The "hindsight 20/20 lineup"

[Jerome]

Something tells me this lineup wouldn't have trouble scoring runs.

1. Taveras CF
2. Phillips 2B
3. Votto 1B
4. Cantu 3B (He just homered off Santana about 15 minutes ago)
5. Dunn LF
6. Bruce RF
7. Hernandez C
8. Gonzalez SS

Harang
Volquez
Arroyo
Cueto
Bailey/Lohse

[smoke6]

Cantu homers off of Santana so he should be our starter at 3B???

[Bumstead]

Can Cantu even play 3B? Part of the reason he is gone is that he was a 1B and Votto is playing there now, right? He was a terrible 2B in TB.

Bum

[Red in Atl]

Kids he's been playing primarily 3rd base for the fish since the start of last year. The fact is that we let him go for nothing, and then let Edwin continue down his pathetic path. We chose to keep Edwin over Cantu, since both made arbitration money. I will always believe we should have kept Cantu.

[smoke6]

Kids he's been playing primarily 3rd base for the fish since the start of last year. The fact is that we let him go for nothing, and then let Edwin continue down his pathetic path. We chose to keep Edwin over Cantu, since both made arbitration money. I will always believe we should have kept Cantu.

The only numbers that have been mentioned in this Cantu conversation is 1 bomb. What's his BA, OBP, etc.? I'm over EE. I want to see what Rosales can do.

[Eric_the_Red]

Questions: what would the payroll difference be for this team? Since ownership is not increasing payroll, I don't see how this lineup would be possible.

What would the bullpen look like with the above group? Would it have more trouble holding any leads the improved offense would provide?

Are you certain Lohse is the pitcher he has been in St. Louis if he stayed here? If he was "Cincinnati red Kyle Lohse", then wouldn't that offset some of the runs gained as well? (Same sort of questions could be asked of Bailey.)

And having Cantu at 3B and Dunn in LF would make for many.....interesting plays on that side of the field.

[Bumstead]

He hasn't played 3B this season. I see he played 129 games there last year though. Don't know, I think the Reds picked EE and Votto over him and at the time that made sense. EE can still be good; I know this site emphasizes yesterday's stats and this is a hindsight post so...If Rosales goes 2 for 4 today, he will be the best 3B to ever don a Reds uniform...

[DTCromer]

Phillips should be batting 6th. WHy do people think he's a good 2 hitter? I want a smart, batting for average, and contact hitter at #2. Brandon Phillips fits none of those categories.

[Jerome]

And having Cantu at 3B and Dunn in LF would make for many.....interesting plays on that side of the field.

Yeah, kinda like Dickerson and EE now, right?

[Jerome]

Cantu homers off of Santana so he should be our starter at 3B???

No, it's just I watched him crack that home run, and I've also been watching him pound the ball this year with a deep bone bruise in his hand, just like how he hit last year, and I thought to myself as many others have, "I can't believe we just gave that kid up for nothing...NOTHING." Yes, I realize we are waiting out EE, and Votto is at first, so Cantu wouldn't have played much, and at the time he wasn't valuable...but this is the hindsight 20/20 thread.

[Jerome]

Phillips should be batting 6th. WHy do people think he's a good 2 hitter? I want a smart, batting for average, and contact hitter at #2. Brandon Phillips fits none of those categories.

In above said lineup, who would be better at #2, Gonzalez? Hernandez? I had to put him there. I don't think he's a great #2 hitter either. On a good offensive team, he's a strong #7 hitter.

[Eric_the_Red]

Yeah, kinda like Dickerson and EE now, right?

No, worse. Much, much worse.

[jfar23]

Ironically, Cantu and Edwin have the exact same career .OPS as of right now at .789

[cbowen2112]

I live in Florida and watched all the "crying" by Cantu while he was with Tampa, trust me, he has a negative switch he can turn on at any moment. We don't need that type of clubhouse cancer.

[ChatterRed]

The guy we could have had as a free agent, that I've been following this year.......and he's hot at the plate.........is Raul Ibanez.

20 games
5 doubles
1 triple
7 HR's (tied for 2nd in NL)
17 rbi's
11 walks
.359 avg (4th in NL)
.433 OBP

In 20 games he's yet to commit an error in the outfield according to the stats.
Other problem is, he's a LH bat.
Another bat we could have had.

Cantu's numbers so far:
16 games
4 doubles
6 HR's
18 rbi's
.362 avg (2nd in NL)
.448 OBP

He's played all his games at 1B committing 2 errors.

Cantu batted .277 last year with 29 HR's, 95 rbi, and 41 doubles.