Red Sox Signs Grady Sizemore

[CySeymour]

Very pleasant and everybody prefers that to the lost decade. Not sure why people think differently. But when you're on the brink, why not try to seal the deal? Doing nothing when the competition is making moves to improve isn't a good plan. Even the BRM added Mike Lum and Bob Bailey after they won in 1975. This team hasn't even done that much and has much less right to be complacent about what they've got in house.

I also think a lot of people are misrepresenting what everyone does want. We all want the Reds to win the World Series. We all wish they could make a deal move them closer. However, it should also be understood the team may have roadblocks that are preventing them from making such deals.

[Plus Plus]

So meaningful games in September is the goal now. Like 90 wins and league average, it's a pitiful standard.

Aim Low!!

How is 90 wins league average?

[mth123]

I also think a lot of people are misrepresenting what everyone does want. We all want the Reds to win the World Series. We all wish they could make a deal move them closer. However, it should also be understood the team may have roadblocks that are preventing them from making such deals.

Well, I've been pointing out the payroll situation since before last season ended and have been beat down for doing so. I know about the roadblocks. That is why the need to make moves to retool and not just blind adds for guys like Matt Kemp.

[Larry Schuler]

Can someone with a higher post count and more forum credibility start a thread on the pitfalls of using an idealistic methodology for critiquing a Major League Baseball franchise?

[CySeymour]

Well, I've been pointing out the payroll situation since before last season ended and have been beat down for doing so. I know about the roadblocks. That is why the need to make moves to retool and not just blind adds for guys like Matt Kemp.

That would mean moving payroll. He tried to move BP but couldn't. Coming off surgery, moving Broxton would be next to impossible. Who else would you suggest he move?

[reds44]

They made the play-offs last year with nothing from catcher but were significantly better in CF. I think the entire line-up is going to need to improve to make up for the loss of Choo. If you cite 2012, then you are relying on Ludwick and Frazier to OPS .825+. Pipedream IMO.

It's not really a pipe dream though. I think even old Ludwick can give you a .750+ OPS. Your LFers last year had OPSes of .741, .695, .645.

Mesoraco wil perform better than Hanigan's .567(!!!) OPS last year.

Votto will most likely improve off his .926 OPS, as will Phillips with his .706 OPS.

People are acting like the Reds need some impossible things to happen to make the playoffs. They don't. They need things to happen that are likely to happen, IMO.

[membengal]

That would mean moving payroll. He tried to move BP but couldn't. Coming off surgery, moving Broxton would be next to impossible. Who else would you suggest he move?

Well, way to ignore he has to move the Phillips contract that Walt chained himself to by signing it in the first place, same with broxton.

[CySeymour]

Well, way to ignore he has to move the Phillips contract that Walt chained himself to by signing it in the first place, same with broxton.

HOw did I ignore it? I was just stating he has tried to move Phillips but hasn't been able to, and that moving Broxton really isn't possible. My question was, who else would you suggest he try to move? But you chose to ignore that.

[membengal]

HOw did I ignore it? I was just stating he has tried to move Phillips but hasn't been able to, and that moving Broxton really isn't possible. My question was, who else would you suggest he try to move? But you chose to ignore that.

I have long since addressed this in a lot of other threads, and am not sure I need to re-hash it again. Walt has tied his own hands with the contracts he has committed to. Everytime someone starts an apology for Walt's current inaction by noting "his hands are tied" I roll my eyes. Phillips' contract, Ludwick's contract, Broxton's contract, all three were expenditures that I didn't like at the time. He can't do something now because of those kinds of deals? That's on him. But I reject this "woe is Walt" crap I see being spun. This is Walt's bed that he made. If he can't move the POS contracts he signed to address the needs that exist on this team at this point, that's on him.

[CySeymour]

I have long since addressed this in a lot of other threads, and am not sure I need to re-hash it again. Walt has tied his own hands with the contracts he has committed to. Everytime someone starts an apology for Walt's current inaction by noting "his hands are tied" I roll my eyes. Phillips' contract, Ludwick's contract, Broxton's contract, all three were expenditures that I didn't like at the time. He can't do something now because of those kinds of deals? That's on him. But I reject this "woe is Walt" crap I see being spun. This is Walt's bed that he made. If he can't move the POS contracts he signed to address the needs that exist on this team at this point, that's on him.

And that's fair, though I do believe Phillips contract is also on ownership as well. But what remains is that those events are done and can't just be erased, hence the question of who else can he move to clear payroll.

[membengal]

And that's fair, though I do believe Phillips contract is also on ownership as well. But what remains is that those events are done and can't just be erased, hence the question of who else can he move to clear payroll.

Got me. But, again, whether it's him or ownership, it's a bed they made. And, it is the GM who takes the fall/heat in such situations, yes. I have very little patience for the payroll shenanigans at this point. Either it was sprung on Walt and that's on BobC if so, or Walt knew there would soon be a point at which he could not go above and spent precious capital on Broxton/Phillips/Ludwick/Marshall anyway. The allocation of resources on this team in terms of money in the bullpen continues to cause me to raise my eyebrows.

