Your Top 5 Trade Pieces

[The DARK]

Want to see your own lists. Here goes mine:

5. Chris Heisey- Could be the one to go to make room for Sappelt's callup. Still young and cheap, with flashes of power and room to grow. Still our 4th outfielder though.

4. Kris Negron- Candidate for a solid future utility infielder, but as of right now the Reds have multiple options, not the least of which is Cairo and his 2-year contract. Perhaps he won't fetch much, but he should be on the table.

3. Yasmani Grandal- Normally, I don't like the idea of trading away a first round draft pick before he even has a full season under his belt. That said, it's hard to imagine a more potent combination than Mesoraco-Hanigan, and if the Reds are shopping for an impact player, he may be bait.

2. Todd Frazier- While much higher profile than Negron, he remains obscured by better options, and due to his recent decline and poor defense, it should be time to sell high.

1. Matt Maloney- The Reds management themselves have said that Maloney should be a great starter, simply not with the Reds. Currently, we have 7 starters counting Lecure in front of him, and his role as a backup could be filled by Willis. He would be a reliable back of the rotation arm for dirt cheap, and much better than most teams' in-house options.

[GOYA]

1. Matt Maloney- The Reds management themselves have said that Maloney should be a great starter, simply not with the Reds. Currently, we have 7 starters counting Lecure in front of him, and his role as a backup could be filled by Willis. He would be a reliable back of the rotation arm for dirt cheap, and much better than most teams' in-house options.

It should be painfully obvious why the Reds should keep guys like Maloney either in their pen or ready to go in Louisville.

Louisville has NO starters that look ready to come up for a spot start and perform well.

[mth123]

Want to see your own lists. Here goes mine:

5. Chris Heisey- Could be the one to go to make room for Sappelt's callup. Still young and cheap, with flashes of power and room to grow. Still our 4th outfielder though.

4. Kris Negron- Candidate for a solid future utility infielder, but as of right now the Reds have multiple options, not the least of which is Cairo and his 2-year contract. Perhaps he won't fetch much, but he should be on the table.

3. Yasmani Grandal- Normally, I don't like the idea of trading away a first round draft pick before he even has a full season under his belt. That said, it's hard to imagine a more potent combination than Mesoraco-Hanigan, and if the Reds are shopping for an impact player, he may be bait.

2. Todd Frazier- While much higher profile than Negron, he remains obscured by better options, and due to his recent decline and poor defense, it should be time to sell high.

1. Matt Maloney- The Reds management themselves have said that Maloney should be a great starter, simply not with the Reds. Currently, we have 7 starters counting Lecure in front of him, and his role as a backup could be filled by Willis. He would be a reliable back of the rotation arm for dirt cheap, and much better than most teams' in-house options.

Not a bad list. It really depends on the trade target. As GOYA states, the Reds need a guy like Maloney, but if the deal was say for a solid major league starter, then of course he could be included.. My List:

1. Yonder Alonso - Unless he takes to LF, the best way to get something out of him is in a deal.
2. Chris Valaika - Not sure how much value he has but I really don't like the base hit offense and mediocre defense type. He'd be an OK guy as a PH and extra player I suppose, but I'd want a better defender with more offensive skill as a potential replacement for Phillips. IMO, Valaika projects as below average across the board. Decent hit for average guy with little power, low on base skills, average to below speed and average to below defense. His versatility may be in question as well. If some team sees him as a future regular, deal him fast. Otherwise, use him as a throw in.
3. Chris Heisey - I still think he could be a decent third OF type along the lines of Cody Ross or a really strong player as a 4th OF, part time player. I'd be fine hanging on to him as a 4th OF, but he probably has value and the Reds coud part with him if it upgrades other weaknesses.
4. Jared Burton - Another guy that I wonder if he has any value. Everybody seems to be looking for arms for the middle innings and the Reds are going to have a numbers problem if/when guys start coming back. In the short term, I'd rather have a guy who can go longer stints. As the season wears on, Arredondo will probably be an upgrade.
5. Todd Frazier - Another guy who looks like a bench player (but a really good one along the lines of Mark Derosa). I'd be happy if he spent a year playing 3B every day in AAA to see if he could be an answer down the road. Keeping him as a strong bench player down the line wouldn't be the worst thing, but if he could key a deal for an upgrade, I don't see him as a first or best internal option at any position.

[bucksfan2]

Want to see your own lists. Here goes mine:

5. Chris Heisey- Could be the one to go to make room for Sappelt's callup. Still young and cheap, with flashes of power and room to grow. Still our 4th outfielder though.

