Reds team repair Priorities

[Will]

What do you fix first on this team ?
The bull pen would be my priority. If a few trades could get the bull pen solid, then you could go from there. Starters have been fairly good and the offense is coming around. The big question is do you trade away your future on a chance you may make the playoffs. Homer Bailey has great value, the question is what could you get for him and what team is loaded enough in the pen for us to get 2 solid relievers for Homer ? EE probably isn't going to get you much in the way of trade value atm. We would have to give up one or more of our "Golden Boy" prospects to get anything of value. Package Bruce and Bailey for a "Blockbuster Deal" to cure all our pitching ills ? The big question is if our Bull Pen was solid would we be a contender ?

[Dracodave]

My top priority is too figure out what matters more...

Winning now, or for the next 10 to 14 years. If you're answer is part two, get prospects. Trade for prospects, from Stanton to Weathers to Conine to Hatteberg. Trade for prospects. Call up Votto, Bailey, McBeth, Medlock etc. Start the team learning together. And you'll get better.

If it's a win now situation.. You start expanding payroll. Sign players like Ted Lilly etc. Start spending that money in players who can help today..or for two more years..

Thats what this team needs to ask itself.

Win now, or Win for awhile. That should be priority number one.

[WVRedsFan]

My top priority is too figure out what matters more...

Winning now, or for the next 10 to 14 years. If you're answer is part two, get prospects. Trade for prospects, from Stanton to Weathers to Conine to Hatteberg. Trade for prospects. Call up Votto, Bailey, McBeth, Medlock etc. Start the team learning together. And you'll get better.

If it's a win now situation.. You start expanding payroll. Sign players like Ted Lilly etc. Start spending that money in players who can help today..or for two more years..

Thats what this team needs to ask itself.

Win now, or Win for awhile. That should be priority number one.

Great post and a sane thought for a change. And I think you have it about right. Spend money for talent or develop talent. It would seem that Mr. Castilini said he wanted to win now, but the actions of his GM don't seem to bear that out.

[RedEye]

What do you fix first on this team ?
The bull pen would be my priority. If a few trades could get the bull pen solid, then you could go from there. Starters have been fairly good and the offense is coming around. The big question is do you trade away your future on a chance you may make the playoffs. Homer Bailey has great value, the question is what could you get for him and what team is loaded enough in the pen for us to get 2 solid relievers for Homer ? EE probably isn't going to get you much in the way of trade value atm. We would have to give up one or more of our "Golden Boy" prospects to get anything of value. Package Bruce and Bailey for a "Blockbuster Deal" to cure all our pitching ills ? The big question is if our Bull Pen was solid would we be a contender ?

No way do I ever trade Homer for two solid relievers. He's quite possibly the most valuable commodity in baseball right now: potential #1 starter with six cheap years coming our way. We saw what happened last year when we gave up too much for two "solid" relievers... let's not do that again.

Before the Reds trade anyone for relief help, IMO they should look at internal options. McBeth, Medlock, Salmon, etc. are all possible options, not to mention we've got Everyday Eddie coming back soon (along with the two "solid" relievers we traded for last July).

[Doro]

only reliever I think worth Bailey would be Papelbon and there is no way the Redsox are going to trade him for Bailey. Hatteberg, Conine, Weathers, and Stanton arnt going to get you any kinda prospects worth anything and I wouldnt throw in the towel on the season yet.

[Will M]

The Reds need a closer.
If we had a bona fide closer the rest of the pen wouldn't look so bad.
Weathers has pitched well since ~June 2006 and can be a set up man for the 8th inning. Bray comes back at some point. You hope one other reliever could also be an effective set up man.

The starting pitching is fine.

I think the offense will improve. EE, Ross and Phillips all seem to be hitting better lately.

[BucksandReds]

Homer cannot be traded under any circumstances. I would like to get Lidge if he's available. How much is his contract? Change of scenery has worked well before. I just don't know if moving to another team in the central is the answer. He's had great stuff before and physically he seems to be just as god as before. Someone else needs to get in his head. Maybe he'll get back there to where he was before, sometime.