Reds/Tigers, hot after Laird

[Emin3mShady07]

Per MLBtraderumors.com

The Red Sox have talked to the Indians about Kelly Shoppach; the Reds like him as well. The Indians would want a big league second baseman, third baseman, or closer back for Shoppach. The Indians have not entertained offers for Victor Martinez.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/thtstat...tName=shoppach

Shoppach was good last year, but he had a BABIP roughly .50 points higher than what it should have been which means it is likely his .865 OPS of last year will regress to around .780 - .800, but that is still very good for a catcher. The problem is do the Reds give up one of their few defensive strengths in Brandon Phillips for Shoppach? I wouldn't recommend it, but if the Indians were willing to take EE then I think the deal would be a good one for the Reds. There are certainly more FA replacements available at 3B than at C, and maybe the Reds could pull off a deal for another third baseman in Adrian Beltre or someone else. I doubt the Indians would be able to sustain Cordero's contract so I think he is out of the picture. It really depends on what the Indians ask in return, because the reds cannot afford to make their defense even worse IMO.

[schmidty622]

Is Shoppach that much better than Hanigan? I don't think so.

[wojo1025]

Ramon Hernandez Contract Exchange?
By Tim Dierkes [December 8 at 12:21pm CST]
According to Roch Kubatko of MASN Online, one of the teams interested in catcher Ramon Hernandez would like to swap contracts. The team would send the Orioles a utility guy who can play the infield and outfield.

Kubatko goes on to note that the Reds and Astros are looking for catching. Connecting the dots, Kubatko may have been talking about Ryan Freel above. Hernandez has $9MM left on his contract, while Freel has $4MM.

[laxtonto]

Stay Far Far Away from Schoppach...

38% K rate, average defender, career year at 29. Career OBP, even after a career year still sits at .323.

You could get that out of Zaun as a FA instead of dealing trading chips.

[Red in Atl]

My favorite story about how a catcher can handle a pitcher is about some pitcher on the Reds staff when Johnny Bench was the catcher. The pitcher kept wanting to throw his fastball, and Bench kept telling him that it wasn't good that day. Bench finally gave in and callled a fastball, then to prove his point, dropped his glove and caught it with his bare hands. After that the pitcher listened to Bench the rest of the game.

It's stories like this that absolutely make baseball my favorite sport. Hands down, no comparison.

BTW - was that pitcher Jack Billingham?

[Emin3mShady07]

Stay Far Far Away from Schoppach...

38% K rate, average defender, career year at 29. Career OBP, even after a career year still sits at .323.

You could get that out of Zaun as a FA instead of dealing trading chips.

Shoppach has anhilated Left handed pitching and IMO would be a great platoon partner for Hanigan. He has a career .373 OBP and a .983 OPS against lefties which is obviously very very good. And he has always hit lefties really well.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi...i?n1=shoppke01

[laxtonto]

Shoppach has anhilated Left handed pitching and IMO would be a great platoon partner for Hanigan. He has a career .373 OBP and a .983 OPS against lefties which is obviously very very good. And he has always hit lefties really well.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi...i?n1=shoppke01

At what cost though? Cleveland is asking for a package slightly less to what Texas wants.... For Teagarden or Saltimachia.

You can get a platoon bat in FA. If I am going to unload major prospects, I would prefer a everyday young starting C.

[Az. Reds Fan]

The D'backs are now offering Chris Snyder around...I'd love to see the Reds make a play for him, moreso than Shoppach or Hernandez. Obviously, Josh Byrnes and Jocketty have a history. Snyder is one catcher I'd deal Bailey for.

7:09 p.m. — D-backs look to deal Snyder
Arizona is ready to make a change at catcher. The Diamondbacks are trying to trade Chris Snyder, this season's starter, to clear the way for Miguel Montero.

If the Diamondbacks are successful, they would bring in a low-paid veteran such as Gregg Zaun as the combination backup-mentor to the 25-year-old Montero.

Montero appeared in 70 games for Arizona this season, batting .255 with five home runs and 18 RBIs as he split time with Snyder, who appeared in 115 games and hit .237. --Gerry Fraley

[wojo1025]

TUESDAY, 12:30pm: Seems that a deal for Hernandez is close, though Roch Kubatko says the Brewers jumped into the mix. Kubatko still thinks Hernandez will be traded to the Reds.