Winter Meetings Thread

[*BaseClogger*]

I will loose all faith in WK if he acquires Dontrelle Willis...

[hippie07]

Hamilton straight up for Willis....? Maybe. No way, if the price is Hamilton & Bailey/Cueto... Absolutely, No way!!! Hamilton & Bailey should land us Bedard, Haren, or Blanton... not a risk like Willis...

[Will M]

I will likely vomit if the Reds trade Hamilton & Bailey/Cueto for Willis.

Based on his numbers from 2007 his trade value should be more like Freel & an A ball pitcher, not two of our best young prospects.

[Blue]

I would not mind getting Willis, but I wouldn't want to give up Hamilton to get him. Votto plus a mid-level guy would be fine.

He still has a good arm, just needs to put it all together again.

[AmarilloRed]

Let's keep in mind that this is all coming from 1 SI reporter who has heard something. It may very well be the Reds are talking to the Marlins about Willis, but it is simply the writer's conjecture about what the Reds would be willing to give up. I dont' think any of the Big 4+ Hamilton should be offered to Florida, unless someone else come back from Florida in addition to Willis.

[757690]

In the National League, the Reds do not, absolutely do not, have to acquire a big name #1 or #2 pitcher, especially if will cost them any of their top prospects. They have a solid 1-2 punch in Harang and Arroyo, they have two top starting prospects in Bailey and Cueto, both of whom could become #1's, and one of the probably will.

So what they need now is back of the rotation types, that don't cost them their future. There are plenty of them available via free agency or trade. I think it is a waste of valuable resources to get a top of the line pitcher who probably will get hurt in the next few years, at the expense of the Reds young talent.

The Reds can go the World Series this year with the young talent they have, just look at the Rockies 07, White Sox 05, and Marlins 03.

[Hondo]

I have read the Yankees and Red Sox offers for Santana.

With Krivisky being compentent of the Twins organization, couldn't he work a trade with GM Bill Smith? Offering:

OF Josh Hamilton
RHP Homer Bailey or RHP Johnny Cueto
2 Minor Leaguers

The Twins would be better off Trading him to the National League anyway and not have to face him next year.

JR

[LincolnLandReds]

Bruce straight up for RICH HARDEN. Not for Dan Haren. Bruce is a premier prospect. I'm reluctant to shop Hamilton until we see a whole season from him - he definitely showed flashed of greatness this year.
I would flip Votto or Cueto and the A's choice of a second prospect (other than the Reds' top 4 guys) for Dan Haren.

I don't understand why everyone is so up to unload Dunn or Hamilton. Yep, we need pitching, no doubt, but we also are looking at Griffey basically done after this year or next, as I believe 2009 is an option year. If you sign Dunn long term, you have an outfield of Dunn, Hamilton & Bruce/Votto if you keep a Cantu or Hatteberg around. So the Reds have some depth, but we have to realize Griffey only has really a year or two left before he is not a Red anymore (sorry to say it, cause of love Griffey, but its like death and taxes, he is close to the sunset of his career, and once he hits 600, the draw for him lowers, unless he just puts together a monster year).

Maybe its a throw a package of Hopper, Hatteberg/Cantu, and two pitchers like Shearn, McBeth, Coffey, and throw Stanton is just because Wayne is a nice guy, in return for a decent starting pitcher. We could always resign Milton dirt cheap with an incentive based contract and see if he can make good on alot of the money he didn't really earn over the past 3 years.

[Bip Roberts]

only thing out of the meetings so far is that Cueto is getting a spring training invite

[HalMorrisRules]

From the ESPN running blog:

6:16 p.m., Jayson Stark
• The Reds have asked the Marlins about Dontrelle Willis. But a deal between those two teams is unlikely. The Marlins are still placing a high price tag on Willis, so they no doubt would ask the Reds for their best young pitcher, Homer Bailey, plus one more player. And the Reds have little interest in moving Bailey. One baseball man who spoke to the Reds described their interest as "tire kicking."

7:12 p.m., from Jerry Crasnick
• The Reds need pitching, but they don't have a lot of money left after signing closer Francisco Cordero to a five-year deal. So Cincinnati is talking trade with a bunch of teams here in Nashville and using some of its young position players as bait for a starter. Jay Bruce is out of the question, and Joey Votto would be tough to get, but the Reds are listening on third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and center fielder Josh Hamilton. The Cubs are a natural fit for Hamilton, but Sean Marshall isn't likely to get it done. One possible fit for Encarnacion: the Giants, who may need a third baseman if incumbent Pedro Feliz declines the team's salary arbitration offer.

[AmarilloRed]

The second day starts with the Reds talking to the Orioles, although Bruce is off the table. I will be interested to see how these talks progress

[AmarilloRed]

Winter Meetings Day II

It seems to me that what the Reds do at the Winter Meetings comes down to this: Do they want a proven starter badly enough to give up Homer Bailey or Jay Bruce?

If they're willing to give up one of those two, they could possibly land one of the big fish out there -- Oakland's Dan Haren, Baltimore's Erik Bedard or Florida's Dontrelle Willis. If the Reds were willing to put Bailey or Bruce in a package, clubs will listen.

It's the classic, present-vs.-future argument. My sense is they would not part with Bruce under almost any circumstance. As for Bailey, if their internal scouting projects him as a No. 1 starter, they'd be silly to trade him. But, if the project him as No. 3 or 4, they might be willing to risk it.

posted by John Fay at 11:05 AM

I think John Fay might be reaching. It would help if the Reds had Bailey or Bruce available to trade, but I am not sure they do.