Rockies to send Chris Iannetta to minors

[OnBaseMachine]

I just read on MLB.com that the Rockies are about to send catcher Chris Iannetta to the minor leagues. I'd love to see the Reds offer up a package to acquire him. He's off to a slow start this season (.569 OPS in 34 PA) but he's got a career .799 OPS in 1,118 major league plate appearances, including an .895 OPS in 2008 and .804 in 2009. He just turned 27 years old a couple weeks ago so he's still young and has upside.

I'm not sure what it would take to acquire him but it sure would be nice to have him in a Reds uniform.

[RedsManRick]

While I recognize it's not the be-all, end-all and his LD% is a very poor 10.5%, his BABIP is .118. I wonder what the scouting report on him is.

[Captain Hook]

I like Iannetta but he'd only be a slight upgrade if that.Not to mention that the catcher position is just about the least of the Reds problems.

[Chip R]

I like Iannetta but he'd only be a slight upgrade if that.Not to mention that the catcher position is just about the least of the Reds problems.

If he can keep the ball from going to the backstop on a regular basis, he's an upgrade over Razor Ramon.

[Tom Servo]

I saw this too and was thinking about what it would take to acquire him as well. Maybe a prospect like Travis Wood?

[Scrap Irony]

I'd be willing to offer up Stubbs to see if that got it done. Iannetta is well above average with the bat and serviceable with the glove. He's Hanigan's foil, in other words, and would make a great platoon partner for him.

Perhaps a team like the Phillies or Detroit (along with Harang for Bonderman?) would offer up something useful for Hernandez?

[TRF]

Coors power, can take a walk, but his BA dropped alot last year. PLus they have Olivo, who has much more power. I doubt they are looking to move him.

[RedsManRick]

Fangraphs' take: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...mote-iannetta/

Snippet:

This is just another exercise in the dangers of using small sample sizes to evaluate player performances. Miguel Olivo is showing all of the problem signs that have resulted in a .279 career on base percentage and an 82 career wRC+. Olivo's BB% and K% of 4.3 and 35.6 respectively are right in line with his career marks, and his ridiculous .375 BABIP and 38.5% HR/FB rate are the only things keeping his line afloat. There's no way that he sustains this kind of production, and ZiPS suggest we can expect him to produce at his typical .287 OBP level for the rest of the season.

Iannetta, on the other hand, has managed to exhibit both power and discipline despite his major slump on balls in play. He still has an 11.8% walk rate, slightly above average, and his 18.2% HR/FB rate is right in line with his career numbers. As a player who hits a ton of fly balls, Iannetta is going to have a lower BABIP than most players – his career mark of .273 is 27 points below league average – but still, a .118 mark is completely unsustainable, and given time to work itself out, Iannetta would start hitting at his normal levels.

[nate]

Fangraphs' take: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...mote-iannetta/

Snippet:

The comments are eerily familiar!

[mth123]

I like Iannetta but he'd only be a slight upgrade if that.Not to mention that the catcher position is just about the least of the Reds problems.

I don't know. Hernandez isn't very good. Ianetta & Hanigan would be a nice tandem.

[Mario-Rijo]

Coors power, can take a walk, but his BA dropped alot last year. PLus they have Olivo, who has much more power. I doubt they are looking to move him.

Psych, Kid has legit power.

[TRF]

Psych, Kid has legit power.

Maybe, last year, nope. huge gap between home and road SLG. closer in 2008. Still young which is why they won't move him.

[westofyou]

I'd be willing to offer up Stubbs to see if that got it done. Iannetta is well above average with the bat and serviceable with the glove. He's Hanigan's foil, in other words, and would make a great platoon partner for him.

Perhaps a team like the Phillies or Detroit (along with Harang for Bonderman?) would offer up something useful for Hernandez?

Bonderman for Harang and Hernadez?

Bonderman?