Is the Griffey Trade a salary dump move

[steig]

Is the Griffey trade a salary dump trade by Cincinnati?

The Reds and White Sox are splitting the remaining value of Griffey's contract this year and the $4 million buyout. The players received by the Reds are by no means high grade prospects. It seems to me that the trade is a salary dump to free up approximately 4 million for the Reds. The money may then go to giving in to Yonder Alonso on his contract demands and giving him a major league contract.

[namichael]

I think that the front office decided that they weren't going to pick up his option so they figured that trading him and getting something, regardless of how significant it is, was a better move than just letting him walk at the end of the year.

[757690]

Money was a factor, but it is in every trade now. It was not a salary dump. If it was, the Reds would not have gotten any major league ready players in return, and the Reds would not have payed for half of his salary.

[Orodle]

Uh it was get rid of a broken down cry baby diva that will hit .240-.250 with 20 some HRs. Reds are already better and the Whitesox just got worse.....and having him play centerfield?

[thorn]

I think the money is more important to the FO than the players we got back. However, I still don't see this as a salary dump, they knew they weren't picking up his option so might as well get something in return, then when they discovered they could also save $4M, thats the icing on the cake.

[schmidty622]

That 4 million saved IS nice.....

[Strider]

They only saved about $4M...not really significant in the overall scheme of things.

This was not a salary dump...it was a trade of transition. Rather than have Griffey and the Reds hanging over the franchise...they move him now, see how the team does without him and make adjustments in the off season.

It is a fresh start for the team...nothing more...nothing less

[LouisvilleCARDS]

Half his option is $2 mil, and he's making $12.5 this year, so about 65% of the year is over, so about 4.3 mil is owed to him, so a little over $2 mil is saved this year, for about a little over $4 mil. In other words, we're getting Patterson's contract off the books.

Why is salary dump such a dirty word? It's connotation is usually for a team thats dumping top players to get their salary down. In this case, that wasn't it at all. It was getting rid of an aging player who wasn't much of a contributor, and saving some money on him in the process. If we kept him, the team is out another $4 mil and the team wouldn't be any better. We basically got four mil and a decent looking bullpen/5th starter guy for nothing. If you call that a "salary dump" than so be it, either way it was a good move.

[Strider]

As I understand it the Reds are picking up half his salary for the rest of the year and half of the $4M option buyout. Had the Reds kept Griff they would have paid out $8M+ as it is they sent $4M along...so the savings...about $4M

This team needed to move on...this makes a clean break. What happens between now and the end of the season will determine whether this becomes a tweak or an overhaul...IMHO

[berryluther]

IMO this move was to make room for an audition for our outfeild next year.

[gedred69]

IMO this move was to make room for an audition for our outfeild next year.

Excellent point. It may well be a push, but there is maybe an OF in the system that might be ready to make the jump, (for now at least). Dorn, Stubbs, or as I remember about Valaika from Dayton, he struck me as the kind of guy who could play anywhere. If not one of the a-forementioned or somebody I neglected, there are other routes, i.e. free-agency/trade.

(Just no more Patterson's please)!!

[Blue]

Without question, yes. If you trade a player with a big contract for guys like Masett and Richar, its a salary dump.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[BLEEDS]

Without question, yes. If you trade a player with a big contract for guys like Masett and Richar, its a salary dump.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

While I agree that it is a salary dump, the "big contract" had nothing to do with it since it was only for $4M this year, and the $4M option for next.

Was Manny Ramirez a salary dump?!?! Seems to be very similar IMO.

PEACE

-BLEEDS