Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool
Rockies' players' home/road splits tend to even out when they leave Colorado. The good hitters aren't quite as good as they were at Coors, but aren't nearly as bad as they were away from Coors.
Matt Holliday is a prime example.
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This is well said. Same with Larry Walker. Same with Galarraga (OPS went from .974 to .991 after being traded to Atlanta). Same with Ellis Burks (followed an .865 his last year in Colorado to .964 to 1.025 the following two years in San Francisco). Juan Pierre got better in Florida and getting away from the altitude preserved his body and allowed him to play 162 games for 5 straight years.
Bichette declined when he went to Cincinnati, but he was 36 years old.
95% of posters on this thread are overvaluing what the Reds have to offer and undervaluing what Fowler has to offer.
You just saw what BJ Upton got in free agency, and we'll probably see Bourn get a huge chunk as well. Dexter Fowler is decidedly better than those guys and he's only going to cost about 4 million next year and isn't eligible for free agency until 2015. But putting salary aside who in the Reds organization is more valuable? Votto, Chapman for sure. Cueto and Latos if they keep up their same pace. Bruce is close (although I watch more than half of both players' games and I'd rather have Fowler). That's it. Not Homer Bailey; not Sean Marshall (who I like a lot); not Todd Frazier; and definitely not Billy Hamilton or any of the Reds' pitching prospects.
If I'm O'Dowd, I want Billy Hamilton and two serious pitching prospects in return for forfeiting 2 years of Fowler. I'm certainly not giving the Reds back any pitching that I think is going to turn into anything.