Quote Originally Posted by medford View Post
Man I hate that argument anytime its made regarding a trade (though you counterbalance it nicely in your post, so this isn't really a rant against your post, just that portion). Of course it matters how prospects or players turn out after a trade. it matters that Frank Robinson went on to win an MVP and triple crown after leaving the reds, it matters Arroyo went from a 6th starter to a reliable innings eater w/ better than average results with the Reds.

If the point of baseball is to win games/championships, then it absolutely matters how the players involved in trades perform following the trades. Otherwise, why the heck are we even paying attention.
The Reds traded for KGJ based on past performance. I hope they always make that trade. What happened after, happened.

In the Rolen trade, we knew his best days were long past. We knew he'd likely never play 100 games in a season, and did so just once. I'm not sure the benefit was worth the cost in terms of his production. Who is to say that Votto wouldn't have morphed into the player he is without Rolen? Or Phillips for that matter. The only thing about this trade that cannot be quantified is the intangibles. From a production standpoint, EE alone has outproduced Rolen and it isn't all that close.