4. Kris Negron- Candidate for a solid future utility infielder, but as of right now the Reds have multiple options, not the least of which is Cairo and his 2-year contract. Perhaps he won't fetch much, but he should be on the table.

3. Yasmani Grandal- Normally, I don't like the idea of trading away a first round draft pick before he even has a full season under his belt. That said, it's hard to imagine a more potent combination than Mesoraco-Hanigan, and if the Reds are shopping for an impact player, he may be bait.

2. Todd Frazier- While much higher profile than Negron, he remains obscured by better options, and due to his recent decline and poor defense, it should be time to sell high.

1. Matt Maloney- The Reds management themselves have said that Maloney should be a great starter, simply not with the Reds. Currently, we have 7 starters counting Lecure in front of him, and his role as a backup could be filled by Willis. He would be a reliable back of the rotation arm for dirt cheap, and much better than most teams' in-house options.

With the exception of Grandal this list reminds me of a bunch of junk. Maloney projects as a 5th starter type, a more valuable tool to have in the Reds system then what he brings in a trade. Frazier would be selling at a low point. Heisey reminds me a lot of what Maloney would bring back in a trade. A lot isn't given up for 5th OF types, think the Chris Dickerson trade.

I don't know enough about Negron but I tend to look at this differently. As a Reds fan would you target a 5th OF? A 5th pitcher type? A Miguel Cairo clone? Todd Frazier would be a target but a guy who many would want to buy cheap.

Any trade list has to start out with Alonso #1.

[Mario-Rijo]

With the exception of Grandal this list reminds me of a bunch of junk. Maloney projects as a 5th starter type, a more valuable tool to have in the Reds system then what he brings in a trade. Frazier would be selling at a low point. Heisey reminds me a lot of what Maloney would bring back in a trade. A lot isn't given up for 5th OF types, think the Chris Dickerson trade.

I don't know enough about Negron but I tend to look at this differently. As a Reds fan would you target a 5th OF? A 5th pitcher type? A Miguel Cairo clone? Todd Frazier would be a target but a guy who many would want to buy cheap.

Any trade list has to start out with Alonso #1.

Ouch, harsh much? Let's not forget it only takes one team to believe you are better than the "consensus" if you will. Besides that I disagree with you on Heisey, he isn't a 5th OF, he isn't even a 4th OF. Put his skill set together and with some more mechanical tweaking I think he is DeJesus like eventually. You might disagree but I don't think you can say he can't be that. I do agree with you on Alonso being #1 though but if buying low is how you would see Frazier currently you should probably feel the same about Yonder as well.

[bucksfan2]

Ouch, harsh much? Let's not forget it only takes one team to believe you are better than the "consensus" if you will. Besides that I disagree with you on Heisey, he isn't a 5th OF, he isn't even a 4th OF. Put his skill set together and with some more mechanical tweaking I think he is DeJesus like eventually. You might disagree but I don't think you can say he can't be that. I do agree with you on Alonso being #1 though but if buying low is how you would see Frazier currently you should probably feel the same about Yonder as well.

Didn't really mean to be harsh, just more realistic. I can substitute Heisey's name with Dickerson or Denorfia or any number of guys like him. Sure they all can project like DeJesus with some tweaking. But look at Dickerson and what he has brought in trades. He brought an aging vet on his last leg, with a bum leg, for a 30 day span. And then he was recently traded for an A baller. Deno brought Saarloos I believe who wasn't anything to write home about either.

The issue with buying low on Yonder is you don't "need" to trade him. He may be your best piece but there is no pressing need to trade him. With the original list it just seemed to me of the common mistake to overvalue your teams own prospects.

[medford]

In no particular order:

Yonder
Mes
Grandal
Billy Hamilton
Yorman

Those are your 5 biggest trading chips. If you want to bring something of high quality to the team, you've got to be willing to give up something of high quality, or be willing to eat a ton of cash on someone's deal. In short, I'd trade anybody on the team/system if it means a significant upgrade for the team for both the short term and the long run.

[The DARK]

I see what you mean with Alonso, but I figure that after last season, he has much more to gain by first gaining experience with the Reds and proving that he really is a top prospect, and therefore has more selling power. So I say hold off on him.

I admit that some of these players are mode trade filler than trade bait, but I see them as being the first to be considered for that.

Other names I considered
Alonso- (see above)

Janish- deserves serious playing time this season, but how much better is he than Cozart, and should he be the starter from now until Hamilton (if he pans out)?

Bailey- Former top prospect, still a solid #4 starter, but the Reds need some time to assess his value.

[edabbs44]

Top 2 names should be Alonso and one of Grandal/Mesoraco.

