Santa Krivsky

[RedEye]

edabbs44 made reference to him this way over in the ORG, and I thought it was an apt nickname (I can't quote him directly here because I don't yet have access to ORG). Anyway, I'm starting to think that our GM is a bit crazy--very much the opposite of DanO, which is nice, but a bit reckless with our limited resources.

IMO, we've now made three straight deals in which we have significantly overpaid for mediocre returns:

1) 2 everyday players (Lopez, Kearns) for 2 relievers (Majewskl, Bray) and change (a certain "good field, no hit" SS and two middling prospects)
2) A passable young starter (Germano) for a 39 year-old reliever (Cormier) who really wouldn't be needed if the last overpayment had worked out (Majewski).
3) One of the "best pure arms in the system" (Ward) for a head case starter-possible reliever who might be a passable 5th starter to replace the one just dealt away (Germano).

To me, it seems like he is making moves that, while good for the team now, are costing much more than is advisable. I'm into the idea of shooting for the playoffs as much as the next guy, but at what cost?

More importantly, these moves are starting to seem to be simple exchanges rather than upgrades. It's as if he's trying to erase defecits he's created a few days earlier. To wit, we gave up a lot for a righty setup man (Majik). When he didn't work out right away, we gave up a young starter for another setup man (Cormier). Then, because we just lost a passable young starter (Germano), we dealt for another one (Lohse).

Is there a method to this madness, or is Santa K simply dealing for the sake of dealing? At this rate, all the other teams will float trades by Santa first just to make sure they can't fleece him before they go on to normal trade talks with another club.

I want to trust in Kriv, but I'm having a hard time these days.

[Cedric]

Germano is significantly overpaying? He's nothing, an absolute easy trade to make. I have no idea how anyone could complain about that one.

[RedEye]

I don't see how you can give up a 23 year-old starter for a 39 year-old reliever when we just traded the rest of our team for two relievers two weeks ago. My problem with the Germano deal has less to do with him than with the way it reflects on the supposed 'blockbuster' we just made to fix our bullpen that didn't work.

[Rob Dicken]

I don't see how you can give up a 23 year-old starter for a 39 year-old reliever when we just traded the rest of our team for two relievers two weeks ago. My problem with the Germano deal has less to do with him than with the way it reflects on the supposed 'blockbuster' we just made to fix our bullpen that didn't work.

The rest of our team? We traded two everyday mediocre players and a low-calibur reliever....for middle relief....which we DESPERATELY needed.

So, how's that the rest of our team?

Not to mention....Justin Germano is a starter? Since when? Since we started him one game to show him off to the Phillies? Do you honestly think he would've started for the Reds the rest of the season? I don't think so....you would have to think, the minds are set on the future as well. With Homer Bailey constantly getting better, you'd have to think that he would be in the starting rotation....not Germano.

We made some pretty good deals in my opinion.

[Redus]

Oh I can go much better. Krivsky Kringlesky.

[RedsMan3203]

All the other NL Wildcard teams sat on their hands today... While the Reds kept calling... and calling.


LA Picks up Maddux...
STL Picks up Sosa...
Mets get Hernandez/Perez
Reds get Cormier/Lohse

What do the Reds lose? 2 players that could NEVER see the light of day... What do we get? Added depth to our bulpen... Wayne K set us up for the long haul this season....

We no longer have a White, Hammond, Burns, Yan, ECT to worry about. We have a good pen and probably one of the BEST in the NL.

[Rojo]

Yeah, I think its fair to question the Nats deal but don't let that color your opinion of the other deals - their nothing-for-nothing at worst.

My only problem with the day's activities is Cormier's extension. That seems so DanO.

[cincrazy]

I think at best Germano is a long reliever in the future. And Krivsky is a great judge of talent, so I have trust in his belief that Zach Ward is worth giving up. And Kearns and Lopez, although solid players, are hardly cornerstones of a championship team. I doubted Krivsky when he brought in Arroyo, Phillips, Ross and Hatteberg, and I learned my lesson.

[Gallen5862]

Cormier would not waive his 10 5 rights without the extension.

