Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
I wonder what Mets fans would say to that? ;)
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
How do you restore a once-proud franchise? Glad you asked.
By Steve Phillips
The Reds haven't made the playoffs in 13 years, and a slow start this season cost GM Wayne Krivsky his job. So how can new boss Walt Jocketty build a new Big Red Machine?
Baseball Tonight analyst and former Mets GM Steve Phillips has a few ideas.
1. TRADE JUNIOR Yes, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the few reasons to visit Great American Ball Park, but it's time to make the tough decisions. Griffey is signed only through this year, with a club option for 2009. As a 10-and-five player, he can veto any deal, but Chicago is a popular destination, so call White Sox GM Ken Williams, who's tried to get Griffey in the past, and ask for Josh Fields or Carlos Quentin. The Sox have a shot, and Griffey would be huge in Chi-Town. Then call up top prospect Jay Bruce, and put him in center for the next 10 years.
2. DUNN DEAL Use Adam Dunn's power as a chip to get pitchers. The Reds have a limited budget and an even smaller ballpark, so they must deal for arms and develop them. Dunn is in the last year of his deal, so maximize the return by giving an interested team a 72-hour window to negotiate an extension. Go to the Giants, who need offense to replace Barry Bonds, and ask for Matt Cain. Go to Toronto and request a package that includes Adam Lind and Dustin McGowan or Shawn Marcum. Call Cleveland, which is desperate for bats, and ask for Cliff Lee and one of these three: OF Franklin Gutiérrez and lefties Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey.
3. BYE, BYE BRONSON In 2006, Bronson Arroyo was a great acquisition by Krivsky, but at age 31, and after throwing 656µ innings the previous three years, he's not the same pitcher. Get what you can, and get out from under his contract, because financial flexibility is critical for a small-market franchise. There are plenty of teams dying for starting pitching: Texas, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and Baltimore come to mind. After trading Arroyo, bring up Homer Bailey, and give him the ball every fifth day. Scouts think he can be special; let's see if they're right.
4. CALL HANK Have owner Bob Castellini ring Hank Steinbrenner and tell him you've got a way to move Joba Chamberlain into the Yankees' rotation. Offer Jared Burton, who's whiffing hitters in bunches, and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes. Sell Burton as Chamberlain's eighth-inning replacement and Affeldt as the situational lefty the Yanks lack. Throw in Arroyo if they want. Make it an owners deal. Castellini and Hank will love it; GM Brian Cashman will hate it. The bottom line is that Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Vólquez and Hughes would give Cincy four very different looks.
5. SHORT CUT The Reds have a tough decision when Álex González returns from his left-knee injury in a few weeks, because Jeff Keppinger has proved he can play shortstop every day. What to do? Trade utility man Ryan Freel to the Dodgers for Scott Proctor. LA can use a supersub, and Proctor can pitch the eighth inning if Burton is traded. Then Keppinger stays put and González becomes a defensive specialist—one with a lot of value if another club loses its starting shortstop.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Steve Phillips lost his job as a MLB GM. That's all I have to say.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
all I can say is...
:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
None of these deals sound incredibly realistic to me....
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Not one of those trades were reasonable...
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Why on earth would the Sox trade Quentin for Griffey. Fields brings you a ton of power, but he's probably wore then EE at 3rd and isn't much of an upgrade over Dunn in LF. I'm not even sure if the Sox would do that deal either.
The Reds can go a long way by trading Junior and Dunn and then spending their money wisely.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Wow, I almost fell out of my chair pondering the irony of trading Dunn for Sowers.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
- Griffey for Fields/Quentin
- Dunn for Cain/Lee & Gutierrez
- Affeldt and Burton for Hughes
I think he forgot Santana for Todd Coffey to address the Mets bullpen problem and Belisle for Granderson to fix the Tigers rotation.
He's still trying to undo the Kazmir deal. Continues to realize that both teams need to want to do a deal. Guy is just clueless. How can you get a GM job with so little understanding of player value? Ridiculous.
Pretty sad state of affairs when the biggest sports media can't see past the guy's resume.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Affeldt and Burton for Hughes is particularly ludicrous.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RedsManRick
Pretty sad state of affairs when the biggest sports media can't see past the guy's resume.
Somehow John Kruk and Rob Dibble continue to be employed as well, while Harold Reynolds sits at home.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Quote:
Originally Posted by
savafan
Somehow John Kruk and Rob Dibble continue to be employed as well, while Harold Reynolds sits at home.
Reynolds is doing stuff for MLB.com.
I always like Harold Reynolds
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RedsManRick
He's still trying to undo the Kazmir deal. Continues to realize that both teams need to want to do a deal. Guy is just clueless. How can you get a GM job with so little understanding of player value? Ridiculous.
I don't think it was him who traded Kazmir.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
You'd be right...Kazmir was traded in July of 2004...Phillips was fired in June.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Quote:
Originally Posted by
savafan
Somehow John Kruk and Rob Dibble continue to be employed as well, while Harold Reynolds sits at home.
Reynolds is doing work for MLB.com -- who actually gets it. Fantasy 411 is the best actual baseball discussion from mainstream media out there right now.
Re: Steve Phillips thinks he can fix the Reds
Burton and Affeldt for Phil Hughes... it's so obvious, how did nobody think of it before?