There’s significant enough interest in Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton that it’s possible a deal could come together during the Winter Meetings, according to a report from Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. In particular, the Giants are holding “serious discussions” with Cincinnati.
The Giants have long been connected to Hamilton, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeting earlier today they are the strongest contender while noting the Reds are interested in clearing room for Jesse Winker in the outfield. But Buchanan stresses they are not the only team still involved in talks. Hamilton is said to be the Reds player generating the most trade interest, with numerous other teams — including the Rangers — also still showing real interest.
Hamilton, of course, is a burner on the bases and top-quality up-the-middle defender. He also has not yet established himself at the plate at the game’s highest level, though. MLBTR recently broke down Hamilton’s trade candidacy in full at this link.
I know inter-division trades don’t happen easily but I can’t help to think he’d be a good fit for the Cubs. He alone adds a base running dimension that they sorely lacked last year. Plus can bat lead off (not that he gets on a ton) and play excellent D in CF.
A guy that struggles to get on base is never the answer at the leadoff spot.
A guy who struggles to get on base does not belong in MLB.
I wonder how many bases bed swipe just as a pinch runner….he’s crazy fast.
There are a lot of defensive players that have made careers that have struggled to get on base
It’s Almora’s time to play CF. I like Hamilton, but can’t see why the Cubs would be interested.
Maddon is still saying Schwarber could lead off
Schwarber hovered at .200 last year that makes no sense at all
Tell maddon that. I agree but what are the options?
Scoring runs is the object of the lead off batter, not getting on base. BH was fourth in runs scored among lead off batters in the NL.
How do you score without getting on base?
He gets on base. Not at a high rate, but the likelyhood of him scoring once he gets on base is vastly higher than any other player.
Please re-read what you just posted. Wow, just wow
Would you rather have a player that gets on base 40% of the time but hardly ever scores or someone that scores when he does get on base at a much higher rate?
I think they should try to sign Rajai Davis at least to platoon with Almora. Then you have a legit leadoff hitter
Hamilton, Deshields is reminiscing of Willie Magee and Vince Coleman at the top
Except Willie McGee and Vince Coleman didn’t struggle to get on base.
Vince Coleman did. He never walked.
maybe that is the problem- he coached the giants in spring training last year.
Well, when Vince did get on it was automatic double. There’s just NO way that a guy stealing 100 bases isn’t valuable…that’s elite all time speed
Willie McGee was a .300 hitter for most of his career. Even Coleman was a better hitter than Hamilton.
The only thing I have as a Reds fan is hoping for gold glove winners, Votto MVP races, and watching Billy try to win a stolen base title. Any return Hamilton fetches will not change the fate of the franchise. This is going to make for a Reds team somehow even harder to watch.
I disagree. A Hamilton trade could return real talent. And I’d rather see some combination of Winker/Duvall/Schebler/Ervin playing everyday than Hamilton. Plus, if all goes right, Jose Siri and/or Taylor Trammell will be ready by the end of 2019, or possibly sooner, to take over CF anyway.
To clarify, I’m not saying Hamilton isn’t fun to watch. He is at times, but it’s also difficult to watch him struggle to get on base. And he’s great with the fans too, so no doubt he would be missed. But if we can get real talent for him, they shouldn’t hesitate.
He has almost no offensive value but If he is on a contending team mainly for his defense and he doesn’t cost a ton to get then he’s worth it. A good team would have enough offense to offset his lack of it
Billy Hamilton is garbage.
Maybe the Long Island Ducks have interest.
Duvall is allergic to ball four, and Schebler will never repeat that fluke of a season (2017).
Schebler’s season wasn’t a fluke. I think he’s actually better than Duvall.
They’re both overrated. Schebler, and his .307 OBP. Duvall and his .301 OBP. If Mark Trumbo circa 2012-2013 is their goal, they’ve both accomplished that. I’d trade one of them for prospects, if you can find a taker.
I do agree to a point. When Hamilton is on base there are few things as exciting. He just isn’t on base enough. I’ve thought he’d turned a corner more then a few times over the years, but in the end he is what he is. Low average, low OBP Excellent defensive CF and capable of doing the impossible on the base paths. If he could hit even .260 with a .320 OBP he’d be a top 5 CF.
I wouldn’t however want to sign him once he hits FA. I think he’s done as a starter once his speed dips. Think he’ll flame out in his early 30’s.
But yes Joey Votto and Billy Hamilton on the bases two things that makes it worth it to watch Reds games.
There are promising players coming – Senzel , Ervin … Ervin will play everyday in CF. I’m ok with that. I will miss the defensive highlight reel but it’s not the end of the world. BH is not built to withstand 162 games a year. I don’t think he can play a whole season anyway without missing significant time.
He’s the real life willy Mayes Hayes
As long as the team can hire Lou Brown to manage him and like Wily Mays Hayes get him to keep the ball on the ground Billy Hamilton could be a very good player.
He’d be great on a team that could afford to hit him 9th. Once he’s on base there is no player in the league like him, just can’t steal first.
Even if his OBP was just .320 he’d steal 80-100 bases
That being said much like Coleman, when his speed goes he’s done.
I’m trying to figure out what the Reds really need. They got a lot of talent, but very little of it is what I would call elite talent.
If he was in Colorado and Blackman taught him how to abuse Coors Field Hamilton would be horrifying to face in that ballpark
He’d hit the 70 mark just by playing the whole season, without an increase in his OBP, But the ’15 and ’16 seasons suggest that a 25 point swing in his OBP has little effect on his SB totals…
Bring back pitching!
Hamilton would likely return someone like Tyler Beede. Not sure that would be worthwhile for the Reds more the same for their pile of young pitching.
That is too much. As a giants fan, I would like to get Hamilton, but he isn’t worth beede. We will see!
The Giants almost certainly would need to give up one of Beede/Heliot Ramos/Christian Arroyo as a centerpiece.
agree, hamilton is like the backup of the backup of the backup plan – I really don’t want to see much go to trading for him
Would be a terrible trade. All of those guys have much greater potential than what Hamilton has been as an MLB player.
Please send him to an American League club so that he won’t accumulate half his stolen bases and .300 average against my Buccos.
He kills the Giants too, in limited action. That is probably the reason for so much admiration.
man, its like he hits for .002 judging by some of these comments, hope if he gets traded, he does good where ever he goes, would like to get a nice bullpen arm in return though, my reds need it x.x
I mean, he hit .247, rarely walks, and has absolutely no power, even in a hitter-friendly park. He’s a dreadful hitter, always has been. Casey’s Partner is the only person on here saying he’s useless, though, and no one takes him seriously. Everyone can appreciate that he’s an elite defender and the game’s best baserunner
2 tool player.
GABP is a hitter friendly park when it comes to power. As you said Hamilton has no power so maybe a more spacious ballpark will do him better. He has hit pretty well in SF and Coors, which are very spacious ballparks. Now not saying he will become a .300 hitter but even if he could get to .265-.272 that would be respectable. While I think playing in a spacious ballpark would benefit him more then GABP, he still hasnt figured out how to put the ball in play. Until he does that, if he ever does, everything else is a mute point.
He’d thrive in Coors given those power alleys and the fact they can get some offense elsewhere. He could pick CF too. Of course most players play up in Denver..but he’s have extra value. Big AL park and he can bat 9…avoid sucking up those extra leadoff at bats.
billy hamm in Cf for the yanks. He can cover what Stanton Island and All Rise cant. those big dudes need some help.
The are both more athletic than you think and Gardner is still with the team. Plus Stanton said he wouldn’t have a problem DH’ing