Orioles. “If it’s the blame I’m getting, I got to take it,” Hernandez said, maintaining he felt no bitterness. “If the blame is on me, I can take the blame. But I was trying my hardest. If it didn’t work out, at least I was going to try my hardest.”

I think some of the reaction to this deal is motivated by uncertainty over where we are going. I realize it is too early for the angst filled “what are we doing” post but I thought with the moves we made last year there was a recognition that the core group of players was not going to get done and that we needed to rebuild. Now we are signing/trading for 30+ year old middle of the road veterans (albeit on short deals that should not handicap us). I guess my concern is we are building a team ready to hang around 75-85 wins, but without much chance to be better than that. Hopefully, the moves to come will show that is not the case.

Gotta be better than the production we got from catcher last year.

In addition, I think that would set up Hanigan nicely for being the #1 guy (meaning probably 400-500 AB’s) in 2010.

True enough, but you couldn’t dump Freel’s contract on the free-agent market. The Reds had to pick up an experienced player at a scarce position, and the junk available on the free agent market is either terribly overpriced or not even worth the veteran minimum.

Most people think Hanigan can be a league-average player as soon as this season, but I’m glad Jocketty’s not betting the season on that assumption.

We also know that “chemistry” and winning go hand-in-hand. If the Reds get off to a slow start in April, does Hernandez stay positive or does his attitude affect his performance?