If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

As we kick around permutations of Bronson Arroyo's K rate and what the potential opening day lineup might be, let's talk about the other half of Wayne Krivsky's "pitching and defense" mantra.

Even if Arroyo brings his K rate back up to its 2004 heights, he's going to need someone to field the ball behind him. In fact the whole Reds pitching staff is going to need that. It's not like this is a termination-oriented staff the club will be trotting out there.

To me it makes little sense to start investing in pitching and then undercut it with atrocious defense.

Edwin Encarnacion has range and it looks like he's tamed his arm a bit. A slimmer Austin Kearns should be good in RF. Felipe Lopez is the SS and hopefully he'll continue to improve in the field. Jason LaRue and Javier Valentin are capable behind the plate.

One major problem lurks out in CF. If the Krivsky regime is serious about reshaping this team, it will coax Ken Griffey Jr. into an OF corner for the good of this team. Put Chris Denorfia out in CF with Kearns in RF and Jr. in LF and you've done your pitching staff an enormous favor. Basically you've closed up a gap and a half. Obviously that would entail Adam Dunn at 1B.

As we've all heard, Scott Hatteberg is the nominal bonhomme at 1B for the moment. I don't mind Hatteberg and I actually expect he'll perform all right this season (he seems to thrive in even-numbered years), but he's not helping the team in the field and benching him paves the way for a better defense.

That leads us to 2B. Forget, as best you can, about Tony Womack's numerous offensive shortcomings. The Reds can't afford to stick a glove that lousy in the field. In fact, I'm going to take that concept so seriously here that I'm going to suggest sacrificing a player I truly love. Ryan Freel is a dynamite leadoff hitter and the Reds' equivalent of Chone Figgins, just play him wherever you've got you biggest hole. Yet, at best, he's a mediocre 2B. My suggestion would be to play the hell out of Freel until you get a good trade offer for him, then replace him with a glove guy (nominally Matt Kata at the moment). The team can figure out the 1-2 hitters among Lopez, Denorfia, Encarnacion and Kearns. At some point you have to give you pitching some support. Lopez, Jr. and Dunn are already enough sacrifices made in the name of scoring. If it means the Reds become a 750-run team instead of an 820-run team, so be it. Until the organization figures out how to stop the other team, the offense is an afterthought.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

*cough* Joey Gathright *cough*

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

*cough* Chris Young *cough*

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

You'll get no arguments from me on Gathright or Young.

Though I was thinking of this in McGyver mode, trying to use the spare pieces available at the moment. WWRDAD?

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

*cough* Gathright is probably more easily obtained, the D-backs need Young *cough*

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

You guys should get something for those coughs. Seems to be spreading

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

The easiest way to improve your pitching without getting better pitchers is to improve the defense. The Reds were the worst defensive OF in baseball last year and just missed an opportunity to improve the defense by moving Jr to LF where he would likely be a little above average and installing denorfia in CF. Instead the OF still stinks and now the 1b and 2b stink defensively as well. Hatteberg is a -25 FRAA downgrade from Casey of 2005.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

The D-Backs are loaded with outfield prospects.

Carlos Quentin, Carlos Gonzales, and Justin Upton. Plus Shawn Green, Luis Gonzalez, Eric Byrnes, and Scott Hairston on the Major League roster.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

Oh, sure, they are good defensive players but do they Know How To Win? Can they Play The Game Right?

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

More importantly, are they baseball guys?

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

or are they scrappy?

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

Do they wear the high stirrups? Do they pee on their hands so as not to get blisters? Are they awesome at the practical jokes?

These are things Narron needs to know.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

The D-Rays were asking for Scott Olsen in exchange for Gathright.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

This just seems like the perfect opportunity to move KGJ to LF and put Denofria in CF.

Re: If you're going to trade for pitching, how about some defense?
 

That makes too much sense.