Quote:
Originally Posted by dougdirt
I don't get the Texas catchers stuff. Laird isn't an upgrade over Ryan Hanigan is. Salty is about as much of a catcher as Javy is, albeit with a better bat that we don't need with Votto/Frazier/Alonso already looking to clog up the 1B/LF area in the future. I just don't see either of those guys being any kind of upgrade over what we already have, so why we would give up talent to get them, I don't know.
|
I can accept what you are indicating regarding the Texas catchers. But to go on to another question regarding the Reds resources to trade for needs to begin with.
Doug dirt, et al.
You and others study the Reds minor league players much deeper than I do thus you are more familiar with what the Reds have as replacements in AAA Louisville. Of course you are familiar with the current Reds players also.
When the subject of trading comes up I tend to lean toward thinking this line after line below, am I wrong? I just don’t see the Reds having anything realistically to trade that other teams would be highly motivated to trade for besides their starting pitching, am I wrong?
Questions or thoughts:
If it is not pitching then who do the Reds have to trade that would genuinely interest other teams looking to improve their teams next year in 2009?
The only ones that I see is some of the Reds major league starting pitching or major league relief pitching that might interest teams to offer a decent return.
Pitching
Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Micah Owings,
Minor League Pitching
Ramon Ramirez, Matthew Maloney, Bobby Livingston, Homer Bailey, Daryl Thompson,
The Reds need starting pitching to begin with themselves. If Harang and Arroyo implode again or Cueto is still learning and is inconsistent again next year, I am not even sure that the Reds have starting pitching to trade, do they?
Harang, Owings, and Thompson had arm troubles last season increasing the risk for parties who might have been interested in possible solutions to their staff in 2009.
Homer Bailey though still young was a mess last year. I can’t see him solving any problems for a team in the present that might be interested.
Johnny Cueto still very young, limited experience and inconsistent. Could teams that have interest count on Cueto for much more than a good work in progress next year?
Bobby Livingston injured the year before and still trying to come back with limited value to begin with.
Reds
Francisco Cordero, Jared Burton, Bill Bray, Nick Masset, Gary Majewski,
AAA Louisville Relief
Robert Manuel, Carlos Fisher, Josh Roenicke, Daniel Ray Herrera, Justin Lehr,
The Reds need someone from the list of minor league pitching to help fill out the bullpen and the AAA pitchers have limited trade value or limited ability to help a team looking for pitching in 2009
The major league roster is already short on relief pitchers and short on quality.
Infielders
Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Alex Gonzalez, Jeff Keppinger, Edwin Encarnacion, Paul Janish, Adam Rosales, Danny Richar
They don’t have any replacements or upgrades for their starting infielders or certain infielders among them won’t bring a return that would solve a problem to begin with. The Reds need some upgrades themselves.
Catcher
Ryan Hannigan, Wilkin Castillo
They don’t have any replacements or upgrades here
Outfielders
Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson, Ryan Freel, Norris Hopper
The Reds are already short in the outfield, Freel and Hopper were injured last year and have limited trade value to begin with. Dickerson was a small sample that looked good but still is a question mark on hitting.
Any other considerations are just minor league prospects at this point that the Reds have as AA or A ball players. Not something that other teams traditionally give up much for.