Grade the offseason.

[redsfan30]

Ok, everyone all knows how many individuals feel about what has gone on this offseason. Without getting into the specifics again, please provide your grade for what the Reds have done this winter (A-F) with a BRIEF explanation of why.

My grade: B. They had wholes to fill and they went out and filled them with established Major Leaguers rather than hope that a youngster will pan out.

[Falls City Beer]

C-

Hey, they didn't give up Kearns!!!

[membengal]

B+.

Look, they needed desperately to address both starting pitching and bullpen issues, and find a bench. They did that. Now they have bought some time to let their younger arms mature without being thrown into the fire right away to start 2005. If Ortiz flames out, or the bullpen vets are less than spectacular, then they can go to the kids after giving them some more time to season.

Unlike most of the this board, I like that they acquired a 29-year-old lefty w/out a history of arm problems. Sometimes guys like Milton pitch their best ball in their 30s.

They are better now heading into spring training than they were when the season ended. In mid-December, I wouldn't have thought that possible. It's a start.

[BoydsOfSummer]

A for effort. C for results.

[CaiGuy]

I agree. Though they didn't go out and pay for big name players, they filled their current needs (3rd base and Bullpin) and improved their starting pitching. They did this without trading the future away(Kearns, Dunn). I say B to B- is a fair rating.

[letsgojunior]

D

They overspent on mediocre talent, potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns, and allowing almost no future payroll flexibility with the expensive, underproductive tandem of Graves-Griffey-Casey (not as bad as the others)-Milton.

[CaiGuy]

D
potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns.

I forgot about that when I gave my grade. That is really upseting, but I would still give the offseason a C+. They dramaticly improved the team (even if it is mediocre). Joe Randa will revent them from rushing Edwin, the new starters will be better than last year's rotation, and the bullpin will be lights out.

[flyer85]

D

They overspent on mediocre talent, potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns, and allowing almost no future payroll flexibility with the expensive, underproductive tandem of Graves-Griffey-Casey (not as bad as the others)-Milton.

That pretty much covers it.

[REDREAD]

D

They overspent on mediocre talent, potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns, and allowing almost no future payroll flexibility with the expensive, underproductive tandem of Graves-Griffey-Casey (not as bad as the others)-Milton.

I know this isn't supposed to be a discussion thread about this, but it's possible that getting Milton, Ortiz, etc might actually make it EASIER to hold on to Dunn and Kearns. At least now they see ownership making an attempt to win.

If the front office sat on its payflex, the Reds were looking at a potentially last place finish. That's going to drive Kearns/Dunn away in a hurry.

Players sometimes give a hometown discount if the team is legitimately trying to win. There's no guarantee Dunn will do that, but making him sit through another year of horrible pitching isn't going to make him want to stay either.

[wheels]

Players sometimes give a hometown discount if the team is legitimately trying to win. There's no guarantee Dunn will do that, but making him sit through another year of horrible pitching isn't going to make him want to stay either.

We might as well kiss him gooddbye if you think that's the case.

[cincinnati chili]

D

They overspent on mediocre talent, potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns, and allowing almost no future payroll flexibility with the expensive, underproductive tandem of Graves-Griffey-Casey (not as bad as the others)-Milton.

I agree 100%.

And by "D," I think they might have been better off doing nothing. I think they're record will be very similar to last year, and they'll be stuck with bad LTCs making the signing of Dunn very difficult.

[REDREAD]

And by "D," I think they might have been better off doing nothing. I think they're record will be very similar to last year, and they'll be stuck with bad LTCs making the signing of Dunn very difficult.

Unless the signing of Dunn wouldn't matter. Maybe DanO is forbidden to give Dunn a LTC. I think it's highly possible that Allen now has a policy of going year-to-year until he's forced otherwise. And it may not be that bad of a policy in some cases. The time to lock up young players and save money is before they establish themselves. I'm not sure there's been a LTC that saves significant money after the player busts out. Of course, there's always the risk that Dunn goes into 70 Hr territory next year. But the Reds do control Dunn for 3 more years (I think). By then, Milton's contract is off the books.

Wilson, Milton, and Ortiz might all flop, but I think signing them is a lot better than doing nothing. Their replacements would likely be: Claussen, Hancock, and Acevado/Robertson. That's certainly a downgrade.

If the only justification of giving them a "D" is that it MIGHT hurt our chances of signing Dunn/Kearns longterm, I'm not that worried. I can buy the arguement that maybe the money could've been spent on better FAs (hypothetically, but I'm not sure that in reality we had a chance to get Clement/Perez at any price).

Edit: I do agree with you on one thing. The Reds had a lot of "luck" last year, so it's possible their W-L may not improve. However, I think their W-L will be better than if they had done nothing this winter. Thanks.

[westofyou]

C

Primer, Turtlewax a new Muffler, some speakers for the back and a eightball gear shift knob. Not pretty, but it gets down the road faster than it looks despite the gas cost and oil leak.

I wouldn't take it across the country though.

[KronoRed]

C-

They tried to do..something

[GoReds]

B-.

Eddie Murphy put it best. When you're out in the desert and haven't had anything to eat for days, that Ritz cracker tastes great.

Now that we've had a few Ritz crackers, maybe next year we can actually get something a bit more substantial.