[Mario-Rijo]

Top 2 names should be Alonso and one of Grandal/Mesoraco.

If they trade Mes they need their head examined. The guy is virtually ready and has a really legit chance to be special.

[medford]

If they trade Mes they need their head examined. The guy is virtually ready and has a really legit chance to be special.

If they trade Mes for Hanley Rameriz, combined w/ a sensible long term contract for his services at SS, they should be applauded. Unrealistic, yeah, but at the end of the day, nobody is untouchable in the right trade.

[edabbs44]

If they trade Mes they need their head examined. The guy is virtually ready and has a really legit chance to be special.

As Medford said, it always depends on the return. Mesoraco blew up one year in the minors after a few years of struggles. We all hope that it wasn't an aberration, but we also have to understand that there is some level of risk there as well. Especially since his success as primarily been in A and AA ball Let's not forget, Grandal was a top pick as well and hasn't had any time to really show his stuff in the minors yet. He could easily blow up this year.

And since he has 58 PAs above AA ball, I'm not sure that we can claim that he is "virtually ready". There is no need to rush him at this stage. Especially if he is considered trade bait.

[Scrap Irony]

My list is a great deal different:

My top trading piece would probably be Drew Stubbs, as I think some combination of Chris Heisey and Dave Sappelt could man CF and provide most of the offensive and defensive value of what Stubbs provided last season. Too, Stubbs is, IMO, at his peak value, as he's cheap and the shine of talent is undeniable. He'd likely have a ton of value to a team that is deperate for a power bat who can also play CF, so teams would perhaps overpay (especially at this time).

My second pick would probably be Ryan Hanigan, as I think the combination of Hernandez and Mesoraco are good enough right now to approach the production of what Hanigan would bring, and I think position scarcity could drive up his price substantially.

Normally, Mike Leake would be ahead of Hanigan, but a combination of poor ST numbers and parent club need keeps him in Cincinnati, at least until after Bailey and Cueto come back (supposedly) after a couple starts. At that point, I'd certainly dangle the former Arizona State phenom, in the hopes that he could net a top of the line prospect a little further away or one at another position.

Obviously, my philosophy is to deal the more expensive player. This only holds true for those that I believe will be average or a little above. For example, I'd much rather deal Yonder Alonso than Joey Votto because, although he's expensive and soon to be even moreso, Votto is an MVP-caliber player. Based on his minor league track record, I just don't think Alonso profiles as anywhere near that. Few do. I do think he might, with a bit of polishing in AAA, garner a decent low level prospect a few years away from the majors, a la Leake.

My final trading piece is based on perceived value and likely production. Which prospect is at the apex of his perceived value, likely not to help the Reds all that much, and/ or is intriguing enough for other teams to sit up and take notice. At this point, I'd argue Billy Hamilton or Yorman Rodriguez both fit that bill. Both are "hot" prospects, but have quite a few levels and hurdles to overcome before becoming Cincinnati Reds. Both have questions. Will Rodriguez have enough patience to hit as he moves up the ladder? Will Hamilton continue to display enough power to keep opposing pitchers from really busting the strike zone? Neither prospect is likely to prove those questions wrong this season. Therefore, if the Reds were willing to gamble, to take on salary, and to go for it over the course of the next three seasons, I'd say both these guys make sense as trade bait.

[The DARK]

Nice post. I'd argue that Hernandez is a better trade piece than Hanigan, given that Hanigan provides more intangibles (familiarity with the club and minor league system, defense, game-calling), and Hernandez provides more visible benefits (cheap World Series experience, coming off an excellent year, can play almost every day).

Also, while the hype surrounding Billy Hamilton may be a bit much, he plays exceptionally a critical position that the Reds have recently struggled filling, and would also make for an excellent 2B if Phillips leaves. Selling high on Yorman, however, may be a good idea, if the Reds are looking to add a LF bat that may play for the next few years.

I thing you're undervaluing Leake and Alonso, however. Leake was a top prospect before he reached the parent club, and now that he's made it and had a very good rookie season, it's time to trade him for a lower level prospect? The Reds are gonna have control of this guy for a long time, why is a low-level prospect the best we can get out of it, especially given that we're giving up those guys in Hamilton and Rodriguez? And given Alonso's second half (coming back from an injury) and place on prospect lists, there's no reason to give up on him quite so easily either.

I definitely understand Stubbs though. For a guy that frustrated the hell out of us last year, people sure seem to find a lot of value in him.

[StubbsFan#6]

In no order:

Yonder
1 of Meso/Grandel
Boxberger
Heisey
Francisco