Mat Latos.
I'm thinking the early returns on this season may go a long way toward whether that becomes a reality or not. If the Reds start off well these first few months, my hunch is Baker is retained. If the Reds struggle, I think he might be let go.
One thing that's obvious now is the front office is making it known that the tools are in the toolbox. There's talent on the roster that should be producing wins in 2012 and beyond. The team is locking up its core and has a decent compliment of others to surround the core. If the wins show up, it'd be difficult from a PR perspective to let Baker go (this comes from someone who's not Dusty's biggest fan). If the team underperforms and languishes for a second consecutive year, the hammer will fall on Baker.
The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
2014-22 Average Season: 71-91
You see if you can lock up both Cueto and Bruce-at the last year of their contracts for a extension-10-15 million per year for each of them.
I pointed this out at the time of the Votto extension press conference & no one seemed to notice it. Castellini made clear that an extension for Dusty is something he desires. Not everyone around here dislikes the guy, so I wouldn't be surprised. Frankly, I've said this numerous times, I'm glad to see the merry-go-round managerial chair gone.
“In the same way that a baseball season never really begins, it never really ends either.” - Lonnie Wheeler, "Bleachers, A Summer in Wrigley Field"
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Somebody on Twitter posted:
Reds announce signing of Gapper to 10 year $1.5 million contract
I'm firmly in that weird place where Dusty drives me nuts with his decisions sometimes, but I also truly believe he manages players themselves as well as anyone in the game. If it's to be believed that managers can affect a season around 2-3 games a year, which Dusty is on the wrong end of, I'm sure, I can't argue with wanting to keep him around. 2010 went a long way toward me coming to that conclusion.
That said, if this year is a serious disappointment, I think you have to go another direction. And third place in the division would be a serious disappointment.
"I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn't. And that's what makes it great." - Joe Posnanski
I've been working as a fan on a lifetime contract for over forty years now. My current contract was a little too front-loaded for my taste, and I'm hoping to renegotiate and get a payout similar to the one I received back in the seventies.
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https://www.amazon.com/Charles-DeMaris/e/B07BD4JBQB
No one.
Time to take on some year-to-year risk and keep players incentivized. Re-evaluate after the season.
Potential candidates could include Mesoraco, Cozart, Latos, Leake, and Cueto- probably in that order. But probably more likely no one gets an extension until 2013 or even 2014 at the earliest, and that's how it should be IMO.
And if it's up to me, that includes Dusty Baker. Unless of course, the Reds win the Pennant this year.
Last edited by Benihana; 04-10-2012 at 05:32 PM.
Go BLUE!!!
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