How Long Do You Keep The Man Down?

[Krusty]

Chris Denorfia is tearing up Triple A pitching with a .350+ batting average. He was impressive in spring training and won praise from GM Wayne Krivsky. Yet with the addition of Brandon Phillips, playing time is hard to get despite Ryan Freel playing centerfield. And with Junior soon to come back, you can pretty much expect Denorfia not to be called up anytime soon.

So isn't it about time for the club to realize they can win without Junior and be better off with Freel and Denorfia in centerfield defensively? And don't be surprise by the starting rotation. Eric Milton and Dave Williams are who they are. Paul Wilson is on the comeback but his performances doesn't really excite me. Right now you have a rotation of Arroyo, Claussen, Harang and Ramirez. This team could use another starter.

But to keep Denorfia down at Louisville with nothing to prove is wasting the talents of a young ballplayer.

[BuckU]

I think messing with the current chemistry/personnel right now would be bad. Since the Phillips acquisition everybody has taken well to their roles.

As well as Denorfia is playing, there is no spot for him. Whatever the Reds have been doing, it's working. Don't mess with it.

[Chip R]

You going to bring him up just to sit him on the bench?

[Danny Serafini]

If anything I think keeping Denorfia down is a sign of the Reds starting to return to respectability. This is a normal situation for a good team, they've got good players who have to stay in the minors because they've already got a roster full of decent players. We're just not used to seeing that because the rosters have been filled out with junk the past few years. There really isn't a lot of filler (out of the position players) on the Reds roster right now.

[registerthis]

I hope Krivsky is workign the phones overtime to see if there are any AL teams who might have an interest in a star DH with power but no legs? Maybe the orioles--Angelos seems to have a thing for aging superstars, with Junior he might finally get one that actually produces.

[membengal]

Might not the Angels have an interest?

[max venable]

I think messing with the current chemistry/personnel right now would be bad. Since the Phillips acquisition everybody has taken well to their roles.

As well as Denorfia is playing, there is no spot for him. Whatever the Reds have been doing, it's working. Don't mess with it.

Does this mean that we shouldn't pursue another starting pitcher because it would mean "messing with the current chemistry?"

Kriv has been "messing with the chemistry" ever since he got here. THAT'S what seems to be working, IMO.

[smith288]

I hope Krivsky is workign the phones overtime to see if there are any AL teams who might have an interest in a star DH with power but no legs? Maybe the orioles--Angelos seems to have a thing for aging superstars, with Junior he might finally get one that actually produces.

Again... Griffey would need to approve of any move and I doubt he would unless its to a definate World Series contender. The Orioles are the antithesis of that even though they are only 1.5 back... they still suck.

[Chip R]

Again... Griffey would need to approve of any move and I doubt he would unless its to a definate World Series contender. The Orioles are the antithesis of that even though they are only 1.5 back... they still suck.

And someone would have to want him. He's no good to anyone now since he isn't currently healthy. For those teams even entertaining a thought about trading for Jr. this latest injury - no matter how much everyone is soft-pedaling it - has to give them pause. They see the guy hurt himself shagging flies and aggravating it batting. Even if he is just used as a DH, several of his injuries have come from running the bases. Even DHs have to run the bases.

[smith288]

Griffey as trade bait is pretty much dead in my mind. Love him but he aint a healthy cat anymore.

[registerthis]

Again... Griffey would need to approve of any move and I doubt he would unless its to a definate World Series contender. The Orioles are the antithesis of that even though they are only 1.5 back... they still suck.

I'm well aware of Griffey's contract situation--it's not as if every time someone floats the idea that Junior would be better off going to an AL team they aren't also aware that he has 10-5 rights.

It doesn't mean Krivsky shouldn't be trying to trade him. Krivsky can only work out a deal, its up to Junior whether or not to approve it.

[registerthis]

Griffey as trade bait is pretty much dead in my mind. Love him but he aint a healthy cat anymore.

35 HR, 92 RBI and a .370 OBP last year says otherwise.

Griffey's essentially done as a position player. But there are more than a handful of AL teams who would no doubt be happy to add that kind of power to their team in a DH role, where Junior could still be very successful.

[kaldaniels]

35 HR, 92 RBI and a .370 OBP last year says otherwise.

Griffey's essentially done as a position player. But there are more than a handful of AL teams who would no doubt be happy to add that kind of power to their team in a DH role, where Junior could still be very successful.

C'mon. Griffey is about as big a trade risk as anything based on his 5-yr history. Sadly anyone looking at him objectively sees last year as an abomination (sp?) of his recent injury plauged years. We couldn't give him away. That is a fact.

[registerthis]

C'mon. Griffey is about as big a trade risk as anything based on his 5-yr history. Sadly anyone looking at him objectively sees last year as an abomination (sp?) of his recent injury plauged years. We couldn't give him away. That is a fact.

First of all, the word you're looking for is "aberration".

Second of all, we had a trade worked out to send him to the White Sox last year that got nixed by ownership. So not being able to give him away is not "a fact"--it's completely wrong. The "fact" is that his offensive capabilities mean he is still a tradeable commodity. The differing value is what we can expect in return, but at this point I'd be happy with a pair of prospects--one legit, one not so--to get him off the field.

[kaldaniels]

First of all, the word you're looking for is "aberration".

Second of all, we had a trade worked out to send him to the White Sox last year that got nixed by ownership. So not being able to give him away is not "a fact"--it's completely wrong. The "fact" is that his offensive capabilities mean he is still a tradeable commodity. The differing value is what we can expect in return, but at this point I'd be happy with a pair of prospects--one legit, one not so--to get him off the field.

We could not give him away today. Period. We would have to take our medicine and swallow some contract dollars. Fact. A Slam-Dunk Fact.