Email a copy of 'Three Needs: Cincinnati Reds' to a friend
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By Jeff Todd | at
Email a copy of 'Three Needs: Cincinnati Reds' to a friend
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ronnsnow
How much sense would Joey Votto to the Red Sox make if they’re able to ship Hanley somewhere?
Jeff Todd
I’d have been stunned under the old administration, but with Dombrowski in town, who knows? I think there are teams that would be interested, as Votto is an amazing player, but I’ve not yet gotten the sense from any Reds reporters that there is any real consideration of a trade.
redsneck
I’d think it would be highly unlikely that the Reds would move Votto at least until their new TV contract is signed. They have already taken a decent hit to their ratings due to poor play but trading away their most popular player would certainly not help their contract negotiations. I believe their current deal expires at the end of 2017. Seems like many in the Cincy meedia believe that a deal will be reached sometime next year. After that who knows.
johnsilver
I don’t see Dombrowski even wanting to take on nearly 25m annually for a 1b over the next 8y. Way to much for a 1b until the age of 40.
They can fill the position internally for a few years if need be should the Ramirez experiment fail, with Sandoval moving to 1st, Holt to 3b, Devers to 3b in a couple of years.. They have multiple kids a couple of years away who are options for the left side.
monroe_says
Didn’t he just do that very thing with Miguel Cabrera?
bruinsfan94 2
Cabrera was already a fan favorite in Detroit so it was a good marketing move.Cabrera is also a generational player.He has had a better career then Votto.
sigurd 2
Votto has a better career WRC+ than Cabrera. Votto (157) Cabrera (153). Also, Votto has only 20 less war than Cabrera with half as many plate appearances and games played. Hard to say Cabrera is having / has had a better career than Votto.
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&…
Vandals Took The Handles
And that is why I look at statistics, but don’t swear by them.
Votto is a very good player. Miggy changes the way opposing pitchers, catchers, managers and pitching coaches, elect to work all other players in the Tigers order around Miggy. All those players get better pitches to hit. The same way the Mets batting order changed when Cespedes joined the team.
redsneck
The best example of the Reds recent success turning a bullpen arm into a reliable SP is probably what they did with Alfredo Simon.
sigurd 2
Most important need missing from this list: a new GM.
packy
Jeff,
Great article. All valid points. I’ve been covering the Reds since 1999 and I can tell you this isn’t the first or last time this organization has been through this unrelenting “rut”. The question is now what will they do to pull themselves out of it?
First off I see no other option but to dump both Bruce and Chapman. It’s imperative. I think it’s absurd (and I do not know the exact details of what happened, maybe you do) but if the Walt Jocketty and co. got cold feet in trading Jay Bruce for Zach Wheeler — shame on them! You might not get another deal like that —- well…..ever! I don’t know where your going to get a young, potential front of the line starting pitcher like that for a player of Bruce’s sub-par caliber. It’s absolutely inexcusable if the organization passed on that deal, I can promise you it won’t be on the table come December.
Bruce needs to go — he’s a luxury side item for a team that can’t win. He’s affordable, controllable and capable of filling a multitude of needs for deficient hitting club looking to contend in 2016.
Whatever poker face Jocketty had on during the trade deadline apparently switched when he asked for the world in exchange for Aroldis Chapman, as one rival GM put it…”The Reds asking price for Chapman was outrageously absurd”. So on one end Jocketty underplayed his hand with Bruce and overplayed it with Chapman. Sounds like a GM who knows how to rebuild! Maybe what this club really needs is a new GM?
Bottom line: Bruce, Chapman, Phillips all need to go. It’s time. A smart GM would explore options for Frazier, but Jocketty isn’t well versed enough in rebuilding to do that. This team needs payroll flexibility and absolutely fierce development if they plan on contending as soon as 2017. There are enough blocks here to start in Votto, Mesoraco, Iglesias, Stephenson. The club needs to find a way to push the development in the minor leagues and get players like Hamilton developing faster otherwise it’ll be another 11 years before this franchise is back playing meaningful games in October.
1963reds
Good article Jeff and hats off to packy’s comment. The idea of trading Votto is not feasible from the Reds standpoint. They are going to need a player to represent them and draw in fans during the lean rebuild years and who better than a top hitter like Votto. No way they are going to compete with the likes of the Cubs, Pirates and the hated Cards in the next 2 years, so why not build the team around the young pitchers, Votto, Mesoraco, Suarez and trade Phillips, Bruce, Chapman and Frazier. Yes, trade Frazier now while he is a hot commodity because by the time the Reds are relevant again he will be in his decline years. The Reds should get a very nice haul of players for Chapman and Frazier. They may get 1 serviceable player for Bruce and I’d take whatever I could get for Phillips in order to dump his salary. I would also like to see change in both Price and Jocketty. Price is not a major league manager and needs to stick to pitching coach. Jocketty is too old school and really dropped the ball this past trade deadline with Chapman and Bruce. I would also like to see the owner Bob Castellini to stay out of baseball decisions and stick to collecting his money. He is a huge reason the Reds are in the predicament they are in now. He OK’d bad, over payed contracts to Phillips (even though Dat Dude didn’t think he got enough) and Bailey (a .500 pitcher – so he threw 2 no hitters that’s only 2 wins). This franchise needs a shakeup, they are beginning to look like the Bengals management…. stay the status quo, don’t make any changes to better the team, if you sign a free agent make sure he is cheap and at the end of his career and either bring back old players you once had or just keep the same ones year in and year out… in other words the ol’ status quo!