2 more years for Freel

[flyer85]

Generally you don't sign guys to be able to trade them.

[PuffyPig]

WHen CF's like Pierre get a 4 year deal worth $10M per season, I don't mind extending Freel at, what, $4M?

Freel is better than Pierre, I know that.

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

Freel is quite a bit more than a solid back up player.

He plays at a near regular pace.

But he hasn't played well at a regular place, IMO.

He might lose his job to Hamilton before the end of the year.

I would've prefered to "Wait and see" on this one.

I don't think he has enough service time to be a free agent after this year anyhow.. but that is just a guess. If he's only arb eligible, I wait until after the season. If Freel plays well and burns us next year at arb, so be it.

I'm all for extending core players, but Freel is not a good risk, IMO.

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by RedEye

Just because other teams jumped off a cliff this off-season doesn't mean we should follow. We already had Arroyo signed for a few years. I think we should have waited to make sure he proved his value over a larger sample size. His 2006 season, by all accounts, was due to a lot of luck with BABIP. I liked the Harang signing a great deal, I just thought we jumped the gun with Arroyo.

I hear what you say, but if Arroyo repeats his 2006 season, his price would have been jacked up even more.

We extened him like the 200 inning 4 ERA guy he likely is. If he gets better than that, we have a bargain.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by RedEye

Just because other teams jumped off a cliff this off-season doesn't mean we should follow. We already had Arroyo signed for a few years. I think we should have waited to make sure he proved his value over a larger sample size. His 2006 season, by all accounts, was due to a lot of luck with BABIP. I liked the Harang signing a great deal, I just thought we jumped the gun with Arroyo.

For his career...Arroyo has a 4.20 ERA. He averages 200 IP over the past few years. Ted Lilly has a 4.50 ERA for his career and has never pitched 200 innings. We did just fine with the Arroyo deal.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

He might lose his job to Hamilton before the end of the year.

Freel doesn't have to start to be valuable -- especially when you consider how fragile Jr. has been the last few years.

[LoganBuck]

I am pessimistically optimistic about the underlying themes of this move. Either that or totally ambivilant.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by flyer85

Generally you don't sign guys to be able to trade them.

Bronson is the exception to that.

[redssouth]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

I am pessimistically optimistic about the underlying themes of this move. Either that or totally ambivilant.

At least we know where you stand.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Extending Freel is a good deal. It gives the Reds someone who can play the OF or 2b at a moments notice and he is the teams only true leadoff hitter.

He's even the emergency catcher, and if Ross continues to hit at a subpar .100 pace, the emergency may be sooner than later.

Additionally, as I said last year, another good sign is that the Reds have finally got rid of the darn "we won't negotiate contracts in season" that was a hallmark of the Uncle Carl era.

[Sea Ray]

I wonder if they shoved him this pile of money so he won't start to moan about getting less and less playing time because of Hamilton? Like the rest of you, I am interested in the numbers. He's never been an everyday player and at his age I doubt he becomes one now, however I love him as a super sub who gets 450 ABs a year. Let's hope WK sees this and pays him appropriately.

As fans we have a right to be leery of big contracts because they force us to watch players who otherwise would have been cut or benched...not to mention any names...

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

Freel doesn't have to start to be valuable -- especially when you consider how fragile Jr. has been the last few years.

4.5 million for a 4th OF seems too much (assuming we gave him 9 million over 2 years), even if he can play CF.

An outside observer would claim the Reds are jacking up the market again, and have a pretty good argument.

Freel has a decent OF glove, but if his OBP skills are vanishing, he's not worth much, since he has zero power. I really don't consider his value at 2b/3b either, since he is a weak glove there and Narron never uses him there.

My fear is that Freel has been showing a decline in OBP since the second half of last year (when he started playing more). Hopefully, he can reverse that trend.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

4.5 million for a 4th OF seems too much (assuming we gave him 9 million over 2 years), even if he can play CF.

That's nothing. 8+ million for a fifth starter is way too much!

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

4.5 million for a 4th OF seems too much (assuming we gave him 9 million over 2 years), even if he can play CF.

Insurance policy for Junior getting injured, Hamilton falling flat and reverting back to what he was: an old A-baller, or Chris Denorfia never getting back on the horse after his injury.

If either of those happen, then the Reds are short an OF -- with still probably 2 more years until the cavalry (Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs) come charging in from the minors.

[BRM]

John Fay thinks it's a good signing, FWIW.

I think any time you can get a player of Ryan Freel's caliber locked up for a reasonable rate, it's a good deal. I think that's what happened here. I don't know the numbers yet, but he Reds wouldn't have signed him if they had to break the bank to do it. That said, I could see Freel going back to being a utility guy if Josh Hamilton is what they think he is. So, no, I don't think they signed him to trade him.