Reds focused on acquiring bullpen help

[blumj]

Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

It is awfully hard to screw up that many premium draft picks. Let's face it, without those picks the Rays wouldn't have gone to the World Series. Other than the draft they really haven't done anything out of the ordinary or unusual or original. They had top picks and used them well to draft top players.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/dr...ID=TBD&round=1

Sorry, I'm just not as impressed with that as I am with getting Pena, Iwamura, Navarro, Kazmir, Shields, Sonnanstine, Jackson, Howell, Balfour, Bradford, and Aybar for a load of junk, some late round picks, and a few bucks.

[lollipopcurve]

Other than the draft they really haven't done anything out of the ordinary or unusual or original.

like?

[OnBaseMachine]

The Dodgers have decided against re-signing left-handed reliever Joe Beimel, but he has plenty of suitors, including the Reds, Rockies, Tigers, and Mets.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=8326

[OnBaseMachine]

Horwits also represents free agent lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes and confirmed that the Reds made an offer to his client.

"We've been talking," Horwits told MLB.com. "It's starting to get serious. There have been offers though from multiple teams for Arthur."

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/

I would love to see Rhodes brought in on a one year deal. He's death against lefties as he held them to a .447 OPS against in 2008 and has a .614 OPS against lefties in his career (compared to .735 vs RHH).

[camisadelgolf]

You could do a lot worse than Rhodes. As long as the contract isn't for more than one year, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

[RedLegSuperStar]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081202&content_id=3698191&vkey=n ews_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin&partnerId=rss_cin

CINCINNATI -- Lefty relief help became a primary need for the Reds once Jeremy Affeldt departed for the Giants as a free agent.
Could that need be filled by veteran Arthur Rhodes?

The agent representing the free agent Rhodes, Dan Horwits, confirmed to MLB.com on Monday that Cincinnati has recently made an offer.

"We've been talking," Horwits said. "It's starting to get serious. There have been offers, though, from multiple teams for Arthur."

One of those clubs competing with the Reds for Rhodes' services is the Cardinals, who made an offer last week. Horwits would not reveal the details about any of the offers made for Rhodes.

On Nov. 17, Affeldt signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Giants. Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has since increased his efforts to find another veteran lefty and expressed interest in Rhodes, along with other free agents like Joe Beimel, Darren Oliver, Will Ohman and Dennys Reyes.

The Reds have one experienced lefty in the bullpen in Bill Bray. But they could be looking for more veteran help in general since free agent right-handers David Weathers and Mike Lincoln have yet to be re-signed. Weathers, a Type B free agent, was offered arbitration on Monday night.

Last season for the Mariners and Marlins, the 39-year-old Rhodes was 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 61 games. After a July 31 trade to Florida, he posted a 0.68 ERA in 25 games.

Overall, lefties batted .157 (11-for-70) against Rhodes, while right-handers batted .309 (17-for-55). Over his 17-year big league career, lefties have batted .221 against him, while righties have hit .245.

A Type B free agent, Rhodes was not offered arbitration by the Marlins, and there are no compensation concerns for any club that wants to sign him.

[Mario-Rijo]

Darren Oliver is a type A FA, I think I'd pass on him. Ohman should be the main target. But Rhodes I could live with. Problem is with other teams competing for his services he's gonna get more than a 1 year deal. Ohman is only 31 so I might go 3 years on him.

[HeatherC1212]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

Darren Oliver is a type A FA, I think I'd pass on him. Ohman should be the main target. But Rhodes I could live with. Problem is with other teams competing for his services he's gonna get more than a 1 year deal. Ohman is only 31 so I might go 3 years on him.

I'm not a huge fan of multi-year deals for relievers. I saw that backfire for the Orioles with a few relievers over the last couple of years and I would rather not see the Reds get stuck with another contract they might have to eat if something doesn't work out (see Cormier, Rheal; Stanton, Mike). I might go two years for a someone like Rhodes or Ohman but the last thing this team needs is to get stuck with a bad contract. Didn't we just get rid of a few not so great contracts this year?! No more...PLEASE! LOL

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by HeatherC1212

I'm not a huge fan of multi-year deals for relievers. I saw that backfire for the Orioles with a few relievers over the last couple of years and I would rather not see the Reds get stuck with another contract they might have to eat if something doesn't work out (see Cormier, Rheal; Stanton, Mike). I might go two years for a someone like Rhodes or Ohman but the last thing this team needs is to get stuck with a bad contract. Didn't we just get rid of a few not so great contracts this year?! No more...PLEASE! LOL

I agree for the most part. However Ohman is a pretty solid LHP and most importantly still fairly young, Cormier and Stanton were both much older. That said I'd prefer no more than 2 years but 3 for a 31 year old I could live with in order to get a good one. It doesn't necc. have to be a firm 3rd year either it could be a team or mutual but not player option. I would offer the team, then mutual options before I'd agree to a firm 3rd year however, hoping he'd bite before we ever got to a firm 3rd year.

[HeatherC1212]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

I agree for the most part. However Ohman is a pretty solid LHP and most importantly still fairly young, Cormier and Stanton were both much older. That said I'd prefer no more than 2 years but 3 for a 31 year old I could live with in order to get a good one. It doesn't necc. have to be a firm 3rd year either it could be a team or mutual but not player option. I would offer the team, then mutual options before I'd agree to a firm 3rd year however, hoping he'd bite before we ever got to a firm 3rd year.

I thought Rheal was the same age as Ohman is now when we got him? Oh well, either way I'd be more on board for three years for a good reliever if that third year was an option year of some sort so I agree with you there.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by HeatherC1212

I thought Rheal was the same age as Ohman is now when we got him? Oh well, either way I'd be more on board for three years for a good reliever if that third year was an option year of some sort so I agree with you there.

Cormier was 39 when we acquired him.

[HeatherC1212]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

Cormier was 39 when we acquired him.

Whoa, how did I forget that?! Thanks for the correction and I think I'll chalk that up to me trying to forget about the bad decisions and only focusing on the good ones.

[Jpup]

Bob Howry signed with SF today. The market is on fire.

[RedsManRick]

Originally Posted by HeatherC1212

I thought Rheal was the same age as Ohman is now when we got him? Oh well, either way I'd be more on board for three years for a good reliever if that third year was an option year of some sort so I agree with you there.

The age wasn't the primary problem with Rheal Cormier. It's that he was a terribly ineffective reliever with a shiny ERA.