Cliff Lee

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by johngalt

Okay, give Milwaukee back the four players they traded for Sabathia. Exactly how is it that missing those four guys is making the Brewers a "very much weaker" team today?

Matt LaPorta would still be blocked by Fielder, Hart and Braun. He's not exactly doing much for Cleveland.

Rob Bryson is a 22-year-old reliever who just reached High A this year.

Zach Jackson is a failed starter who's relieving in the PCL.

Michael Brantley is a skilled outfielder who could possibly be a starter in center field for the Brewers.

Tell me how having those four guys back with the Brewers makes them a strong enough club right now that it was worth NOT making a run to the playoffs in 2008.

Each of those players had high-to-decent trade value and could have filled other holes the Brewers currently have, such as a starting pitcher with multiple years left on contract...

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

That's easy to say now but what is LaPorta was looking like Joey Votto or Jeff Bagwell?

You still make the trade. The year picks you. ignore the opportunities and become an also ran.

IF the Reds have the opportunity to get Cliff Lee AND it costs Alonso, Wood, third player, you do it. plain and simple.

BJ Ryan became a pretty dominant closer. It doesn't bother me in the least that he never pitched a game as a Red.

[Falls City Beer]

Probability of Reds making postseason without help in the SP department? Low.

Holding onto prospects has merits, but they could easily miss the playoffs without help (and getting another bat or a reliever or both won't be enough to move the needle by themselves; it's going to take a high-end starter).

Now--you have a decision in front of you.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

Probability of Reds making postseason without help in the SP department? Low.

Holding onto prospects has merits, but they could easily miss the playoffs without help (and getting another bat or a reliever or both won't be enough to move the needle by themselves; it's going to take a high-end starter).

Now--you have a decision in front of you.

In case you haven't looked, the Reds have one of the better records in baseball as is. Their chances of making the postseason -- especially with Edinson Volquez back to help solidify the rotation down the stretch -- are much better than "low." They're a better team than the Cardinals, in my honest opinion.

But their chances of doing anything in the postseason are likely remote without some pitching reinforcements.

[Matt700wlw]

In the past 30 days, Cliff Lee has 4 CGs and 2 walks. Sure, a Reds prospect MIGHT do that someday...

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

In the past 30 days, Cliff Lee has 4 CGs and 2 walks. Sure, a Reds prospect MIGHT do that someday...

And in 4 months, Cliff Lee will be signing a 100M contract somewhere else too. Cliff Lee is absolutely 100% better than any player we offer up. No doubt about it. But we aren't trading them for Cliff Lee forever. We only get him for 2-3 months. They get our guy for 5-6 years each.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

Probability of Reds making postseason without help in the SP department? Low.

Holding onto prospects has merits, but they could easily miss the playoffs without help (and getting another bat or a reliever or both won't be enough to move the needle by themselves; it's going to take a high-end starter).

Now--you have a decision in front of you.

I wouldn't say their chances are "low," although I completely agree with you that they need another starter. Running Wood, Maloney, and Leake out there from now until the end of the season wouldn't be a wise plan. They need another arm. Whether it's Haren, Millwood, Lee, whomever. I don't want to mortgage the farm, but I don't think we will. Historically speaking, Walt normally knocks these deals out of the park, the Haren deal being the lone exception.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

And in 4 months, Cliff Lee will be signing a 100M contract somewhere else too. Cliff Lee is absolutely 100% better than any player we offer up. No doubt about it. But we aren't trading them for Cliff Lee forever. We only get him for 2-3 months. They get our guy for 5-6 years each.

If the 2011 MLB draft were held tommorrow and knowing what we know now, where would Alonso, Mez, and Wood be selected?

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

If the 2011 MLB draft were held tommorrow and knowing what we know now, where would Alonso, Mez, and Wood be selected?

Mesoraco and Wood would go in the top 10. Alonso in the top 20.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Mesoraco and Wood would go in the top 10. Alonso in the top 20.

Thats interesting...truly I was simply throwing that question out there cause I had no idea myself. The Reds have drafted pretty solid over the past 5-6 years thats for sure.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by TRF

You still make the trade. The year picks you. ignore the opportunities and become an also ran.

IF the Reds have the opportunity to get Cliff Lee AND it costs Alonso, Wood, third player, you do it. plain and simple.

BJ Ryan became a pretty dominant closer. It doesn't bother me in the least that he never pitched a game as a Red.

I disagree with Wood. Wood could very well supply this team with a member of its starting rotation for the next five years "on the cheap". This organization needs cheap contributors.

[Eric_the_Red]

I remember when Homer Bailey was going to be the next Roger Clemens. IIRC, Homer was more hyped and had better projections than Wood. I imagine if this same conversation came up right after Bailey made his debut, some fans would have called boycotted the organization if Bailey was traded for an established ace like Lee.

Walt...PLEASE.....make this deal happen!

[TheNext44]

Originally Posted by Eric_the_Red

I remember when Homer Bailey was going to be the next Roger Clemens. IIRC, Homer was more hyped and had better projections than Wood. I imagine if this same conversation came up right after Bailey made his debut, some fans would have called boycotted the organization if Bailey was traded for an established ace like Lee.

Walt...PLEASE.....make this deal happen!

But at the time that Homer was a prospect, so was Votto, Bruce and Cueto. There were posters that wanted to trade three of those four for Eric Bedard back then. There is such a thing a giving too much up in a trade.

Definitely get the deal done, but be prudent about it.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

Loosely.

I still stand by what I said. He's run a site for less than four years -- I truly doubt the self-serving claims I saw just in a few minutes browsing that site.

ESPN's web development team has been assembling niche writers. He was brought on because of his attention to scouting. That's stated in his own bio. I'm sure he's earned his job at ESPN for doing just that. But I also know from personal experience that guys don't get to that point by telling what teams have told them in private conversations -- as if that matters. We all know that no one with a grounded view of the market would bother asking for, let alone have an expectation of receiving, Jay Bruce or Joey Votto for a 2 1/2 month rental.

Churchill doesn't really have history of breaking factually correct trade news.

[OnBaseMachine]

From John Fay:

The Reds are still interested, but no new talks have transpired.

There was a report that the Mariners may be more interested in Juan Francisco than Yonder Alonso. A Reds insider doubted that because Seattle’s decisions are often stats-driven. Francisco has more power than Alonso. But Alonso is much better at getting on-base.

The Reds would likely be willing to part with either to get a Lee deal done.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2010/07/07/lee-update/