Jocketty: "I'd Say We're Buyers"

It's time for this team to become buyers. They have a good shot to make the playoffs playing in a division that none of the typical contenders seem to want to win. If they can add another bat there lookin pretty good and they get one of horses on the mound back soon.

I'm not familiar with the Reds farm system. Do they have any good corner infield prospects they'd be willing to give up for Huff? I'm sure Yonder Alonso is out of the equation.

Yonder Alonso will not be traded so easily. Dont count on Jocketty giving up Alonso in a package unless its for Jones. O's wont trade him and thats my point haha.

Huff is decent, a guy to take reps at third, but another lefty? High Ks, low avg..not what the Reds need.

Reds have a decent number of prospects to trade for the right price. Bailey, Stubbs, Alonso, Fraizer, Soto are the better prospects. Thompson, Fransisco, Sutten, Dorn, Lokzar (although i like him a lot) we could trade one or a few of the guys for a bat.

We need a right handed outfielder/shortstop/third basemen. Young, or controllable for a few years. Renting isnt a very good option unless its at a discount.

I said that I didn't think Alonso would be part of discussions. I wasn't saying that it should be Huff for Alonso.

If I'm the Reds I'm keeping the higher end prospects (Stubbs, Bailey, Alonso, and Fraizer) and dealing some of the lesser talent along with Encarcion.

They need a long term answer at SS and a LF wouldn't be bad either. Though some combination of Dickerson/Nix/Gomes will work just as well.

I would like to see the Reds make a play for Stephen Drew or JJ Hardy.

Huff I don't think provides the Reds with anything that they need being that he's more a 1B/DH at this point then he is a 3B and the Reds already have a superior player at 1B.

DeRosa I think will be highly sought after and the cost won't match what his value will be to the team that acquires him.

I think I would release Taveras and call up Stubbs, he would take over CF and leadoff duties.

I would send EE to the Giants for Sanchez to give the Reds a lefty with some stuff, though I think Sanchez has taken a major step backwards this year. Had very high hopes for him.

Fraizer would become my 3B.

That leaves SS as the position that I try to fill.

If Drew were really available I would be open to dealing Alonso in a package to get him.

absolutely would go after drew
if we got him then i would think about moving EE not sure about sanchez though GABP might not be good for him frazier and stubbs do deserve a shot

"I still think the Reds should target the Dodgers with Arroyo and or Harang. Target Hudson (and move Phillips to SS, which is where he should be anyway)for Arroyo, or Kemp and a bad expiring pitching contract (Dodgers have plenty) for Harang, and solve the Reds CF/RH bat problem at once.

If those options aren't pursued, I'd love to see an Arroyo + Masset/Victorino + prospect trade, or an Arroyo + Owings/Granderson trade to spark the top of the order. With as much depth as the Reds bullpen has, and for as young and cheap as it is, leverage the heck out of it.

Posted by: Kevin Mitchell is Batman | June 23, 2009 at 10:51 PM"

Umm...I don't know what to say. I'm almost 100% sure that the Dodgers wouldn't trade Kemp for Harang or Hudson for Arroyo.
Also, Granderson isn't going anywhere. I'm not sure how you value players, but you might want to look it over again.

As for Bailey, he's finally owning AAA hitters, not just pitching well but looking like he's a ML pitcher there with his A game. If the split finger is a real out pitch for him then he can still make good.

Give him three starts at the ML level to show what he can do.

If he's a headcase with one pitch then you move him, but if he's the guy that is dominating AAA now the Reds have three young ace caliber arms.

Oakland and Atlanta made World Series runs with similar.

Which is why Arroyo is the guy to trade and the prospects that project to be 3s and 4s are what needs to be moved.

"If we did something," he continued, "it would probably be to bring in a hitter."

As Reds fans, WHERE have we heard THIS before?

Oh yeah, last Fall, two weeks BEFORE Ca$htellini came out and said the economy would NOT prevent the Reds from doing what they wanted to do.

They then proceeded to WASTE money on signing retread, scrap heap players like Willy Taveras, Jerry Hairston Jr, Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, Jacque Jones and Daryl Ward.

So, let's see. Jocketty says the Reds are STILL looking for a hitter and the economy hasn't gotten any better, the Reds attendance and sponsorships have fallen and the team is one Game under .500, 4 1/2 Games out of First place and have five teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race.

I see that Javier Valentin has been Designated For Assignment so THAT would work out PERFECTLY for the Reds; They get a cheap, scrap heap player who has previously played for Toothpick Baker and who could be the third Catcher on the team.

Yep, sounds about right......

