Reds sign Willy Taveras to 2 year deal....

[Roy Tucker]

Oi vey.

I really wish they hadn't signed a 2 yr. deal. I can't imagine the market was hot for Taveras. He will get tons of playing time and will be given a lot of opportunity to prove himself. This just has Corey Patterson v2.0 written all over it.

So, I'm putting on my rose colored glasses and hoping against hope he does well. Maybe he'll find his 2007 stroke. Maybe he'll steal a lot of bases to make up for zero power. Maybe he'll play decent defense. Maybe pigs will fly.

Bah.

[Krusty]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Don Quixote had an easier job than the one Krusty is undertaking, equally fruitless, but easier.

I'm just killing the time till the NFL games start tomorrow.

You know they don't call it the Hot Stove League for nothing. I'm just throwing the logs on the fire and stove is real hot right now.

[RedEye]

No financial terms for the contract yet, right? Here's hoping it is no more than $1 million per year...

[Always Red]

Originally Posted by Austin Kearns

Because Wily Taveras has proven he can handle hitting leadoff. If Baldelli tries that his head might explode.

His mitochondria can't handle it.

[Krusty]

Originally Posted by RedEye

I think they'd do better to bring up Stubbs, Dorn, or Frazier a bit early. They'd be cheaper, hit for more power, and probably put up better OBP numbers as well. Willy Taveras adds nothing positive to this roster IMO.

That's a real good idea.....rush the prospects and have baptism by fire.

[icehole3]

Originally Posted by RedEye

I think they'd do better to bring up Stubbs, Dorn, or Frazier a bit early. They'd be cheaper, hit for more power, and probably put up better OBP numbers as well. Willy Taveras adds nothing positive to this roster IMO.

Then you'd complain that the Reds dont develop players if Stubbs came up and hit .110, obviously they conferred with their top player personnel folks and they all agreed Stubbs needs AAA time because he's not ready.

[pahster]

Originally Posted by RedEye

No financial terms for the contract yet, right? Here's hoping it is no more than $1 million per year...

That would certainly make it slightly more palatable. Those kind of contracts are relatively easy to eat (which I'm sure the Reds will have to do at some point regardless of how much Taveras is being paid).

[Raisor]

Originally Posted by Krusty

That's a real good idea.....rush the prospects and have baptism by fire.

Challange thy hitters especially instead of bringing in Willy T.

[SteelSD]

Originally Posted by pahster

How is acquiring a crappy player "trying something different?" Seems awfully familiar to me.

It's just a different verse of the same tired song.

And just so everyone knows what we're looking at, over his career Taveras has been worth -49.1 Runs Above Position and -13.59 RAP per 600 PA. To put that in perspective, since 2005 there have only been six 500+ PA non-Taveras seasons put up in CF with a RAP value more negative than -13.59 RAP. Generally, when a player stinks that badly offensively, they don't get a chance to put up that many PA.

[IslandRed]

Originally Posted by Krusty

You see......not everything is raining and gloomy.

Originally Posted by Az Red

By my count, Krusty, 90% of ORG disagrees with you.

Well, I'm one of the 90% that doesn't like Tavares, but let's be honest here... if we're in the World Series three years from now, somewhere between 50% and 90% of the ORG will have spent the whole three years griping because it wasn't being done the way we think it should have been done. :

[guttle11]

Originally Posted by RedEye

Not sure if you are pointing out the weakness of your own argument in parentheses there... but you are right, HE NEVER GETS ON BASE. Speed cannot "create" anything unless it avoids outs.

I think batting him leadoff is a mistake, but signing him alone is not that big of a deal. After all, the Rockies did make it to a World Series with the mountain of suck known as Wily Taveras in CF. This is a depth signing, one that shouldn't be a big deal to either side. Ho hum, Taveras is now a cog in the wheel.

I'm not thrilled with Taveras, but I'm not going to proclaim it a horrible move and making ridiculous threats of ending my fandom over it. The value of this deal is minimal either way. A little CF depth never hurt anyone, and if Taveras came on the cheap, then the move makes a bit of sense. The Reds will pass or fail this offseason based on the SS and LF spots, IMO.

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by Krusty

Even if Dickerson tears the cover off the ball, this team badly lacked depth in the outfield. They took Freel and Patterson's contracts off the books. Now who the heck would you rather have.......Freel and Patterson for 2009 or a cheaper Dickerson/Taveras?

I was more than willing to give Dickerson the reigns as the primary starter in CF against righties. He can field and has good platoon splits. I was looking for the Reds to find a lefty hitting specialist. A guy like Baldelli would make for a formadable platoon and not break the bank. Bringing in Taveras on a 1 year deal to be a 5/6th OF wouldn't be a bad idea, but from the sounds of it, Taveras is going to be a key component of our 2008 CF. That's not acceptable when more ideal candidates were available without breaking the bank, especially when considering that I think there's a pretty good chance that Taveras cuts into the at-bats that Dickerson is likely to be superior in.

You put Dickerson out there with Bruce, you still need a third outfielder. And who are the backups?

This is the argument you should be using if I were suggesting the Reds sign no outfielders. I am arguing that Willy Taveras is a clear cut back-up OF'der that should be signed only to a 1 year deal, and only as a clear cut back-up.

If acquiring Willy Taveras leads to the demise of the Cincinnati Reds, I will be gladly give up my love for baseball.

No single player can lead to the demise of a team. You could theoretically use that argument to bac the signing of any player. But this team needed heavy improvements in numerous areas. They did not get that here, and if anything, actually managed to downgrade in a very thin position. This is one more position where we did not improve, and thus, incredible imporvements need to be made at the other holes for this team to sniff success.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by guttle11

Come off the bridge, folks. It's not that bad.

Tell me how it's not that bad?

This is a team that fell 100 runs short in the run differential last season AND lost it's biggest run producer.

This is a team in desperate need of good players, and they just signed one that could only be generously described as well below average.

[icehole3]

Originally Posted by Krusty

I'm just killing the time till the NFL games start tomorrow.

You know they don't call it the Hot Stove League for nothing. I'm just throwing the logs on the fire and stove is real hot right now.

Dont worry Krusty

[Raisor]

"Walt, you have a visitor in the lobby".