Grade the offseason.

[westofyou]

Some of you guys need to get off your calculators and baseball prospectus graphs and take a look at the game.

Nice rip.........

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Greg Vaughn and Mike Cameron say hi.

Those 2 players were the best off season? wow

I say hi right back

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by AvesIce51

Those 2 players were the best off season? wow

I say hi right back

Now who's being ungrateful?

CINCINNATI REDS
SEASON
1998

RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G       
1    Reds                       4.78   

Outfield
RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G    
1    Reds                       4.74     


CINCINNATI REDS
SEASON
1998
OF
RUNS CREATED/GAME vs. the league average displayed only--not a sorting criteria

RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G     RC/G    
1    Dmitri Young               6.08     0.99   
2    Jeffrey Hammonds           5.82     0.73   
3    Reggie Sanders             5.01     -.08   
4    Melvin Nieves              4.60     -.49   
5    Chris Stynes               4.20     -.89   
6    Jon Nunnally               4.14     -.95   
7    Tony Tarasco               4.05    -1.04   
8    Pat Watkins                3.60    -1.49   
9    Lenny Harris               3.27    -1.82   
10   Mike Frank                 2.55    -2.54 


CINCINNATI REDS
SEASON
1999

RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G    

1    Reds                       5.54    

Outfield  
RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G    
1    Reds                       6.13     


CINCINNATI REDS
SEASON
1999
OF
RUNS CREATED/GAME vs. the league average displayed only--not a sorting criteria

RUNS CREATED/GAME              RC/G     RC/G    
1    Greg Vaughn                6.64     1.07   
2    Dmitri Young               6.26     0.69   
3    Mike Cameron               6.20     0.63   
4    Jeffrey Hammonds           6.01     0.44   
5    Michael Tucker             5.08     -.49

[Boss-Hog]

Denny Neagle and Michael Tucker were also added that offseason.

[Redmachine2003]

I give the offseason moves a B+. They filled every hole on the team. Got a proven winning pitcher and left hand starter. The only reason it wasn't an A is I would have like to seen Dunn and/or Kearns locked up long term.

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by letsgojunior

D

They overspent on mediocre talent, potentially precluding LTC's for Dunn and Kearns, and allowing almost no future payroll flexibility with the expensive, underproductive tandem of Graves-Griffey-Casey (not as bad as the others)-Milton.

I know this isn't supposed to be a discussion thread about this, but it's possible that getting Milton, Ortiz, etc might actually make it EASIER to hold on to Dunn and Kearns. At least now they see ownership making an attempt to win.

If the front office sat on its payflex, the Reds were looking at a potentially last place finish. That's going to drive Kearns/Dunn away in a hurry.

Players sometimes give a hometown discount if the team is legitimately trying to win. There's no guarantee Dunn will do that, but making him sit through another year of horrible pitching isn't going to make him want to stay either.

[wheels]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

Players sometimes give a hometown discount if the team is legitimately trying to win. There's no guarantee Dunn will do that, but making him sit through another year of horrible pitching isn't going to make him want to stay either.

We might as well kiss him gooddbye if you think that's the case.

[Reds1]

Originally Posted by AvesIce51

Wow, you guys are some of the most ungrateful fans I've ever seen. This is by far the best off season the Reds have had in over 20 years (please don't say getting Griffey was the best offseason). What did you guys give them last year? Because their off season this year has been about 800% better. I can't even remember what we did last season, Corey Lidle and Todd Jones is all I can think of. Some of you guys need to get off your calculators and baseball prospectus graphs and take a look at the game. We actually have a bench this year (haven't seen that lately) and a bullpen! And for those of you who criticize for overspending...who's money was it, and somebody tell me their budget??? No matter what the budget, we weren't going to get anyone else after our last deal. If Lindner didn't over spend on Milton, we wouldn't have him, and we would just have 8 million dollars more...having that money won't win us games, Milton will. Take a look at what we put on the field, we have 4 all-star caliber OF's, a very solid 3B, good 2B, one of the best hitting 1B in the game, a tough as nails catcher with a great arm, 3 decent starters, which we haven't seen in a while, and a good bullpen... Have you guys noticed our pitching competition is for the 4 and 5 spot (even though I feel it is decided already for Harang and Hudson). Usually our competition is for our 3-5! Jose Acevedo was our #3 last year!

