WVUFanInPratt: Just wanted to say that I am new to this site, I love the Reds, and this is a test post to see if I know what I am doing.

Welcome aboard !!!

catcard202: Well, looks as if the Rays picked up Ramon Ramirez off the waiver wire…Too bad…I like his grit. He may not have had the best stuff…but he knew how to pitch fearlessly.So, That’s another open spot on the 40. And I’d expect to here of a few more, w/in days/weeks.SITE INFO: (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ADD THE LINK! SORRY – CUT & PASTE!!)http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20091109&content_id=7642946&vkey=pr_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

Yeh I liked Ramirez too. But with the 40 man roster squeeze, I can’t say we should have held on to him.

So, That’s another open spot on the 40. And I’d expect to here of a few more, w/in days/weeks.

SITE INFO: (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ADD THE LINK! SORRY – CUT & PASTE!!)

http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20091109&content_id=7642946&vkey=pr_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb

GregD: Lehr’s situation is unique. I’m guessing that series of transactions keep him off the 40-man since he was outrighted from the roster. I believe that does mean he passed through waivers. This may be a shrewd move to keep Lehr in the organization and let him compete for Volquez’s spot in spring trainng. Since you can’t have players on the 60-day DL during the rule V draft, Volquez has to be activated and put on the 40-man roster this month. Lehr’s move allows them to keep a potential 5th starter in the organization. If he wins the jobin spring training, Volquez goes on the 60-day DL and Lehr can take his spot.

If that is the case on the rule V, they have a lot of room to clear to make room for the prospects that have to be protected…

Viewing Hanigan as “only a backup” is stupid and closed-minded. I know his RBI’s were terrible, and I know he finished badly, but overall I like his game a lot. He’s not perfect, but we could do a LOT worse.

And, oh yeah, Hanigan makes the minimum! That’s important since we’ll be paying 4 good-but-not-great guys over $10 million each this year…

As I’ve looked at the stats of fairly good catchers from the recent past, it’s really been striking that almost all of them stuck around a year or two too long, and almost all of them just dropped off a cliff — usually after a perfectly season too. They almost all have a season or two of just TERRIBLE stats at the tail ends of their careers. Sometimes it happens at age 34, or 36, or occasionally as much as 40 (Benito Santiago comes to mind, maybe Zaun also), but it eventually happened to all of them.

If the Reds insist on having a “veteran catcher” (stupid in my opinion — I want a GOOD catcher not necessarily a VETERAN catcher!) they run the risk of paying someone for one of those horrible end-of-career years.

Better to let them walk a year too early than a year too late.

Is Hannigan Johnny Bench? No, but his numbers are really fine for a guy who will be getting 300 at bats. He has virtually no power, but gets on base well. He is better than Hernandez at everything, except power, and Hernandez is not exactly Babe Ruth.

I’d much rather have Zaun split time with Hanigan for the 2-3 million it would cost to keep Hernandez.

This may be a shrewd move to keep Lehr in the organization and let him compete for Volquez’s spot in spring trainng. Since you can’t have players on the 60-day DL during the rule V draft, Volquez has to be activated and put on the 40-man roster this month. Lehr’s move allows them to keep a potential 5th starter in the organization. If he wins the jobin spring training, Volquez goes on the 60-day DL and Lehr can take his spot.

th4433: Who thinks that the Reds could go after Pedro Feliz.The Phillies have decided not to pick up his option.He could be a decent shortstop

A 34-year old third baseman with a career .293 OBP… to play SS? Uhh… no thanks.