Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett discussed his future with the ballclub after last night’s game, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. While a mid-season trade seems possible, Gennett says he’d “like nothing more than to play [in Cincinnati] long-term.”
Gennett’s comments are most notable, perhaps, for his discussion of one potential alternative to a trade scenario. The veteran infielder says that his agent made an offseason attempt at starting extension talks with the organization. That effort fizzled, however, when the team “shot it down.”
A native of the area and childhood Reds fan, Gennett seemingly suggests he’d still be amenable to discussing a new deal. “The ball’s in their court,” he tells Sheldon. “I think it’s really up to Mr. Castellini [owner Bob Castellini] and the front office about where we go from here. I love the team and I’d love to be here.”
It seems there isn’t any lingering negativity following the unsuccessful offseason contract negotiation efforts. Apart from the differing viewpoints on a long-term deal, the sides failed to settle on an arbitration number. Gennett ultimately prevailed in a hearing, taking down a $5.7MM salary rather than the $5.1MM that the team defended.
Gennett is eligible for arbitration one final time after the present campaign. It’s certainly possible the Reds could decide to keep him and simply tender him a contract for 2019, though it’s still hard to see the organization as a likely contender next year. Holding Gennett without extending him would mean giving up a chance at achieving future value through a trade or a new contract. It’s not a straightforward decision, particularly with Eugenio Suarez locked in at third and top prospect Nick Senzel at or near MLB readiness and in need of a position.
It seems at least plausible to think, then, that Gennett will be shopped at the deadline if the club does not view him as a long-term piece that they can extend at an appealing price tag. With a strong offensive track record dating back to the start of the 2017 season, Gennett has certainly earned consideration as a trade target for contending teams. Indeed, we fully examined his potential trade candidacy just yesterday, noting the excellent output at the plate along with some lingering concerns as to its sustainability.
He gone
If he really wanted to stay
He’d get a team friendly deal and a full no trade clause
He is being politically correct, he doesn’t want to stay there
then why did he have his agent reach out? are you not from Cincinnati? I’ve lived other places in been to a lot of places and this is a really nice place
Going by the article, the team wasn’t willing to talk any kind of extension
Just because he wants to stay, it doesn’t mean he’s obligated to get lowballed by the team and take whatever they offer
Hey if he really wanted to stay that’s what would happen
For example, do you realize Tony Gwynn took a lot less money to stay in San Diego his entire career?
I’m sure he does want to stay just as the Twins 2B would like a multi-year deal.
The alternative is to sit out until March and then sign dirt cheap with the Mets on a one year deal.
Why should a player take a discount from a team that’s raking in 100 million dollars in MLBAM/revenue-sharing money this season? So some billionaire owner can line his pockets? Gennett has a finite number of years on his career and good for him if he wants to get paid. He should; he’s already old enough that the clock is ticking.
Tony Gwynn was born and raised and played in Southern California his whole life, every sport he played.at the College or Pro level was in San Diego. Of course he stayed, and good for him. That kind of comfort is hard to get. He made plenty of money in his career. But he’s a rare case. While Gennet is from Cininatti, he grew up in Florida, he wasn’t drafted or developed by the Reds. he has no obligation to them just because they traded for him. He might want to win too.
Y’all are trying to pick too much out of nothing
Simple if he wants to stay he’d do that
They actually picked him up off waivers.
Nobody’s “obligated” to do anything. He said he wants to stay in Cincinnati and it’s up to the FO to come up with a fair at this point. I don’t see what is so confusing about all of this.
Scooter Gennett should never be compared to Tony Gywnn in any capacity
I agree that a player does not need to take a home town discount. Perhaps, as in the Tony Gwynn example, he WANTS or is WILLING to take the discount. Fine and dandy. What remote reasoning does the amount of money an owner makes has to do with this? Who cares what the owner or the player makes as long as they both see it as fair. Gennett wishes to stay in cincy and the club is offering an in demand product then Gennett has to negotiate that. If Gennetts services are good then he will have the option to sell them elsewhere. It’s AMERICA not some socialist dump where business owners are forced to do what the idiotic government tells them to do. Conversely, they players are not the Proletariat where they have to do what they are told. Thank God.
