I like this move. 3 years 14 Million is not a bad contract. This helps improve the defense at Shortstop and leaves Phillips at 2b.
Can someone please change the thread title, some people actually get their news here.
No offense GAC, but i dislike that saying. How about "If it ain't broke, whats wrong with making it better?"
Back to the point on Phillips, he came up as a SS and a darn good one. I saw him play a few time in Buffalo and he is quite good there.
I'm not against the AG signing as long as his glove at ss outweighs what a 2b with a better stick could have brought in (with Phillips at ss).
Nothing to see here. Please disperse.
I jumped all over Phillips' offensive game last year when they first acquired him, but just one look at the guy in the field told me he was not simply an upgrade over the bad that we've seen. He's a solidly above average 2nd baseman, IMO.
He's young, and like EdE, will only continue to improve on what his impressive natural skills allow him to reach and accomplish.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
2006 Redzone mock Draftee's- 1(st) Daniel Bard(redsox), 1(st sup)( Jordan Walden (Angels), 2(nd) rd.- Zach Britton(Orioles), 3(rd) Blair Erickson(Cardinals), 3(rd) Tim Norton( Yankees),(cuz its a Tim Hortons thing
Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever.
If we wanted to defensive wiz with pop but can't get on base to save his life, why not just play Jerry Gil?
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
The Reds' infield next season could be one of the absolute worst in Reds' history viz. offense (when you factor the almost-certain collapses of Hatteberg/Ross and the almost-certain jettisoning of Aurilia).
That's an incredibly real and exigent circumstance. (I'm not saying it won't be dealt with, but if it's not dealt with, this team will absolutely positively have a losing season next year).
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
I'm basically in wait-and-see mode also, but I don't expect to either love or hate this deal down the road, really. Gonzalez strikes me as one of those "he is what he is" guys, a plus version of the good-field poor-hit shortstop.
On the general subject of what we should want in a shortstop, I'm a bit old-school in that I want a genuinely good defender and will sacrifice some offense to get it. A team can't claim to take defense seriously while treating shortstop as an offense-first position, in my opinion. That doesn't mean I want every position to be defense-first. But shortstop, I do.
Reading comprehension is not just an ability, it's a choice
We'll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective ~ Kurt Vonnegut
It has nothing to do per se with the signing of Gonzalez, but the onus is on the Reds now to bolster the offense at other positions because they've "locked in" a poor hitter at shortstop. That's all I'm saying.
The Reds now have to find a way to replace runs at positions that will see massive declines in runscoring ability (e.g. 1st base, catcher). It's not impossible, obviously, but they have created another chore for themselves by guaranteeing a spot for a bad hitter.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
His numbers (power numbers) may go up a bit in the Cincinnati sandbox as well...
It's possible, but this move was made for defense more than anything
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