POLL: Who would YOU trade for Blanton

[smoke6]

Anybody not named Votto, Bailey, Cueto, or Bruce, but I doubt a deal would get done without any one of them.

[Carolina Red]

Volquez for Blanton straight up.

[SMcGavin]

I read that thread, and there are just as many guys who disagreed with that sentiment as there were who agreed.

I'm somewhere in the middle. While I love the PROMISE that all these guys have, I don't necessarily want to wait to see how 1 or 2 of them maybe DON'T pan out, while watching this teams' current window (08-09) close.

Sure, I'd LOVE for us to trade only prospects not named Bailey/Cueto/Votto/Volquez for Blanton, but I'd put my LIMIT at Bailey or Cueto and some other non-MLB ready prospects, so I chose that one.

I think people WAY undervalue what a 200+ inning "league average (or better)" ERA horse would do for this team. It would also save us from having to ask these young guys to pitch 160+ innings in the Bigs this year, something none of them is really ready for yet, IMO.

Best case scenario - Bailey AND Cueto start the year out in AAA, but I don't see that happening without making a trade for a proven vet (i.e. Affeldt is not the answer).

PEACE

-BLEEDS

A couple of things I don't agree with:
1. I don't think 08 is part of our window for contention. A rookie Votto, rookie Bruce, the kid pitchers still getting their feet. If we won 90 games this year I'd be pleasantly shocked.
2. Let's assume we do have a chance to contend in 09 (I think we do). Are you really sure Blanton is gonna be better than Volquez/Cueto/Bailey in 2009? Let's say you do Bailey for Blanton. You don't think it's possible Bailey throws 180-190 innings of league average baseball in 2009? If you make the trade and that happens, you've jacked up your salary and severely damaged our next window for contention, when Blanton leaves for FA and Bailey would have four more solid years under our control. I don't think the reward of Blanton is enough to justify that risk.
3. Why don't you think Volquez and Cueto are ready to throw 160 innings in MLB? Volquez threw almost 180 innings last year. In the bigs he went 5 2/3 innings per start. Even if he doesn't improve on that, over 30 starts thats 170 innings. Cueto threw 160 innings last year plus a significant amount in winter league. I think it's reasonable to have concerns about Bailey's durability but I'm confident either Cueto or Volquez could put up 175 innings this year without too much trouble.

[GoReds33]

I voted for Votto and a AAA of AA prospect. That's because I have no problem trading Votto for pitching. We should be set for runs atleast the next couple of years already.

[jmac]

We should be set for runs atleast the next couple of years already.

Just curious, with this probably Jr's last year as a red and Dunn's contract situation unresolved, how do you figure ?
BP-EE-Bruce-Votto seems pretty formidable.
Add Dunn to the mix and we keep it rolling offensively.
Subtract Dunn and Votto and we may be the Oakland A's East.