One way or another, it is on Walt to naviagate this, and so far he has not been able to. They have been really REALLY inactive for months now. Leading us to the point where the board splits over whether to be optimistic or pessimistic over their "stand pat and hope everyone gets healthy and better and that Hamilton is really ready" strategy. It is what it is. I hope all those things happen, but I am skeptical. And I think Walt owns some piece of this problem, yes.

[CySeymour]

Got me. But, again, whether it's him or ownership, it's a bed they made. And, it is the GM who takes the fall/heat in such situations, yes. I have very little patience for the payroll shenanigans at this point. Either it was sprung on Walt and that's on BobC if so, or Walt knew there would soon be a point at which he could not go above and spent precious capital on Broxton/Phillips/Ludwick/Marshall anyway. The allocation of resources on this team in terms of money in the bullpen continues to cause me to raise my eyebrows.

One way or another, it is on Walt to naviagate this, and so far he has not been able to. They have been really REALLY inactive for months now. Leading us to the point where the board splits over whether to be optimistic or pessimistic over their "stand pat and hope everyone gets healthy and better and that Hamilton is really ready" strategy. It is what it is. I hope all those things happen, but I am skeptical. And I think Walt owns some piece of this problem, yes.

No argument from me here!

[mth123]

It's not really a pipe dream though. I think even old Ludwick can give you a .750+ OPS. Your LFers last year had OPSes of .741, .695, .645.

Mesoraco wil perform better than Hanigan's .567(!!!) OPS last year.

Votto will most likely improve off his .926 OPS, as will Phillips with his .706 OPS.

People are acting like the Reds need some impossible things to happen to make the playoffs. They don't. They need things to happen that are likely to happen, IMO.

Ludwick at .750 isn't unrealistic, but it's a far cry from .877 that he put up in 2012. If sighting pre-Choo 2012 is the reason this team won't suffer his loss, other stuff from 2012 would have to happen as well. Think all 5 starters make all their starts?

I'm not sold on Mesoraco being better than Hanigan in an expanded role. He's OPSed below .600 against RHP as a major leaguer. He's a lefty killer that might progress. A rebuilding team would see what he can do. A contender would complement him with a lefty bat that can play most of the time against RHP. If Mesoraco being the full-time guy just means more PAs against RHP, I expect his numbers to fall as he plays more when he fails a lot not improve as many on here seem to think is automatic with more PT. Bringing in AAAA Brayan Pena isn't the complement I was hoping for.

Votto will probably improve and add power. I'll give you that one. I'm not convinced we haven't already seen the best of Phillips. I'm guessing that .706 from last year may be the top end of how I'd project him.

Arizona and Washington are two non-play-off teams from 2013 that have improved significantly IMO. LA and St. Louis will be back as top teams. That leaves the three play-off teams that have gone backwards (CIN, ATL and PIT)fighting with a group that includes an improved Milwaukee (Garza, returns of Braun and Ramirez) , an improved Philadelphia (Byrd and Gonzalez) and an improved SF (Hudson, Morse) fighting for one play-off spot IMO. Status quo isn't the answer to that.

[mth123]

And that's fair, though I do believe Phillips contract is also on ownership as well. But what remains is that those events are done and can't just be erased, hence the question of who else can he move to clear payroll.

Chapman? Leake? Marshall? Maybe Bailey. It might still happen. The market for SP is just getting going thanks to Tanaka. The board has missed that a lot of teams have 4 or 5 solid starters these days and there seems to be decent back end guys just sitting there for the taking. If some team wants to give a cheap, cost comtrolled position player who could upgrade the OF for Leake, I think the Reds should do it and backfill by signing a Chris Capuano, a Scott Baker or some one like that. If Chapman could bring back a position player, a power arm for the pen and a MI prospect, I'd do it right now. Hoover could close and the power arm acquired could fill in the middle. Heck, Curtis Partch might be a decent guy to fill in the middle. Or maybe they add a 6th starter like the aforementioned Baker or Capuano. Counting on all of them to make their starts is foolish and with Arroyo gone, they don't have a guy to plug in like last year (though some of the young pitchers may only be a half season away so maybe they do).

What the Reds have going for them is young pitching which should be ready soon, some high priced arms that should be able to restock some positional talent that's affordable and a glut of affordable stopgaps on the free agent market. That is where they should be trying to restructure from either the pen, the rotation or both.

[bucksfan2]

I can't understand why RZ members keep using this absurd logic.

They were a better team in 2012 but the numbers said they should have been better in 2013. Why is that?

There was something exciting about the 2012 team but something seemed off about the 2013 club. Can the Reds rekindle the 2012 magic next year?

I don't think this Reds team is as bad as some do. I think they will have a chance to win 90 games again. I think they will have a chance to win the Central. Things have to bounce their way, but every team needs a little luck. If Cueto is healthy I like the rotation this year better than last. I like the power arms the rotation has now. I like the subtle but good moves Walt made to make the bench better. I like Schumacher much better as the utility guy than what they had last season. I hope Pena can hit the ball out of the infield like Hanigan struggled to last season. And I think/hope Votto bounces back to his 2012 self (sans injury).