Of course there would be a better chance if the reds paid more. Duh!!! Why should they? The Tigers have a minor leaguer locked-up for a guaranteed $10 Million in 2010. Talk about negative trade value. The Tigers make a deal like this and save a couple Million, then maybe they can deal Lincoln at some point and save some more. DFA Taveras and the hit becomes much smaller than a DFA of Robertson. The Tigers may want to keep him as rotation insurance, but teams looking to move a $10 Million per year minor leaguer aren't exactly in a high leverage negotiating position and that player would seem to have as much or more Negative value than even the horrible (and he really is horrible) guy that Taveras is just because of the cost to get rid of him. All the players involved in the trade I proposed have negative value. We just saw how much the Brewers had to eat to move Bill Hall.
If the Reds had to throw in a middling prospect (say Valaika) I'd do it. With Volquez hurt, the Reds don't have 5 guys I'd want to see in the rotation in 2010. Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, a full season shot for Bailey, ???, ???, ???. Robertson is no beauty either, but for a couple million, I prefer him to Owings, Lehr, Wells and the AAA pretenders. This team dealt away the only guy who may have been worth a look in the Rolen deal and they really don't have the money to lure a free agent. They have to do something somewhat creative to even attempt to fill the hole and its still hoping for lightning in a bottle.