Reds still in on Alexander Guerrero !

[Redsfansince72]

Per mlbtraderumours:


Boras described the bidding as "wide open," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who reports that the Red Sox, Reds, Rangers and Giants all have interest in Guerrero and are fighting the Dodgers for his services.
" The Reds would have to use him at shortstop or perhaps third base due to the presence of Brandon Phillips, despite the fact that many scouts have predicted Guerrero will have to transition to second base to play in the Majors."

Hmmmm like to see more about this player and the Reds chances...

[Benihana]

Would definitely be interesting IF he can play SS, although many teams see him as a 2B in the majors...

[WildcatFan]

Would definitely be interesting IF he can play SS, although many teams see him as a 2B in the majors...

I was thinking the same thing. He'll have pretty much the same number of years under contract as BP does, and all signs point to him becoming a second baseman.

[klw]

Jon Heyman
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/...outbid-dodgers

Guerrero was reportedly "close" to a Dodgers deal, said to be worth $32 million over five years, only a week ago.

No one is talking about that deal now, but there are people close to the team who suggested there definitely had been optimism at some point that Guerrero would become a Dodger. Now Guerrero has switched agents and is being represented by Scott Boras, and all parties involved agree that Guerrero remains a free agent, able to sign with any of the 30 clubs.

It's no surprise the interest has re-emerged for Guerrero, a middle infielder with power who has played shortstop but may move to second base. Guerrero also has been praised by scouts for having excellent hands.

It remains a mystery exactly what happened to the first deal, but a clue may have appeared in a tweet from @JesseSanchezMLB who has been closely covering this case. In it Sanchez wrote, "Verbal agreements from past agency are not bonding. Wants overall better deal."

A person with connections to the baseball players union said Guerrero did not have a certified agent representing him before hiring Boras. In a blog on MLB.com, Sanchez named Rudy Santin and Manny Paula of MVP Sports Management as Guerrero's previous representatives.

[klw]

Here is a scouting report:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ander-guerrero

Background

Guerrero began his professional career in 2005, joining Las Tunas of Cuba’s Serie Nacional as an 18-year-old. However, he didn’t emerge as one of the league’s premier players until the 2009 season when he batted .338/.408/641 with 24 doubles, 19 home runs and 30/32 K/BB in 314 plate appearances.

Year	Age	PA	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	K%	BB%	  AVG	OBP	SLG
2005	18	129	7	0	0	15	1	16%	5%	  .223	.271	.281
2006	19	145	5	2	4	23	3	15%	8%	  .248	.324	.411
2007	20	304	15	0	6	41	4	8%	9%	  .293	.365	.414
2008	21	301	15	3	11	53	0	11%	11%	  .296	.392	.504
2009	22	314	24	2	19	71	0	10%	6%	  .338	.408	.641
2010	23	376	18	1	19	87	0	11.7%  8.5%	  .343	.414	.583
2011	24	329	16	0	22	66	0	12.8%  12.2%	  .310	.401	.599
2012	25	328	12	1	21	51	2	9.1%	 11.9%	  .290	.402	.576
Totals	        2226	112	9	102	407	10	11.1%  9.3%	  .302	.387	.527

He continued to put up monster numbers over the next two years and made the league’s All-Star team on both occasions. But his eight-year career with Las Tunas came to an unexpected end following the 2012 season, as Guerrero opted to sit out last year—openly stating (h/t Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk) that he lacked the motivation to play after not being chosen for Cuba’s World Baseball Classic team.

After defecting from Cuba in January, Guerrero has spent the last six months training in the Dominican Republic.

Scouting Report

Offense: Physically strong, right-handed hitter at 5’10”, 205 pounds; employs a crouched stance with a wide base and starts with hands at eye level; toe-tap load allows him to utilize strong lower half; quiet stride; hits off a firm front side; above-average-to-plus bat speed thanks to strong wrists and forearms; easy, raw pop, especially to the pull side; gets the barrel to the ball and generates impressive extension after contact; tendency to wrap his bat and dip on the backside at times; has quick feet and moves well but won’t be a base stealer.

Defense: Average athleticism; still moves well despite thicker lower half; may lose a step as he ages; versatile and instinctual defender with quick hands and flashy glove; fast transfer and release; decent body control; actions are too stiff for clean projection at shortstop; average range and arm strength suggests a future at second base.

[Wonderful Monds]

Get him.

[Benihana]

One other crazy/unlikely scenario:

Reds sign Guerrero, trade Phillips to the Dodgers for Pedersen and Seager. Then re-sign Choo OR trade for Tulowitzki.

Won't happen but interesting to ponder.

[M2]

Interesting mix of teams mentioned as pursuers. None are really in the market for a 2B. I imagine the Giants would be willing to eat Scutaro's contract if Guerrero impressed, but this isn't the group you'd necessarily expect to see after a 2B.

[Joseph]

Interesting mix of teams mentioned as pursuers. None are really in the market for a 2B. I imagine the Giants would be willing to eat Scutaro's contract if Guerrero impressed, but this isn't the group you'd necessarily expect to see after a 2B.

I think its like the draft, best talent available sort of thing.

[RedsBrick]

Another crazy/unlikely scenerio:

BP moves to 3B

[Benihana]

Another crazy/unlikely scenerio:

BP moves to 3B

Good point eventually, although right now BP still seems gold glove-like at 2B, which is not an asset you want to waste.

[REDREAD]

Another crazy/unlikely scenerio:

BP moves to 3B

Maybe Guerrero spends 2014 in the minors and then takes over 3b in 2015?

Frazier would actually be a pretty decent trading piece to have.

[bigfunguy]

If we are going to be bidding on a Boras client I'd rather do it on the one we have...

[mth123]

Maybe Guerrero spends 2014 in the minors and then takes over 3b in 2015?

Frazier would actually be a pretty decent trading piece to have.

Or one or both of these guys becomes a supersub like they seem to be meant to and the Reds become a better team. St. Louis doesn't seem to be allergic to having good players on its bench (Adams, Wong, etc.). Pushing guys like Hannahan and Robinson off the roster is a good thing.

[Benihana]

Maybe Guerrero spends 2014 in the minors and then takes over 3b in 2015?

Frazier would actually be a pretty decent trading piece to have.

So much of Frazier's value will depend on how he hits in 2014. If he hits well, he could either be cashed in as a trading chip or moved to LF if Choo isn't re-signed and/or Y-Rod isn't ready to takeover for Ludwick in 2015. If he repeats his 2013 offensive performance, he certainly won't have a lot of trade value and should be replaced (by Guerrero?) in the lineup anyway.

The only issues are, 1) who knows if Guerrero hits enough to be a proper 3B and 2) if he spends a year in the minors, he'll be a pretty expensive minor leaguer!

That said, I'm all for the signing. We can certainly use the infield depth/help.