Braves could use Suarez, Gennett or Senzel at 3B. Would probably trade a great pitcher for either of the three. Kyle Wright for Senzel, Brandon McCarthy and Jeffrey Ramos for Suarez, or Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair for Gennett.
McCarthy is in Oakland I’m pretty sure
McCarthy plays for Atlanta, but the definition of “great pitcher” doesn’t really apply to him….
Nope the dodgers traded Gonzalez,Kashmir, Culberson and McCarthy for Matt Kemp. I’m sure there were others in this trade but this is who I recall being in it off the top of my head.
*Kazmir
Was so surprised you mentioned Gennet at 3B so I looked it up and realized he has played so many more positions than second. Does anyone have video of him pitching and hitting a guy?
Why? They have a top president at 3b… Riley…
All three of those are bad deals for the Reds
That dude’s the worst troll. He just posts trade offers ridiculously favorable to the Braves every once in a while. He doesn’t believe the Reds would trade Suarez for McCarthy
All three of those trades are god awful from the Reds’ perspective. Wisler and Blair have struggled mightily in the Majors so they have little to no value.
McCarthy isn’t that good, and I have no clue who Jeffrey Ramos is but he’s not a Braves top 30 prospect. Suárez just signed a long term, team friendly deal, is young, and has an OPS around .950 this season so there’s no way the Reds would even consider trading him without getting at least one top 100 prospect, and even then that’s probably light. I doubt he gets traded regardless.
And as for Senzel for Wright, that’s the only one that wasn’t absolutely ridiculous, but still, the Reds would be giving up the #7 prospect in baseball (MLB.com preseason rankings) for the #26, which doesn’t make much sense either from the Reds’ perspective.
I don’t see the braves trading a top pitching prospect for a 3rd baseman when they have Riley on the way.
nobody wants players off our compost heap. you have to give up talent to get talent. Wright is the only good prospect u mentioned. You think reject prospects from our organization and an old, expencive pitcher will get your Suarez, who is lighting the world on fire?
I’m glad a Braves fan sees it too. And I might be a bit biased as a Reds fan, but Eugenio Suárez is one of the most underrated players in baseball
Suarez just signed big contract. That takes him out of the fraction.
The Cashtellinis don’t want to spend cash. I love the guy and I think he would take a hometown discount. Peraza is never going to have sustained success as a starter. Put Suarez back at short, Scooter stays at second and Senzel comes up to play third. Trade Hamilton for a bag of naked lady tees and remove the stink of Bailey and his contract
And nice hat, but it looks good on you
“The Cashtellinis don’t want to spend cash…… the stink of Bailey and his contract”
(head implodes)
lol. they have spent all but 14 million dollars of the money they made
The Reds have Shed Long in AA hitting pretty well. They could very easily have a Votto-Long-Senzel-Suárez infield next year. Scooter is just unnecessary on this team. I like him, but there’s no real reason to keep him
Senzel is not going to play SS in the majors.
I never said he would, but it also wouldn’t surprise me. I basically was just saying that some combination of Suárez and Senzel will be our right half of the infield
Let’s all get into billionaires-lining-their-pockets platitudes, because those nasty, greedy smaller market owners should all be more benevolent like the wonderful, not-greedy big market owners! That’s why the big market teams spend more on player payroll. Altruism!
It’s clear the organization doesn’t see Gennett as a part of the future, but rather as an affordable, highly productive bridge to the future. They’ll field offers for him this summer, but I could see them keeping him through his last trip through arbitration and either trading him before next season or at the 2019 deadline. Of course his trade value is peaking now, so holding onto him risks either injury or performance decline draining that value. They SHOULD trade him soon, but who knows.
That’s not “clear” at all. The Reds simply don’t have to re-sign him yet.
This team can’t get right , move Suarez to short senzel to 3rd , Bennett St 2nd , they need a CF and LF , and of coarse pitching
The Scooter should be traded if Teds are overwhelmed in a trade. After all: we are in last place and would be there without him. Reds have middle infielders coming up. Senszel for one.
He would be a great trade piece for the Rangers