per mlbtraderumors:
"The Reds are dangling infielder Jeff Keppinger, with the Red Sox and Astros as possible suitors."
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per mlbtraderumors:
"The Reds are dangling infielder Jeff Keppinger, with the Red Sox and Astros as possible suitors."
So that would mean that Hairston starts most of the games at SS? Forgive me, but I don't understand why trading Kepp makes sense when A-Gon is already injured... unless Valaika is already on the radar.
Kep can't play SS. He can really only play 1B/3B.
The team also has Gomes & Owings as RH bench bats.
Therefore he may be expendable.
If I ran the Reds my 2009 bench would look like this:
Hanigan (C)
Hairston (supersub)
Nix or acquisition (LH Bat)
Gomes (RH bat)
Janish (SS when Gonzo can't go or late in the game)
Plus we have Owings as a 2nd RH bat off the bench.
Kepp's not a viable option defensively at SS. Janish may have improved enough with the stick that the Reds are leaning toward him as back-up IF. I like Janish's glove, if he's able to OPS around .700, and he has shown decent pop this spring, all of a sudden, he's a fine choice in place of Kepp.
The Astros make a sense, they need IF's.
A deal that makes a little sense might be a deal around Kepp to the Yankees with Melky Cabrera comng back. Kepp could help at 3B until A-Rod comes back and Melky is not going to make the Yanks. I'm not a big Melky fan, but he's a switch hitter and a plus defender at both corner OF spots (but he can't really cut it in CF). His career splts say he's better as a LH Hitter versus RH Pitching. I think he's a 4th OF at best, but I like him better as a LH option than Jones, Nix or Castillo. The Reds would probably need to add something besides Kepp to any deal, but nothing that would kill the organization. The Yankees need bullpen too. Maybe Bray and Kepp for Melky and a prospect with options.
If Cabrera goes to Cincinnati, Baker will start him.
Ugh.
And what would the return be...I can't imagine being impressed with anything Kepp would fetch...short of a decent prospect.
I've always liked Kepp, but I think Rosales beings ,ore to the table. I really don't have much of a preference between Kepp and Hairston defensively and right now JHJ seems to have more potential than Kepp offensively.
I don't really see him bringing much more back in trade than minor league filler. We've got some parts to trade, I'd like to see them package him with omeone else and maybe get something semi-useful. If Gonzalez can't stay healthy, I'd like to see them give Valaika an extended look and maybe fast track Cozart through AA to AA this year, if he can cut it with the bat. I'm becoming convinced that if they were gonna deal for a young SS they would have already done so.
BP said a couple of days ago they were trying to trade for Colorado sub Jeff Baker to play 3B so this rumor makes a little sense from that angle.
I'd imagine you could pry loose a legit low minor type prospect if they are the ones actively shopping for that type of player.
hmmm...let's see...Kepp don't know D.....Kepp is slow afoot....kepp can't hit it out of the infield...kepp looks funny with a beard....yep I think that pretty much covers every thread here with the word "shortstop" or "bench".
all the keppinger bashing makes me miss 'ole Corey a little
Definte "better?" Keppinger is not so great with the glove, but he has his uses. He can play anywhere in the infield and the guy can hit. He doesn't have power, but his career numbers suggest he is a good contact hitter. The Reds need players that can hit the ball on their roster.
I'd suggest "he can play anywhere" should be rephrased to he's inadequate defensively and can't really play anywhere.
As for his career offensive numbers .287/.338/.390/.728 woo hoo!! Players with those numbers usually need to be defensive specialists to be a major leaguer. As an offensive minded player, its pretty inadequate.
I do like Kepp as a RH Bat against LH pitching, just not sure there is room for such a specialized player on a team already filled with RH Bats, especially when the teams's two best RH Bats that hit LH Pitching play the same positions (2B and 3B). I'd keep him over Nix, Jones or Castillo though. If the Reds had 13 deserving players for the Roster, I'd have no problem with the Reds just releasing Kepp. As the team is currently constructed, I think the Reds struggle to have more than 10 obvious major league position players for 2009. By the end of the season, there could be lots of guys to add to the list, but not now. Its why I suggest dealing Kepp in hopes of getting a major league player who fits better over just keeping some one else ahead of him. As constructed now, Kepp makes the 13 man position player roster along with Rosales (though Janish is making a push IMO) and the team goes with no lefty bench bat. For the record, I would have kept Ward ahead of Kepp.
Why do they use the term dangle?
You "dangle" a guy like David Wright. You "dangle" a guy like Roy Oswalt.
You don't "dangle" guys like Jeff Keppinger.
Do you Lt. Dangle him?
I doubt the Reds will be able to get anything in return for Kepp.
Any team with an interest in him will just wait for him to be released.
I doubt the Reds will release Keppinger. If there's interest and a deal cant' be consummated before the season starts, he comes north and someone with options bides time in Louisville. Even if we just get cash or a low level prospect, they'll get something if he's going to be traded.
I agree that Keppinger isn't all that great. But would you prefer his PT go to the 33 year old Hairston and his career .260/.330/.370/.700? Or we could let Janish try and OPS .650? If Gonzalez can't go, I'd be starting Keppinger at SS vs LHP. No he's not that good, but he's better than the other options, so for that reason I'd like to keep him around.
