Dull Day

[roby]

Things are kind of dull around here right now! It seems that all we read about is how the Reds ought to trade off their best players...Cordero, Phillips,etc. I even have a problem with merely unloading Arroyo and Harang. I can't see how trading these guys would improve the Reds at all. Somebody will immediately suggest that it will free up money. My thought is, free up money to go and sign a couple more Willie Taveras/Corey Patterson/Mike Lincoln/Josh Fogg types? The Reds have wasted enough millions to have been able to sign a really good player. Instead they go after Alex Gonzales types. How does trading away your good players and signing poor replacements get you any closer to a pennant? What is so bad is, I'm of that small group that believes that they are just a player or two away from really being in the hunt. It would be something if Mr. C. surprised us all and went out and acquired a player (or 2) like Matt Holiday, Jason Bay, and a decent starting pitcher. Who knows? It might just happen!

[Ghosts of 1990]

I wouldn't trade Brandon Phillips, but Cordero, Arroyo, and Harang can all see the brush. We can finish 5th without them just as easily as we always do with them. They're dead weight.

[Old NDN]

I would keep them all. The Reds don't have anyone else who can put up the numbers of these guys, with the exception of Harang. Yeah, they're overpaid, but this is the Reds. They're not going to sign any top level free agent to come here, unless they grossly overpay them. At least that's been their recent history.

[roby]

I wouldn't trade Brandon Phillips, but Cordero, Arroyo, and Harang can all see the brush. We can finish 5th without them just as easily as we always do with them. They're dead weight.

You are kidding, right? The reds are finishing 5th because of guys like Taveras, Gonzales, McDonald, Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce's season-long slump, and some of the guys they have run out there as #4 and #5 pitchers...along with injuries to key players along the way (epidemic). You certainly can't blame a 5th place finish on Cordero, Arroyo and Harang! That just doesn't add up. We could finish 5th and probably 6th without them. In fact, we could just punt the whole season again this year...for the umpteenth time. Some of us would like to win. The guys you want to trade are major league ball players, and with a couple of additions, the reds will be right in it next year.

[Vottomatic]

I'm fine standing pat. Huge difference in August/September's lineup vs. the rest of the season with the insertion of Stubbs and Rolen in the lineup.

I still wouldn't be opposed to trading Harang, Alonso and a couple of good minor league prospects for the Mets' SS Jose Reyes. Mets current 1B was injured all season and is 38 years old. They could use Alonso. Also, they had 3 starting pitchers on the long term DL to finish the season. They could use Harang, and free up his salary for us. Reyes makes $9M and Harang makes $12M. Save $3M.

I'm also for moving Votto to LF and inserting Francisco at 1B. I'd rather see Francisco at 1B because down the road, that is what he will be playing for somebody. Shoulda had him and Joey learn it in the AFL.

SS and LF are our two questionmarks, although we have plenty of options in LF - Heisey, Gomes, Francisco, Balentein, etc. Also, backup catcher is a bit of a questionmark.

[Old NDN]

I like your thinking. For the first time in a while, the Reds have some decent prospects to use in potential trades. Some are blocked by players already producing at the MLB level (ie. Alonso/Votto). Let's see what Walt can do.

[Eric]

I wouldnt be in favor of trading Harang at this point. For one, he is at his lowest value. And secondly, with Volquez out a huge chunk of the season, a healthy and back to form Harang would be a Godsend.
I am not convinced that Harang isa bad as he showed in stretches last year. As a matter of fact, I think him loosing weight had alot to do with his down year. Early in ST, Brantley mentioned that it was obvious to him that Harang wasnt correctly delivering the ball to the plate and suggested it may have been all the weight lost that caused it.

[roby]

I wouldnt be in favor of trading Harang at this point. For one, he is at his lowest value. And secondly, with Volquez out a huge chunk of the season, a healthy and back to form Harang would be a Godsend.
I am not convinced that Harang isa bad as he showed in stretches last year. As a matter of fact, I think him loosing weight had alot to do with his down year. Early in ST, Brantley mentioned that it was obvious to him that Harang wasnt correctly delivering the ball to the plate and suggested it may have been all the weight lost that caused it.

I agree Eric, I think it would be best to hang on to Harang and Arroyo. Hopefully Maloney or travis Wood will surprise everybody and the Reds will have a stellar rotation.