If Kearns Goes, Will Dunn Go Also?

[Chip R]

You're right that nothing has happened so nobody has anyway of knowing what any reaction would be.

But I just get the impression from people that they think the Reds should keep Austin Kearns because we don't want to make Adam Dunn mad even if trading Kearns made this a better team.

Sure, I see that too. Personally, I'd trade Kearns in a heartbeat if the Reds could get some decent pitching out of it. And it's a gamble to trade Kearns if it makes Dunn unhappy. But even if you re-sign Kearns to a multi-year deal to keep Dunn happy there's no guarantee Dunn sticks around.

[MikeS21]

It is a business and if Dunn hasnt figured that out then I dont know what to tell him. This isnt little league where you get to play with all your buddies. I can see if he was upset over some things in the past but things have changed. Besides if he wants to lose for the next 10 years with Kearns by his side he can do it elsewhere, if trading Kearns makes this team better I could care less if Adam Dunn gets upset, but I really dont think he would.

The problem is that money may not be the only hold-up in getting a LTC done.

We've been working from the assumption the the only thing holding back a deal for Dunn is that the Reds are too cheap to offer him enough money. That may not be the case at all. What if Dunn has other demands that include keeping a core group of players intact? My point is, if Dunn is looking for an excuse to get out of town ASAP, his demands for a LTC may go far beyond money - perhaps even bordering on absurdity.

My gut feeling is that Dunn will opt for free agency at his earliest opportunity - no matter what the Reds offer.

[George Foster]

My take of this is the reds organization MUST be pretty confident they will sign Dunn to a LTC, or they would not be offering up Kearns. Why trade Kearns, then lose Dunn to the free agent market? If the reds cannot sign Dunn to a LTC, then we all must agree that we have to keep Kearns..right? We can't lose them both.

[Chip R]

If the reds cannot sign Dunn to a LTC, then we all must agree that we have to keep Kearns..right? We can't lose them both.

Not necessarily. If Kearns plays like a dog, what's the use of keeping him around even if Dunn leaves?

[dfs]

Anytime Sean Casey made comments about seeing a friend traded he was consistantly ridiculed for it. It seems to me that people give Adam Dunn a free pass when it comes to him and Kearns. What's the difference between Sean Casey saying what he said and Dunn (potentially) leaving because they traded his friend?

Fair enough... I certainly have implied that it's possible Dunn might gets upset and that could effect his decision to sign a long term contract.

Now, your question is why does that concern me when others have not been concerned about Sean Casey's very public sentiment that he wanted to keep his buddies around?

That's pretty easy for me to answer. Sean Casey is a really nice guy, but he's replaceable. On the field, between the lines he's nothing special, an expensive powerless firstbaseman who gets on base but can't run. On the other hand, Adam Dunn has established himself as one of the best hitters in the game. Pitch to him and he punishes the ball. Don't pitch to him and he takes the walk. He's the type of player that you can build a contender around. If I'm ownership, there's no comparison between the two and I know exactly which one I'm concerned with keeping happy.

Again, there's a pretty long list of reasons Adam Dunn might have to avoid signing a long term deal with the reds. I don't KNOW that those things effect Dunn's willingness to sign a deal, but it is possible.

[MikeS21]

Fair enough... I certainly have implied that it's possible Dunn might gets upset and that could effect his decision to sign a long term contract.

Now, your question is why does that concern me when others have not been concerned about Sean Casey's very public sentiment that he wanted to keep his buddies around?

That's pretty easy for me to answer. Sean Casey is a really nice guy, but he's replaceable. On the field, between the lines he's nothing special, an expensive powerless firstbaseman who gets on base but can't run. On the other hand, Adam Dunn has established himself as one of the best hitters in the game. Pitch to him and he punishes the ball. Don't pitch to him and he takes the walk. He's the type of player that you can build a contender around. If I'm ownership, there's no comparison between the two and I know exactly which one I'm concerned with keeping happy.

Again, there's a pretty long list of reasons Adam Dunn might have to avoid signing a long term deal with the reds. I don't KNOW that those things effect Dunn's willingness to sign a deal, but it is possible.

Unfortunately, I think Sean Casey was one of those buddies Dunn may have not wanted to see traded!