OK, then under your scenario the Reds are going with AGon, Hanigan and Dickerson as starters with Roenicke and Herrera penciled into the 'pen. I don't know that I like the sound of that roster either. Under Walt's team most of those guys are backups. If Agon, Dickerson or Hanigan falter (either by injury or performance) we're left with very little depth to cover it and it's all in the name of a LF like Dye or Abreu.
All in all, I think Walt might be overpaying a million here or there but really not enough to get me steamed. Nothing like the millions OB and WK blew...yet
Willy Taveras has gotten a lot of abuse around here and that's fine and it may turn out to be warranted but if he improves the leadoff spot on this team and plays a good CF then I hope Walt will get a few kudos, because he spent $4mill to fill a void that definitely needed to be addressed from last year.
I'm a big Dickerson fan and I want him to be given a chance to earn more playing time but as the GM I would not have gone into Spring Training expecting him to be my CF and leadoff hitter.
I think the more likely scenario is a third one - Jocketty knew what the budget was at the start of the off season, but that, despite their statement that they wouldn't be affected by the financial crisis, the club decided prudence was probably the best course and the budget shrank. We've seen some considerable contraction of the economy since the close of the 2008 season and it certainly is having an impact on baseball now.
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Well if EE doesn't shore up his defense this year Frazier will be knocking on the door with EE's FA closing in. I'd say that means EE could be on his way out the door, heck he might be on his way out regardless. If he straightens out his defense enough to be considered respectable and has a big year with the bat maybe they trade he or Frazier in the offseason for a SS, who knows. I'm guessing though that the odds Frazier is dealt is a lot less likely given he helps allow the future re-signing of our core. EE and BP are almost destined to be dealt eventually IMO. Unless the dollars start rolling in somehow.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
At some point in time, these corner guys are going to have to be dealt. There's simply no way around this. With EE, you've got Frazier coming up...but that's not all he's got to worry about. Francisco has been ripping the cover off the ball and he's said to have a cannon for an arm. His biggest flaw as been his failure to take a walk, but this winter he's shown strides in addressing that. If he fixes that...Juan might be EE's biggest immediate threat. Frazier has multiple positions so they can be a bit more flexible with him I'd think. But even if EE wades through that minor league wave...he's got Neftali Soto on the horizon too.
In regards to Votto/Alonzo, this is the one I'm simply not worried about. 1B is Votto's spot until someone rips it from his grasp. With Alonzo already showing his desire for the almighty dollar (draft signing period build up for coin), it wouldn't surprise me if the Reds started dangling Yonder later this year and this coming off season to other clubs. While I'd love to hang onto all our great young talent, one of the biggest bonuses of a good farm system is it's use in trading those excesses to fill the holes in the big league club. But one of the things I haven't seen the Reds do that I'd like to see them start doing is looking to trade our excess talent in the minors for areas of need in the minors, trading kids for kids.
I certainly believe he is more than capable but no we don't know. But what I do know is that if Edwin doesn't fix his problems at 3rd base before he becomes a FA he's gone. Because we ain't gonna pay him 3rd basemans money to play LF, unless his bat does indeed go up a notch or two in the meantime which frankly I'm not yet convinced of either.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
We can't compare the ability of an athlete to the luck of a draw.
I realize some people think Weathers has survived on luck. Regardless of what you call it, he's been a solid pitcher for several years now. If he is "lucky," he's sure good at replicating it on a consistent basis.
David Weathers may be the most underappreciated Red of this decade. All he's done since he came to Cincinnati is allow runs at a rate significantly lower than the league average, yet some people treat him as if he's carrying the bubonic plague. He may walk a tightrope at times, but he still gets to the other side.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
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