Slobber-Knocker Pre-Winter Meetings Trade Proposal

[Krusty]

So, Redszone I present to you my annual slobber-knocker trade proposal. Let me know what you think:

Reds trade Chapman to the Kansas City Royals for OF prospect Wil Myers.

It is no secret that Kansas City is looking for frontline pitching and Chapman could be that guy. If you're the Reds, there will be a innings limit on Chapman for 2013 and no guarantee his success as a closer translate to a starting pitcher. The same could be said about Myers. But if he is the stud outfielder like the scouts say, the Reds could have an outfield of Myers, Hamilton and Bruce for the next six years. The Reds still have Mike Leake and Cingrani should be a candidate for a possible starting spot next season.

So if you were Jocketty, do you have the cajones to trade Chapman?

[Krusty]

One more thing....looking back on the Hamilton for Volquez deal, would you consider there is more risk in starting pitching than a top minor league hitting prospect?

[corkedbat]

Nah, I hold on to Chapman. Worst case, he fails miserably as a starter and then you have to revert him to being the most dominant closer in the game again. I would love Myers though.

[reds1869]

I would be tempted, but ultimately I couldn't do it. A proven, high quality, big league pitcher is the most valuable commodity in baseball. I wouldn't give an arm like Chapman's up for even an uber-prospect like Myers.

[Nathan]

Pass. We already have quite a few pieces in place for the next several years. The rest can be filled in for cheaper than Chapman.

[RedEye]

I don't trade a SP who has the potential to be the next Big Unit. There's almost no player I can imagine being worth that in return.

[Vottomatic]

If I'm going to trade Chapman for Myers, then I turn to Miami and offer Chapman, Corcino, Mez, and others for Stanton.

[Steve4192]

I'd be all over that trade if the Reds were rebuilding rather than contending. I just don't see a team that is in contending mode trading a 25 year-old All Star for a prospect. The more likely scenario would be Reds trading away some of their own prospects to land Alex Gordon (assuming they could fit him into the budget).

[oneupper]

Originally Posted by Steve4192

I'd be all over that trade if the Reds were rebuilding rather than contending. I just don't see a team that is in contending mode trading a 25 year-old All Star for a prospect. The more likely scenario would be Reds trading away some of their own prospects to land Alex Gordon (assuming they could fit him into the budget).

Alex Gordon WAS Wil Myers (i.e. as highly regarded), six years ago.

[lollipopcurve]

Nope. Myers hasn't proven anything in the majors yet, and his Ks hopped last year in AAA.

[Scrap Irony]

Leake and Corcino? Okay.

Chapman? I'd have a hard time with that.

[Steve4192]

Originally Posted by oneupper

Alex Gordon WAS Wil Myers (i.e. as highly regarded), six years ago.

You know who else was Wil Myers six years ago?

Delmon Young, Jeremy Hermida, Brandon Wood, and Andy Marte. All of those guys were ranked above Gordon in my 2006 Baseball Prospectus. We have no idea how Myers is going to pan out. On the other hand, we KNOW Gordon is a damn solid major league outfielder.

Gordon is the bird in the hand, Myers is the two in the bush. He might pan out, or he might be Andy Marte. If the Reds were a rebuilding team, I might consider taking Myers in the hope that he becomes an even better player than Gordon. But for a contending team? I'll take the proven quality major leaguer.

[Vottomatic]

I just have a problem with the whole slobbering thing.

[oneupper]

Originally Posted by Steve4192

You know who else was Wil Myers six years ago?

Delmon Young, Jeremy Hermida, Brandon Wood, and Andy Marte. All of those guys were ranked above Gordon in my 2006 Baseball Prospectus. We have no idea how Myers is going to pan out. On the other hand, we KNOW Gordon is a damn solid major league outfielder.

Gordon is the bird in the hand, Myers is the two in the bush. He might pan out, or he might be Andy Marte. If the Reds were a rebuilding team, I might consider taking Myers in the hope that he becomes an even better player than Gordon. But for a contending team? I'll take the proven quality major leaguer.

I agree (even if it didn't sound like it). And for 4 of those 6 years, Gordon was looking like a bust. A contending team doesn't have all that time.

[Steve4192]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

Nope. Myers hasn't proven anything in the majors yet, and his Ks hopped last year in AAA.

Not to mention he struggled mightily in 2011 in his first exposure to AA pitching. What happens if he has similar struggles in 2013 in his first exposure to MLB pitching?

Myers might be a stud eventually, but that doesn't mean he will help the 2013 Reds. The Reds need someone who is ready to produce NOW, not someone who will be good in three to five years. Going back to the Alex Gordon example, Gordon is a damn fine player right now, but look how long it took him to establish himself. It wasn't until his fifth year in the majors that he became a real asset. We saw the same thing with Jay Bruce in Cincinnati. It wasn't until his third year that Jay became a solid contributor. Trading for youngsters to fill a MLB role is something rebuilding teams do, not contending teams.