Headlines

  • Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez
  • Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch: Ramon Hernandez

By Tim Dierkes | September 12, 2011 at 11:14am CDT

During the period of 2003-06, Ramon Hernandez was consistently among the top ten offensive catchers in the game.  He hit .278/.335/.466 in 494 games in that time, averaging almost 19 home runs per season.  Fortunately for Hernandez, he reached free agency when he was still in his prime, and he scored a four-year, $27.5MM deal with the Orioles in December of 2005.

Hernandez

After three years in Baltimore Hernandez had worn out his welcome, and the Orioles shipped him to the Reds with cash for Ryan Freel, Justin Turner, and Brandon Waring.  Hernandez wasn't great in his first year with the Reds, but they re-upped him for $3MM anyway.  He managed to improve his batting average and power, but re-signed with the Reds again for the same money.  Hernandez has had another solid offensive year in 2011, though he is averaging less than 100 games per season.  Hernandez has re-entered the discussion of the ten best offensive catchers in baseball, but he's something less than a regular and will turn 36 in May.

Hernandez re-signed in November both times, before the Reds were forced to decide whether to offer arbitration.  If no deal is reached by the free agent arbitration offer deadline this year, the Reds will have a tough decision.  Hernandez profiles as a Type A free agent.  At the trade deadline, Reds GM Walt Jocketty wasn't even willing to listen to offers for him, under the assumption no team would offer enough.  In August, Hernandez was claimed off waivers but Jocketty again chose not to make a deal.

Jocketty's unwillingness to trade Hernandez suggests he's thinking of re-signing Hernandez, or at least is mulling an arbitration offer.  Hernandez and his agent Eric Goldschmidt are aware that turning down an arbitration offer from the Reds would hurt his market value, as a team would have to surrender a draft pick to sign him.  There's a case to be made for accepting an offer, as Hernandez clearly likes Cincinnati and he'd get a raise too.  But with Devin Mesoraco considered the catcher of the near future for the Reds and backup Ryan Hanigan locked up through 2013, how much playing time would Hernandez get?  The Reds could trade Hernandez if he accepts, at which point the catcher would probably wish he had simply chosen his destination in free agency.

There's an intricate game of cat-and-mouse when a free agent like Hernandez gets Type A status.  The Reds could play it safe and not offer arbitration, but then they'd risk getting nothing for him.  I think the club has more leverage here, since Hernandez would be tradeable if he accepts.  If he declines Hernandez would probably be the best catcher available on the free agent market, but he'd be a better fit for a team with a protected first-round draft pick.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Share 0 Retweet 9 Send via email0

Cincinnati Reds Free Agent Stock Watch Ramon Hernandez

Starters Who Could Be Extended Before Free Agency
Main
Rays Designate Rob Delaney For Assignment
View Comments (7)
Post a Comment

7 Comments

  1. Brandon R. Warne

    14 years ago

    The Twins, with its protected first round pick, are an ideal fit. 

    Reply
  2. rayking

    14 years ago

    Why they didn’t trade him to the Giants at the deadline boggles my mind. I like Jocketty but he uncharacteristically messed up there.

    Now, they probably offer him arb and hope he declines but trade him if he accepts. They had more leverage at the trade deadline.

    Reply
    • ctownboy

      14 years ago

      They didn’t trade him because Ca$htellini didn’t want to make it seem like the team was giving up on the season (and thus discouraging fans from wasting, err, spending their money at the stadium) and Toothpick wanted to keep his veterans around so that they could get more playing time and improve their chances of getting a contract for the 2012 season.

      At this time of the year, just like in Spring Training, Fistbands thinks it is more important for the veterans to show what they have, so as to get another contract or more playing time, then it is for the youth to show what they have.

      Reply
      • stl_cards16

        14 years ago

        Most of the fans I speak to would have preferred to have him traded and Mesoraco brought up.  I don’t think that would of been giving up on the season.

        Reply
        • ctownboy

          14 years ago

          Ca$htellini still thinks Fistbands is a good Manager and trusts in what he says and what he wants. 

          Fistbands history shows that he always has favorite players and plays them NO MATTER WHAT (Neifi Perez, Corey Patterson).

          Fistbands history also shows that he wants to get veterans as much playing time as possible so that they have a better shot at a contract for the next season, whether that contract comes from the team Toothpick is managing or another team.

          Seeing that Hernandez is a veteran, a Fistbands favorite and also seeing his stats at the trade deadline and his stupid nickname (Clutch Man Monie) it is obvious that Fistbands wanted to keep Hernandez and that Ca$htellini thought trading him away would be  a sign that the team had given up.

          Reply
  3. Shane Kormelink

    14 years ago

    Loved Monie’s time here in Cincinnati, but we’ve got to make room for Mesoraco and (eventually, soon enough) Yasmani Grandal.

    Reply
  4. ctownboy

    14 years ago

    I can see the lunacy now; the Reds re-sign Hernandez (because he is one of Toothpick’s favorites) and trade Hanigan (just like in 2008 when they kept Paul Bako, who was one of Fistband’s favorites and released David Ross, who they received nothing for).

    Then, when Hernandez’s offensive production falls off a cliff, is injured, or both (because of his age), they are forced to play Mesoraco more than Toothpick wants.  When Mesoraco doesn’t play up to expectations, Fistbands will start saying the team needs a Catcher with “veteran presence” and the Reds then go out and sign somebody off the scrap heap (Johnny Bench, Mike Piazza?) who gets the majority of the playing time.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Recent

    Trade Deadline Outlook: Chicago Cubs

    Latest On Rockies’ Expected Deadline Approach

    Kolby Allard Elects Free Agency

    Rangers Re-Sign Billy McKinney To Minor League Deal

    White Sox Outright Vinny Capra

    White Sox Sign Kyle Tyler To Minor League Deal

    Nationals Sign Luis Garcia

    Poll: The Yankees’ Biggest Need At The Deadline

    Yankees Place Mark Leiter Jr. On IL With Fibular Head Stress Fracture

    Rhys Hoskins Expects To Be Out Roughly Six Weeks

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version