Completely agree.
I loved the deal when they made it. As Chuckie said, Latos was an inexpensive, on the rise #2 with #1 upside SP. Those kind if guys are the most valuable commodities in baseball IMO.
The only guy I was upset in losing in that deal was Grandal. Switch hitting catchers that can actually hit don't come around very often, although that feeling of being upset over losing him has tempered some with his issues. I was never big on Alonzo, guys like Boxberger are generally replaced pretty easily, although I think he could be a closer down the road, and I think we can all agree that Volquez has been awful since the first half of 2008.
Latos is a damn good pitcher, and if you want quality, you generally have to give quality in return. I'll be happy if Stephenson has the same success once he arrives.
Reds are winning the Latos trade because They aren't serious contenders for the division in 2012 and 2013 without Latos. He's was a missing piece that helped out them over the top.
Add in that Latos will be helping the Reds contend for the next two years, and it likely will be a slam dunk in favor of the Reds.
Hoping to change my username to 75769024
I like the Latos trade. I'm glad Walt made it. I'd be happy to see him do it again. But I think it is way premature to make this statement. Even if we assume the Reds would never find a place for Alonso to play, it still turns on the relative value of Grandal vs. Mesoraco and we'll have to see how that one turns out.
redsfandan (02-01-2014)
Law used to post on the rec.sports.baseball newsgroup before he became a "celebrity". He's mild now compared to what he was back then I guess that short stint with the major league club he was at humbled him a bit. But yea, he's still super cocky, condescending and can't admit that he's wrong.
[Phil ] Castellini celebrated the team's farm system and noted the team had promising prospects who would one day be great Reds -- and then joke then they'd be ex-Reds, saying "of course we're going to lose them". #SellTheTeamBob
Nov. 13, 2007: One of the greatest days in Reds history: John Allen gets the boot!
I'm going to defend Law a bit. His podcast is very good. I don't read his articles much though.
Barry On Baseball Also blogging at Banished to the Pen.
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