ESPN: Reds trade for Womack

[CincyRedsFan30]

I really feel for Freel. He keeps getting shafted, despite his strong performances over the last few years.

This move wouldn't have been AS bad if Womack was there to be a backup for Freel at 2B, with Freel hitting leadoff.

[acredsfan]

Womack brings a lot to the table in the "professionalism" side. Fans forget how many times he has been written off and continues to prove people wrong.

With Casey shipped off and a lot of young talent in the clubhouse this trade is the equivalent to the Reds bringing in Billy Hatcher. Eric Davis gives a tremendous amount of credit to Billy for making him play hard EVERY DAY and bringing the level of "professionalism" up in the clubhouse. We all know the results. Not that the Reds will win the WS this year but it will only improve the "team". Just what the Reds need.

I'm not so much frustrated at the fact that Womack is here, I'm sure he is a great professional and he has overcome a lot of adversity, but I'm really frustrated that the growth of our younger 2nd basemen has been slowed by first the signing of Aurillia, and now the trade for Womack. Its obvious that as high as the Reds are on Freel as a utility player, he will never be given an every day job at one position, so why not let someone from within the system try and make the position theirs?

[ochre]

I kind of like the move. Womack is one year removed from an all-star season and one of the best seasons in his career. Then, he went to New York last year, which isn't the easiest place ot play to begin with, and he was moved around between 2B and OF all year long. Not really a good chance to do well in that situation. He is in a contract year, and if he doesn't preform well his career could be over. He is going to work his butt of this year. Now, if we bring RA back, my thoughts will do a complete 180 on this trade. If we sepnd Casey's freed up money on Womack and RA I will be pissed!

We could have done much worse then Womack. Playing in Cincy will do his stats wonders.

Playing in Cincy won't do squat for a player that profiles like him. No pop, no OBP players are fairly park independent.

[Falls City Beer]

I also happen to think Eddie Encarnacion loses an at-bat or two as a result of this trade.

[ochre]

I also happen to think Eddie Encarnacion loses an at-bat or two as a result of this trade.

Nah, pin that one on the impending RA arbitration. He'll not find a better market than what he'll get there. It will be further proof of the old adage: "The only idiocy you can rely on is your own".

[SteelSD]

Playing in Cincy won't do squat for a player that profiles like him. No pop, no OBP players are fairly park independent.

Last season 1,329 MLB players put on a glove, threw a pitch, or grabbed a bat.

Tony Womack ranked 1,318th among those players with a negative 4 Win Shares above Bench level.

The Reds just picked up a guy who may be the worst regular player in baseball while wasting two prospect resources and about 20% of the cost savings associated with the Sean Casey trade.

And some folks seem to be happy about that.

[Falls City Beer]

The Reds are so far below an afterthought in the grand scheme of baseball that it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see them purchased one of these days when no one is looking (and frankly no one will be looking soon enough) by an out of town outfit, when the value of the club is sub-Royals, and moved somewhere else. These hometown owners are literally crushing this franchise to death. In the great effort to "keep 'em local" these owners may be, ironically, driving this club to greener pastures elsewhere.

[Red Leader]

Last season 1,329 MLB players put on a glove, threw a pitch, or grabbed a bat.

Tony Womack ranked 1,318th among those players with a negative 4 Win Shares above Bench level.

The Reds just picked up a guy who may be the worst regular player in baseball while wasting two prospect resources and about 20% of the cost savings associated with the Sean Casey trade.

And some folks seem to be happy about that.

Well, gosh. I never thought about it that way.

[KronoRed]

Who was 1,329th?

Because that will be our next target.

[westofyou]

The Reds are so far below an afterthought in the grand scheme of baseball that it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see them purchased one of these days when no one is looking (and frankly no one will be looking soon enough) by an out of town outfit, when the value of the club is sub-Royals, and moved somewhere else. These hometown owners are literally crushing this franchise to death. In the great effort to "keep 'em local" these owners may be, ironically, driving this club to greener pastures elsewhere.

40 year lease, and a suitcase of past decisions just as bad if not worse than this one says you'll get an Oscar for that speech.

[Falls City Beer]

40 year lease, and a suitcase of past decisions just as bad if not worse than this one says you'll get an Oscar for that speech.

Well, I didn't say it would happen tomorrow. Deals like this just hasten obsolescence. Nothing lasts forever. I'm not sure I see a great economic resurgence occurring in the Rust Belt anytime soon either--as Americans move south and west--or back east. I think it would be crazy to think that an unbroken string of 15-17 years of this kind of putrescence wouldn't leave an indelible scar.

[SteelSD]

Who was 1,329th?

Because that will be our next target.

Been there, done that (sadly).

1,329th is Jose Lima (-8).

1,328th is Eric Milton (-7).

Ramon Ortiz tied with a bunch of other guys (including Danny Graves) for positions #1,262-#1,308.

Paul Wilson's quick implosion was worth as much (or as little) as Tony Womack's season-long slow bleed.

The Reds need to change thier name to "BadPlayersRUs".

[westofyou]

Nothing lasts forever. I'm not sure I see a great economic resurgence occurring in the Rust Belt anytime soon either

True, I think Milwaukee will be the first city that experiences that. As it stands now the Cincinnati area is gaining people if I remember right. Population growth means dollars to be chased.

[TeamBoone]

All I'm saying is that the new owner, Castellini, told O'Brien to make some trades to improve the Reds NOW. He didn't want prospects that will develop in 5-7 years, he wanted players that will make an immediate impact. Since Dan O'Brien is fully incapable of this in general, and even worse under time constraints, you get a trade like this.

I can't see Castellini directly telling O'Brien to trade Kevin Howard and Ben Himes for Tony Womack, or even telling O'Brien to get Tony Womack for whoever for that matter.

From an article on the cincinnati.com website (also posted in another thread):

Reds general manager Dan O'Brien says he's answering only to chief operating officer John Allen.

"The only individual I deal with is John," O'Brien said. "Where it goes after John, I don't know."

It's known that Allen has had meetings with Castellini, so it's reasonable to think Allen would not have approved a trade of Casey without first clearing it with Castellini.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...80340/-1/CINCI

[Falls City Beer]

True, I think Milwaukee will be the first city that experiences that. As it stands now the Cincinnati area is gaining people if I remember right. Population growth means dollars to be chased.

Cincy growth is negligible at best--check the census figures. Pitt and Milwaukee are worse, but Cincy's growth is incredibly minute. And the job market is atrocious.