According to USA today fantansy news Reds are actively shopping Freel and..

are listening to offers for Hamilton. If they could get Garza I would be all for it!

I'd trade Freel for anything.

i think freel is a solid guy off the bench, they just used him completely wrong last year. I love his hustle, and wouldn't mind him being around. That being said, i would deal him in a heartbeat if i thought the trade made the team better.

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Originally Posted by BearcatShane

I'd trade Freel for anything.

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Freel is, the odd man out, granted. I wouldn't be so quick to disparrage his value though. There aren't too many guys that can play anywhere in the OF, as well as 3rd and 2nd. He can steal a base, and give maximum effort to boot. He has market value, to a lot of teams. I see him as a possible deal closer on a big trade as a throw-in, to seal the deal.

Freel has been a great help off the bench. I would have to say that I'd be willing to trade him given the emergence of Hopper and Keppinger.

I can understand the Reds shopping Hamilton but I'd like to see him remain a Red.

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Originally Posted by Bigredfan#1

are listening to offers for Hamilton. If they could get Garza I would be all for it!

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ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?

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Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?

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To get a proven player you would need more than Hamilton unless you wanted a proven terrible player. I think Garza will be a terrific pitcher in a couple years, if not next year.

I would not trade Hamilton unless we got a no miss #1 or #2 starting pitcher. Does everybody realize what he did last year? He hit major league pitching after not playing baseball for a couple of years....thats unbelievable. You don't set out for as long as he did and then come back and be productive...he is the Natural....
All the tools. These guys don't come around that often.

Yea you only trade Hamilton unless the offer is overwhelming. What harm is there if we wait another year to see what hes got. Sure he could be injured all year but then again those injuries could also be flukes and he could be a multi MVP winning player

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Originally Posted by Bip Roberts

Yea you only trade Hamilton unless the offer is overwhelming. What harm is there if we wait another year to see what hes got. Sure he could be injured all year but then again those injuries could also be flukes and he could be a multi MVP winning player

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I honestly think that Hamilton's injuries had to do with being out of baseball for years, and then coming back. It is really rigorous to go out and play hard every day. It should also be noted that he had a couple of pretty flukie bouts with illness...not related to a sports injury problem. I'd really have to be bowled over before I would trade him. He's going to be something special. That being said, Matt Garza is a good starting place!

• The Reds are so convinced that minor league player of the year Jay Bruce could be ready for the big leagues by June, they're actively marketing outfielders to clear space. Don't figure on Junior Griffey or Adam Dunn changing zip codes. But the Reds are aggressively dropping Ryan Freel's name. And maybe most surprisingly, they've told other teams Josh Hamilton is also available in the right deal. "It really makes you wonder about his health," said an official of one team that spoke with them, "and whether all that time he missed took more of a toll than we thought."

I got this from Jayson Stark. It does not make sense to me. From all accounts, Bruce is the heir appparent to right field and will push Ken Griffey Jr. in 2008. I would think it would be easier to trade either Griffey or Dunn, who are quite expensive and have proven something in their careers. It does not make sense to trade the cheap outfielder and put another cheap outfielder in his place. I am not sure exactly what trade value Hamilton has, given the comments of this unnamed official.

Amarillo,

I think it is comparable to the Reds and posters on this board talking about trading for Peavy, Kazmir or Bedard because they are locked into reasonably cheap starting pitcher contracts for a few more years and you know what you're getting.

Hamilton will come cheap for several years for a team that acquire's him. Dunn and Griffey will come expensive. That is why Hamilton is more attractive.

I think GM's are questioning Hamilton's health mainly to bring the pricetag down.

I suppose it goes both ways. The same factors that make Hamilton so valuable to us (a cheap contract, very talented) also make him excellent trade bait. It would be much better for the Reds , however, if Bruce would take over for Griffey in due course. It would clear Griffey's big salary with someone who would have a good chance of approaching Griffey's production.

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Originally Posted by *BaseClogger*

ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?

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Garza was dominate at times last year. He lost 2 games 1-0. He got very little run support from the run hungry Twins. He was the 21rst rated rookie in Baseball America. What has Hamilton proved? We need pitching, I hate to lose Hamilton but I believe Garza would be one of the young pitchers I would trade him for. I doubt if the Twins would take Hamilton by himself for Garza. H

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Originally Posted by GoReds33

To get a proven player you would need more than Hamilton unless you wanted a proven terrible player. I think Garza will be a terrific pitcher in a couple years, if not next year.

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Originally Posted by Bigredfan#1

Garza was dominate at times last year. He lost 2 games 1-0. He got very little run support from the run hungry Twins. He was the 21rst rated rookie in Baseball America. What has Hamilton proved? We need pitching, I hate to lose Hamilton but I believe Garza would be one of the young pitchers I would trade him for. I doubt if the Twins would take Hamilton by himself for Garza. H

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MLBTR brought up a possible Hamilton for Ian Snell trade, which makes perfect sense to me. Ian Snell has proven he can get big leaguers out, Garza hasn't- less risky. We may need to throw in a Stubbs or Maloney to get that trade done, but I would still go for it...