Trade: Wily Mo to Red Sox

[SirFelixCat]

Rich Aurilla has been working out at 1B the past week... with Dunn playing alot of LF, so I thought there might be a trade in the works.

Womack 2B
Lopez SS
Griffey CF
Dunn LF
Kearns RF
Aurilla 1B
Encarnacion 3B
LaRue C

Lineup, imo, would look much better like this:

Freel 2B (ok, Womack is here, but I wish)
Lopez SS
Griffey CF
Dunn 1B
Kearns RF
LaRue C
EdE 3B
Denorfia LF/CF

but, my gut tells me this:

Womack 2B
Lopez SS
Griffey CF
Dunn LF
Kearns RF
Hatteberg 1B
EdE 3B
Larue C

[Joseph]

I'm in favor of it, over all. I've always been in awe of his power, but I just don't think he was a fit here in Cincy.

[HalMorrisRules]

He has his own website (which looks like he will have to get some new graphics real soon) at www.bronsonarroyo.com and this was in his news section dated 3/15

"Making his third start of the spring, Arroyo allowed five runs, three hits and two walks in three innings in the Sox' 9-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at City of Palms Park. Nearly all of the damage came from the first five batters of the game before he retired nine of the final 10 Reds he faced.
"If I have to pitch out of the 'pen, I'll pitch out of the 'pen," said Arroyo, part of starting cast that includes Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Matt Clement, David Wells and Jonathan Papelbon. "The way I'm pitching right now, if it comes down to a coin flip, I'm going to lose."
This spring, Arroyo is 0-2 with a 17.55 ERA. In 6 2/3 innings, he's allowed 13 hits, 13 runs, four walks and three homers. Before yesterday, he did not have a strikeout."

Those sure are some encouraging numbers.

[Highlifeman21]

Everyone says we have bats and outfielders to spare. I don't get it, who are our starting outfielders now???? Did Dunn spend all spring training learning first base for nothing???

With WMP playing in the WBC, Dunn has played the majority of ST in LF, with Hatteberg @ 1B.

This trade doesn't surprise me at all, I just hope both players perform for their new teams.

[redsfanfalcon]

Sorry, but you can't judge a pitcher by spring training numbers. Or any player for that matter.

[IslandRed]

Interesting move. I'll hold judgement for awhile.

Ditto.

The interesting thing here is that Arroyo is signed for the next three years at below market value (market value being $7-8 million for league average) and those are his arbitration years. Because he's not yet eligible for free agency, he can't play the demand-a-trade card. Depending on how much cash Boston is sending, Arroyo could be -- key word, could -- a highly cost-effective pitcher for the next three years, leaving money available to go get another one. And that contract makes him extremely tradeable should the opportunity arise.

Worst case, of course, is that Arroyo blows here in Cincinnati while Pena hits 50 bombs a year over the Green Monster.

On the lineup implications, what I don't want to see is a Hatteberg-Womack right side of the infield. Most other combinations I could live with.

[SidneySlicker]

I loved watching Willy Mo at bat, but his fielding was terrible and it never seemed to progress in his time with the Reds. I hope BA can recapture his form from the playoffs a couple of years ago. As much as loosing the potential of WMP hurts I like the trade. Good pitching is hard to find. Good outfielders are a dime a dozen. I think the ideal situation for WMP is playing as a DH in the A.L. Hopefully down the road he gets the opportunity to play everyday and show what he can do.

[OnBaseMachine]

Ever wakeup and wonder why you had to be a Reds fan? I do...a lot. What the heck did Reds fan do to deserve getting all these horrible GM's? It just never ends.

Offer Antonetti like 5 million a year to come here.

[savafan]

I'm kinda liking this trade right now, but we'll see how the season plays out.

[RedsNeck]

Unlike a majority of you, I like this trade. Maybe this could put Denorfia in the outfield, or even Wise. This gives us more speed, better defense, and a lot more contact. Wily Mo is fast, but didn't always give the effort. We do not need power, we have plenty of that. A 4.59 ERA in the AL isn't horrible. He also had a 1.30 WHIP which is pretty good in the AL. We are programmed to be negative right away, but what did Wily Mo really give us?

I agree 100%. Wily Mo does one thing well and only does that when the opposing pitcher has a lapse and throws him a fastball. I like this deal and if they move Dunn back to left even his D is better than Pena's.

[guttle11]

Have to start somewhere. I'm not sure this the place, but you have to start somewhere.

[SirFelixCat]

Ditto.

The interesting thing here is that Arroyo is signed for the next three years at below market value (market value being $7-8 million for league average) and those are his arbitration years. Because he's not yet eligible for free agency, he can't play the demand-a-trade card. Depending on how much cash Boston is sending, Arroyo could be -- key word, could -- a highly cost-effective pitcher for the next three years, leaving money available to go get another one. And that contract makes him extremely tradeable should the opportunity arise.

Worst case, of course, is that Arroyo blows here in Cincinnati while Pena hits 50 bombs a year over the Green Monster.

On the lineup implications, what I don't want to see is a Hatteberg-Womack right side of the infield. Most other combinations I could live with.
.

Ok, now that the initial shock is wearing off, your post makes a ton of sense. It's the bolded part that worries me. Granted, we weren't going anywhere this year, but still...Hatteberg and Womack on the field together. Yay...hello OBP vacuum.

[savafan]

OBM, you're making this out like it is the second coming of the Frank Robinson trade. On the surface, at least right now, it's not that bad of a trade.

[Reds Fanatic]

Does anyone have a breakdown of groundball vs. flyball outs? Just curious, because if he is a true groundball pitcher then this may work out.

Last year in 205.1 IP he struck out 100, had 266 groundball outs and 314 flyball outs.

[redsfan30]

Getting out of the spotlight of a high profile city in Boston could be a benefit too.

He's another guy that can go 200 innings and can keep the ball on the ground. I'm more than willing to give this a chance.

This now lets us put Dave Williams in the 5th rotation spot where he probably belongs at this point.

Harang
Claussen
Arroyo
Milton
Williams

Now the question is this: Who leaves the rotation when Paul Wilson is ready to go?