Homer Bailey has shown that he can pitch at AAA. Hell, Jeremy Sowers can do that.

Not gonna happening.....

But what about a Shin-Soo Choo for Johnny Cueto deal?

If the Reds do actually think Bailey can perform, then bring him up. Volquez whould be back in a bit as well.

They'd then still have a pretty solid 1-3 with Harang, Volquez, and Arroyo.

Indians aren't gonna trade Choo....but I'd consider it if it meant getting a stud pitcher.

Kind of like the Delomon Young-Garza deal a few years back.....

An OF of Stubbs, Bruce, and Choo over the next 4 years for the Reds would be pretty amazing...

And a rotation of Lee, Cueto, Westbrook, Huff, and Carmona (if he gets his act together) could be good enough to get the Indians to the playoffs and World Series in 2010.

Their offense would take a hit....but they're 3rd in the leauge in runs scored with Hafner, Grady, and Cabrera missing significant time. And Peralta has only 4 HRs. If those 4 play anywhere close to where they can, and LaPorta steps up, the offense will be fine.

Again, not happening......but wonder who would balk first at that trade.....

cueto has been a top twenty NL pitcher and we would trade him for a guy who the indians have been waiting to put it together for a couple of years? no thanks

Cueto is likely the very LAST person the Reds would trade so even suggesting him is laughable. He's 23 with a 2.55 ERA. I agree the Reds biggest need is a long term SS or a left fielder. They've committed 7M to Encarnacion for the next 2 years, so he's going to be here barring a trade (and who's going to trade for a guy that hasn't played in months). The Reds do NOT need a starting pitcher so any of those moves aren't going to happen either.

Honestly, I don't know who the Reds would buy. They're getting decent offense from the OF, IF they use their internal resources correctly. They need 3B/SS help, and I don't know who's got that. Tejada? I doubt the Stros are selling because McLane's a moron.

1- Release Willy Taveras. Seriously. He sucks. Call up Stubbs.

2- The Nix/Gomes platoon is really really effective, if its done correctly. Nix v. RHP, Gomes v. LHP, although I do let Gomes get a few v. groundballing righties.

3- EE for Delmon Young? That's an awful deal for the Reds. Young has a shitton of potential, but EE has shown a lot more at the MLB level. On the EE for Sanchez note, if the objective is to trade EE for a pitcher, I'd like to see the Reds and A's match up.

The problem with EE is that he's been horrible all around this year, and is a known horrible glove on top of that. Chances are excellent that if the Reds were to get anything resembling talent its going to be some other teams problem child.

Which is why I said Delmon Young or Sanchez. Sometimes it just takes the right staff to get the most out of a player, and the wrong staff to get the least.

Tejada is readily available but I don't think he's a SS any more and that is where Dusty would play him. When making moves you also have to factor in what Dusty would do. Tejada is also a shell of his former self offensively and isn't going to get better over night. Unless the Reds can get him on the cheap and have the Astros pick up some of the contract I want nothing to do with him.

I would love to bring Zimmerman to Cincinnati, but I would see the Red Sox trading Youkilis before I would see the Nationals dealing Zimmerman, he's the face of their franchise

However I would be open to dealing Alonso, Maloney, Thompson, EE and perhaps a fifth player for Zimmerman if the Reds were granted a extension window.

Zimmerman is close to the perfect player for the Reds needs this year. Long term I think a SS is the larger need.

Cleveland hangs up the phone because they realize Maloney is Jeremy Sowers part II. He can get out AAA hitters but doesn't have the stuff to pitch every fifth day for the big league club. The Indians could get a better package elsewhere.

That being said, it depends on the other prospect. Buck doesn't get it done b/c of injury history.

And, I don't think DeRosa does anything for the Reds. As someone else said, the Gomes/Nix platoon is working very well. That means DeRosa will have to play third, and unless they can get rid of EE, you have a roster problem on your hands.

The Reds answer is to move EE for whatever they can get in a three way deal for a stud 3B, or go after a SS.

The Reds will not trade Cueto or Volquez they are untouchable, but Homer Bailey and EE are on the block, but I have no idea who would want either head case?????

Matt Maloney + Dallas Buck/minor league relief prospect for DeRosa.

Who hangs up the phone?

Posted by: melonis rex | June 24, 2009 at 11:30 AM

Reds. Maloney is good and has been pitching well consistently in our minors for years. He doesn't walk a lot and strikes out a ton of batters. Personally i believe he could be a decent #4 lefty type of pitcher who battles his way into wining. buck is whatever but high upside. he can be part of a deal but not Maloney for De Rosa..hes good but not incredible.