I give them an A for their off season, best one I've experienced.

I guess I should be ready for some responses...

this was more of my response, but I challenged everyone to tell me what makes an A, B, etc. if the 10 so moves the Reds did this year doesn't cut it. Better at almost every position if you include experience like guys like DJ and LarRue got, Bench much better with Freel and one of the OF. Aurillia is now on the bench if not starting, 3 more pen guys including a lefty and 4 guys fighting for spots 4-5 that were all locks to start. I've had no viable responses. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels the way you do.
Go Reds!

[Raisor]

D

For reasons that I've been saying all off season.

I appreciate the fact that they've spent money. I just wish they'd spent the money WELL.

[guernsey]

B - it's going to be a fun season.

[SteelSD]

Originally Posted by Reds1

this was more of my response, but I challenged everyone to tell me what makes an A, B, etc. if the 10 so moves the Reds did this year doesn't cut it. Better at almost every position if you include experience like guys like DJ and LarRue got, Bench much better with Freel and one of the OF. Aurillia is now on the bench if not starting, 3 more pen guys including a lefty and 4 guys fighting for spots 4-5 that were all locks to start. I've had no viable responses. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels the way you do.
Go Reds!

For a team like the Reds? Here you go:

A= Turned ballclub into definitive playoff contender
B= Improved Run Differential enough to project a 85-win+ season with an outside chance at the WildCard without counting on career years from 3/4 of the squad.
C= Improved Run Differential enough to project a .500 record (plus or minus 4 games)
D= Improved, but not significantly enough to project a winning ballclub and spent a lot of money doing it
F= Improved nowhere and/or spent a lot of money not improving

I'll give 'em a C-minus. And the only reason the offseason ranks that high is that the additional money spent potentially secures a higher payroll next season due to folks who might just buy more tickets because they equate money with performance.

But considering that it doesn't appear that there's a good chance that money will be well spent, I can see how folks are giving the offseason a "D".

[westofyou]

Without using stats

Inking Eric Milton to a expensive 20 million plus contract is equal to giving that to Jack Billingham after the 1974 season. Ramon Ortiz is this years version of Greg Swindell, Rich Aurillia gives me Terry Pendleton feelings. Randa is a stopgap and not too expensive, thus making him easy to flip..... that said isn't Joe Randa just Brook Jacoby with a better glove?

I like the BP moves and I see how the additions help stop attrition of youngsters arms as does any inning eaters like Paul Wilson (who is more late career Mark Portugal than Pete Harnisch)

But as Guernsey said I think this will be a "fun season" the last two were not.... but I can still follow the Reds without blowing sunshine up their butts too... even with my Simon Bar Sinister approach the game.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by SteelSD

For a team like the Reds? Here you go:

A= Turned ballclub into definitive playoff contender
B= Improved Run Differential enough to project a 85-win+ season with an outside chance at the WildCard without counting on career years from 3/4 of the squad.
C= Improved Run Differential enough to project a .500 record (plus or minus 4 games)
D= Improved, but not significantly enough to project a winning ballclub and spent a lot of money doing it
F= Improved nowhere and/or spent a lot of money not improving

I'll give 'em a C-minus. And the only reason the offseason ranks that high is that the additional money spent potentially secures a higher payroll next season due to folks who might just buy more tickets because they equate money with performance.

But considering that it doesn't appear that there's a good chance that money will be well spent, I can see how folks are giving the offseason a "D".

How does a D grade ever connote "improvement?" So "F" is the baseline?

That's not typically how grades work. C is baseline--no improvement/no regression, net. D is regression. F is severe regression.

[SteelSD]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

How does a D grade ever connote "improvement?" So "F" is the baseline?

That's not typically how grades work. C is baseline--no improvement/no regression, net. D is regression. F is severe regression.

It's all relative, FCB. I contend that if a team in the Reds position did nothing to improve themselves during an offseason, that's a complete failure.

I know how typical grades work. But baseball isn't a typical situation.

[XRedsfan07]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

If we win the division....will your grades change?

Of course they will. All the nay sayers will become the guys saying "I told you signing Randa/Milton/Aurilia/etc. would pay off"

That's how sports goes. You've the eternal optamists, the eternal pesamists, and the fair weather fan.