The fact of the matter is - we may have too many "Keppingers" on this roster. And I like Jeff. He's the kind of ballplayer I'd want on my bench. Just don't pay him like we were Freel. ;)
I want the Reds to make a deal. If Gonzalez is out, I play Janish on a daily basis if no one can be acquired. All the other guys are too harmful playing SS day after day. If Gonzo can go most of the time, I let Janish play every day at AAA and use Rosales and Hairston before Kepp on a spot basis. BTW, Hairston's career .700 is .043 points higher than Kepp's 2008. Janish at .650 would only be .007 points lower (virtually equal) with a huge defensive advantage.
Nothing about this poster specifically, but I continue to be amazed at the obsession with offense at the expense of defense at a key spot like SS, while harping on defense over offense at a traditionally offensive spot with little defensive impact like LF. Get a LF who can swat and even if he's awful, he won't cost the team as much on defense as a slightly below average SS. If the LF can swat, that helps the team carry a defender at SS who may be a little challenged on offense.
So far, for me, Paul Janish bares an eerie similarity to Darryl Chaney. In '72 the debate was whether Chaney or Concepcion should be the Reds SS of the future. We know where that went. (Thankfully).
The current situation is nothing like that but, still, Janish and Chaney are clones IMO.
Not saying that Janish isn't the best choice defensively, but that's what the Reds reap when they don't make an effort to shore up that spot given Gonzo's obvious possibilities of not being able to play.
Rem
It's a realtively small sample size. He's never played a full season. He was over .300 in the minors and the year he had the most ABs in the majors was last season and I'm convinced that he just never recovered full from his injury (where he was hitting .320 prior to be injured).
I'm not advocating Keppinger be a starter, but I think as a spot starter in the IF, he's a good guy to have around, particularly as you said, against LHP.
If the Reds had better options, I'd be all for them kicking Keppinger out, but I don't think, as it currently stands, that Keppinger ISN'T one of the 25 better options, even if he is on the closer side of 25.
Chaney was a useful player for seven seasons for the Reds. It was a point I attempted to make some time ago on the thread about bench players. Janish could be a useful bench player, although I agree we've got a plethora of these guys at the moment. That said, you always have need of players like Chaney, Janish, Keppinger, Hairston, etc. on a club. And sometimes they end up starting for occasional periods (e.g. 1973 for Chaney following Concepcion's broken leg).
I don't thinking anyone questions that there were "obvious possibilities" of Gonzo being unable to play. That's a no brainer that the club couldn't do much about. He's under contract and will be paid one way or the other. While finding a more permanent replacement would have been nice, it wasn't among the most pressing needs given the fact that Gonzo may be able to play. I know this is an endless circular discussion on the question, I just don't think the club had much choice while other matters needed addressing as well. In all likelihood, 2009 isn't "the year" and riding out the AG contract is just a matter of fact, IMO.
You are correct in stateing that Gonzo's contract was a 'sunk cost'. That much was given. And, I'll admit that the Reds front office certainly has more info to go on than I do as an outside observer. However, I think SS was a more pressing need than CF since we already had Dickerson 'in-house' for a lot less money than Wille Tavaras. Whether or not Dickerson hits is a question but his 'D' is probabaly as good, or better, than Willy's, based on his minor league reports. As for hitting, Chris may not be able to steal as many bags as Willy but Willy won't hit as many HR's as Chris. (famous shrug)
Anyway, before I get too much more off track, yes, a team does need the Chaney/Janish type player from time to time. Things happen. That's why you stockpile them at AAA.
As for 2009 not being 'the year', I think it could have been if the correct moves had been made in the off-season. IMO, those moves weren't made and now, once again, we're looking at 'next year'. I don't know about you but, personally, I'm getting a lot tired of that.
Rem
I agree with Rem, Over the off season SS was and still is the biggest need the Reds had to address. They didn't do it. CF could have been filled by in-house options.
It's just my humble opinion but I believe Kriviski blew it by signing Gonzo to that three year deal to begin with and Walt only compounded the problem by overpaying for Taveras instead of beating the bushes for a SS.
I'm sure this post won't sit well with many here but It's my honest opinion.
:(
The Gonzales signing was a mistake and Krivsky was in his full panic mode (somwthing he did often) by giving him that contract. Walt was handcuffed by the promises from Doc Hollywood that Alex was OK, so he went for a CF, which was a mistake. Now we have no SS and probably won't find one until the winter. Little things that make Hairston the main candidate. Sad stuff.
Hindsight is 20/20, but what should have Krivsky done? That first season, AGon was one of the better shortstops in MLB, and I don't think anyone could've predicted the injuries that were going to happen. And the reason AGon missed so much time that first season with the Reds was so he could spend time with his ailing child.
My big thing about Keppinger, and the reason I defend him, is because I don't think his 2008 represents anything except what happens when you rush a guy back from a broken knee-cap. Offensively, his monthly splits strongly support that conclusion, and it's only reasonable to assume that his defense would have been even more adversely affected (basically his range ~ his glove & arm are fine), given the nature of the injury.
If you wipe out 2008, which I pretty much do, you see a slightly below average defensive SS (but certainly not awful), and a fantastic offensive player who brings this team exactly what it needs most, namely, OBP. The splits are also not nearly as dramatic, so that effect is lessened as well.
For me, if it came down to Kepp vs. Hairston at SS, for instance, I take Kepp and don't look twice, because I give it about a 60-70% chance he repeats his 2007, and I give Hairston about a 1% chance of repeating his 2008.
Keppy projects to be roughly a league average bat in '09. He's projected to be a -13 defender at short over a season (aka CHONE). That would roughly make him something like a 1 to 1.5 player as a full time shortstop (in other words a below average regular).
Y'know, as much crap comes from that site, they still post a lot of interesting stuff that turns out to be true...