Is there anyway to fix Casey?

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Hey ramp, you can HAVE him. For free.

The problem I have with keeping him 1 more year to see if he turns it around is if that he doesn't turn it around, he will be making more money and will even be harder to dump for that reason and for the fact that everyone will know it's not just a "slump" anymore.

We could have had Millwood. I'm on record for wanting that trade to happen so it's not hindsight with me.

Now, I'll take nothing for him.

OK, if the Pirates think they can "fix" Casey, I'll take Benson.

[ramp101]

i wouldnt take him if you paid me

[TeamBoone]

I guess the Reds have come up with the answer to the question.... season ending shoulder surgery.

[Larkin Fan]

Any word on what specifically they will be doing to the shoulder?

[Chip R]

Well, LF, this is from Hal so take it with a grain of salt. What Hal said was that Casey was going to get arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder soon so he will be ready for ST.

[Larkin Fan]

Thanks Chip. Sounds like they're going to go in and clean up the mess in the rotator cuff from the tendinitis. You've gotta love arthroscopic surgery. A few little incisions and a stiff shoulder for a little while and you're back in action in no time.

Anyone want to bet that Kremchek only "assists" on this surgery as usual?

[BuckeyeRedleg]

How about I give you Casey AND Castro for free?

[malcontent]

Originally posted by BuckeyeRedleg
How about I give you Casey AND Castro for free?

Now, Redleg. If ramp is gonna take both of those albatrosses off your hands, you know he's gonna expect you to sweeten the pot a little.

[ramp101]

fine u take preston,cj and julian tavarez.....and coach torborg

[M2]

Hey ramp, if the Reds and Fish could pull a Casey and Castro deal for Wilson and Tavarez, I'd be dancing a jig.

I think Jr. and 1B is becoming a real possibility. The guy's legs need to be spared as much as possible. As for Casey, he's at a crossroads. There's no sin in that. Happens to lots of people, not just baseball players. He could keep sliding or he might turn himself into the hitting machine we all imagined he'd become. Odds are against the latter one happening, but I wouldn't rule it out.

The real question is can you trade Sean Casey right now and how much sense does it make to trade him when his value's in the toilet?

I think Casey and a good prospect could net you a pitcher with a contract. Maybe you could get a Hideo Nomo or a Livan Hernandez. Kris Benson's value is also at an all-time low right now. Casey for Benson was always a good idea. I'd revisit it.

15, but you missed Nick's glory year in Boston. Why that guy left Boston (with a park and league that were made for him) is beyond me.

[TeamBoone]

Doesn't ANYONE think Casey should be given the chance to vindicate himself AFTER receovering from the shoulder surgery?

Perhaps this tear is something that has been silently affecting his performance for some time but only became bad enough to become physically noticable this year.

[JaxRed]

"Doesn't ANYONE think Casey should be given the chance to vindicate himself AFTER receovering from the shoulder surgery? "

I'm sure there are plenty.


But Casey's problem is that he'll never again be what the Reds need him to be: A bargain.

To survive, the Reds need good young cheap talent. Like Dunn and Kearns. Like Casey was in 1999. But even if Casey rebounds to 1999 numbers, he'll still (in last year of his deal) cost 38 times more than he did 1999.

The best you'll ever do on Casey is break even. Get your money's worth. That's the upside. The downside is that you might end up with the 2001 Casey. 15 homers, 90 RBI's, .310 average. We can't afford to pay that guy 8 million.

If you went to Vegas to make a bet for $100, and they told you if you Win, you get your $100 back, but if you lose you'll lose most of it, you'd never play. That's what Casey is.

[TeamBoone]

Even "cheap young" talent eventually gets paid what it is worth, especially if that cheap young talent develops into prime talent.

Should the Reds dump each one of them as they "become of age" and warrent more? Is that the way the Reds must always field a team? If yes, they will never be a contender.

[JaxRed]

No, you don't let them ALL go. They pick and choose and keep a couple like Dunn and Kearns, and let the Pokeys, Dmitri's, Neagle's, etc. go.

In another thread someone estimated that even without adding players our payroll is going to jump to 52 million next year. That's why every year you make tough decisions about who's becoming too pricy versus what they produce.

Casey's become too pricey.

[M2]

Jax speaks the truth on this one.

The Reds can't pay big contracts at every position. If Sean Casey had taken the Jason Giambi career path (e.g. become a .420 OB, .550 SLG shoo-in), then he might have warranted a long-term investment. Obviously he'd have cost more, but you'd have a player whose name you could ink in the #4 hole and consider the job done for the next five years.

The problem is partially one of position. Smaller market teams need to be smart about where they find their savings. It's a lot easier to find a productive 1B, LF or RF than other positions. If Dunn and Kearns turn into the monsters we expect them to be, that means the Reds in a few years will have to cull some savings out of the IF. Yet Sean Casey is a 1B and he's not an outstanding 1B. Don't get me wrong, he's good. He can help a team win games. But he's not a player you build a team around (and he essentially let us know that during the 2001 season).

Now I didn't mind the Reds signing Casey this year. Reason is because it's a contract other, wealthier teams can afford. It's even a contract that smaller market clubs can handle if they've been good about their budgets.

By my count, the Braves, Expos, Marlins, Pirates, Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, Devil Rays, Orioles and A's could be in the market for a 1B. That's not to say they'll want Casey or that they'll want to spend Casey money on one, but I imagine all those teams will review that position with most making changes. You might have to trade for someone else's disappointment in the offing, but I'm relatively sure that a market for Sean Casey does exist (heck, there was a taker for Dmitri Young).

The Reds have within their ranks competent (heck, superior) replacements for Casey. They've got to be smart about money. It's getting difficult to argue that Sean Casey is a wise expenditure of the team's money.