[TeamBoone]

Why all the derogatory adjectives for Kearns and Lopez now that they're gone?

I know that there were some who didn't think very highly of one or the other (even fewer thought less of them both) while they were here, but for the most part, they were critiqued fairly.

Now that they're gone, they seem to be garbage to most everyone whenever their names are mentioned. And some don't even wish them well with their new team.

I'm not talking about just this thread, but several... this one just kind of put the situation over the top after reading it over and over.

[jimbo]

I don't see how you can give up a 23 year-old starter for a 39 year-old reliever when we just traded the rest of our team for two relievers two weeks ago. My problem with the Germano deal has less to do with him than with the way it reflects on the supposed 'blockbuster' we just made to fix our bullpen that didn't work.

I don't even feel like we gave up a quarter of our team in that trade. And I don't care if the guy is 50 years old, he has the lowest ERA of all relievers in the NL. You gave up a 23 year old starter who is projected to be a back of the rotation or spot starter at best.

I'm not sure how you can say that trade didn't work. The results speak for themselves. In the 16 games before the trade the Reds were 6-10, they are 10-6 in the 16 games since the trade.

[RedEye]

Yeah, I think its fair to question the Nats deal but don't let that color your opinion of the other deals - their nothing-for-nothing at worst.

I don't think these are nothing-for-nothing deals. We take on a fair amount of salary with Lohse and Cormier, plus another year for Rheal. Plus, we give up all of the upside in these deals. In my opinion, neither of them amounts to much for now... and we could be giving up part of our future in Ward and Germano. It's not like the Reds system is swimming in pitching prospects capable of competing at the ML level.

I hope Kriv is right... I really do... but it seems the more deals he makes, the more I doubt. Strangely, I was all aboard for the Arroyo (okay, after a bit of griping about losing Wily Mo I snapped out of it), Phillips (a win-win sitch IMO at the time) and Ross deals (I had never heard of him, but didn't see the harm, even if he was a catcher). Guardado made sense to me as well. But these last three deals... I feel like he's grasping at straws.

Time will tell. I really, truly hope these deals are the key to the playoffs. And I will be the first to sing K's praises if they are.

[KalDanielsfan]

Why all the derogatory adjectives for Kearns and Lopez now that they're gone?

agreed..werent we in first place in the central and then first in the wild card while they were on the team? they helped us get to the point.

and if you guys are overly excited about Lohse and Cormier then, well, im sorry.

also i disagree by a looong shot by those of you who think we have one of th best bullpens in the NL now. lmfao

we have a better than average one at best.

krivsky has been overrated since the arroyo and phillips acquisitions..those two were great but dont blindly call every move he makes "genius" just cuz he made a move

my opinion? we get ousted in the first round with this roster

[Larry Schuler]

Honestly, do we want a GM who thinks of Germano-type players as our future? Or do we want a GM who seperates the real prospects (Bailey) from the trash?

Our minor leagues suck. WayneK seems like he knows this and is getting the team legitimate major leaguers from the free agency and trade pools, rather than depending on Justin Germano to fix the team's pitching problem.

[TOBTTReds]

agreed..werent we in first place in the central and then first in the wild card while they were on the team? they helped us get to the point.

and if you guys are overly excited about Lohse and Cormier then, well, im sorry.

also i disagree by a looong shot by those of you who think we have one of th best bullpens in the NL now. lmfao

we have a better than average one at best.

krivsky has been overrated since the arroyo and phillips acquisitions..those two were great but dont blindly call every move he makes "genius" just cuz he made a move

my opinion? we get ousted in the first round with this roster

I would love if we get ousted in the first round! We made the playoffs then!

We have no shortstop, I agree Kriv is overrated because of some good moves early (like Greg Maddux, without the awful part after the great beginning, just good in my opinion).

I was bashing Kearns since last year, so can I still continue?

I agree we have a bullpen that is slightly above average. If Majew comes back to form, he will REALLY help us. But I really like our moves today, I just wish we had moved up Ward during the year to see what he could do in high A, but now I realize why they didn't. He was trade bait all along, so they tried to juice his numbers by keeping him in low A.