Off of ORG: Your challenge: Improve the team for $6M

[Vottomatic]

Its rumored that the team offered Rhodes a 1 year deal for ~$4M and also offered Renteria a deal (i am guessing for ~$2M). It possible that the team wouldn't have done both of those deals but it seems there is at least $4M & maybe $6M in the budget. I wonder if its really ~$8M as I can't believe Walt doesn't also have ~$2M set aside for a left hitting outfielder. We have heard all winter that the Reds are 'at payroll'. Yet when we all added up the salary committments we got nowhere near $80M. I suspect the Reds being 'at payroll' included Walt setting aside $6-8M for LF, SS & Rhodes.

Now the challenge! Find the best way to improve the team if the Reds have either $4M, $6M or $8m to spend.

A) My $4M scenario. Pretty simple. Chapman to the pen to take Rhodes spot. Renteria at ~$2M for backup shortstop. Lewis or Edmonds at ~$2M for left field. Not great but it does add some value to the 25 man roster.

B) My $6M scenario. Chapman to the pen to take Rhodes spot. Renteria at ~$2M for backup shortstop. Trade Gomes to an AL team that could use help at DH. The Red Sox might as Ortiz can't hit lefties. The Yankees might as Posada may do a little catching. Rangers seem another possibility. The prospect we get back doesn't matter much. The trade is to free up $1.8M. The Reds use that $1.8M & the $4M left & trade for Kelly Johnson who will make ~$6M in arbitration. Based on what Willingham & DeJesus went for, I suspect a B & a C prospect would get it done. Maybe Valaika & one of our many relief pitchers stacking up in AAA. Johnson leads off & plays left field. He also adds another much needed (IMO) left handed bat to our lineup.

C) My $8M scenario is the same as the $6M scenario except we keep Gomes. Johnson can play 2B ( and maybe 3B?) so Gomes would still get some starts in left versus a right handed pitcher. If Heisey looks great in the spring the team could still deal Gomes prior to opening day (if it looked like he wouldn't get much playing time).

An alternative $8M is to use the 'B' scenario and use the $2M to try to sign a cheap lefty reliever to replace Rhodes in the pen. That frees up Chapman to be in the rotation.

What do folks think? Do you believe the team has $4-8M to spend? If so how best could Walt spend it? - Will M

I trade one of our young starting pitchers and a prospect to Cleveland for Shin Soo-Choo and make him our starting leadoff man and LFer.

LF Choo (LH)
2B Phillips (RH)
1B Votto (LH)
3B Rolen (RH)
RF Bruce (LH)
CF Stubbs (RH)
C Hanigan (RH)
SS Janish (RH)

[mattfeet]

I was thinking of another move altogether, but I REALLY like the idea of Choo being a Red, so Ill just say "Ditto" to what you just said.


Ditto.


-matt

[BLark = HOF]

I know we all as Reds fan would like the FO to make a big trade, with us giving up a SP and in return we get a good OF or a good SS. But in reality I think we all know that is not going to happen this off-season. I do think that closer to the trade deadline something will happen pending on the Reds record. But I would sign Scotty Pods b/c he is good against righties while Gomes is simply not good. And honestly I don't know why I say this, but I would sign Renteria. I know the guy is old, but I do believe the guy is better than OCab and may be the best option for what the Reds are looking for in a SS.

[Kingspoint]

I'll improve the team for nothing.

Fire Dusty Baker and have Rick Sweet take his place.

Well, it wouldn't be nothing, I guess.

The cost of Rick Sweet's Major League salary for managing the team for 2011 would be somewhere around $1M, or perhaps $800K.

I think we'd get 3 to 5 more wins with Sweet than we'll get with Baker.

[Tadasimha]

Deal Jonny Gomes and Edinson Volquez to Tampa Bay for Matt Garza and B J Upton. Then deal Upton to Cleveland for Choo.

Rotation:
Garza
Arroyo
Cueto
Leake
Woods/Bailey

Lineup as listed above already

[brm7675]

Deal Jonny Gomes and Edinson Volquez to Tampa Bay for Matt Garza and B J Upton. Then deal Upton to Cleveland for Choo.

Rotation:
Garza
Arroyo
Cueto
Leake
Woods/Bailey

Lineup as listed above already

why would TB make that deal?

[Kiss the Baby00]

Sign Fred Lewis to a 1 year deal for 1mm with an option for yr 2. and save the rest. The FO has stated MULTIPLE times that there will not be any major moves as they are happy with the team they have.

[brm7675]

I trade one of our young starting pitchers and a prospect to Cleveland for Shin Soo-Choo and make him our starting leadoff man and LFer.

LF Choo (LH)
2B Phillips (RH)
1B Votto (LH)
3B Rolen (RH)
RF Bruce (LH)
CF Stubbs (RH)
C Hanigan (RH)
SS Janish (RH)

Why do people think the Indian's are willing to give up Choo?

[brm7675]

Sign Fred Lewis to a 1 year deal for 1mm with an option for yr 2. and save the rest. The FO has stated MULTIPLE times that there will not be any major moves as they are happy with the team they have.

Why on god's green earth would you sign Fred Lewis to anything?

[Kiss the Baby00]

Why on god's green earth would you sign Fred Lewis to anything?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/0...red-lewis.html

[Vottomatic]

Why do people think the Indian's are willing to give up Choo?

Because they suck with Choo, and if the right offer came along to better their ballclub, they'd be stupid to not part with Choo.

Why keep one good player if you can gain 2 or 3 good players?
And maybe the team willing to give up 3 good players for one good player has one specific need to better their team and have excess players at certain positions, ready to be dealt?

Are you saying Choo = Pujols? Votto? Is Untradeable?

Doubtful. Choo is the type of player that will be dealt for the right offer.

[brm7675]

Because they suck with Choo, and if the right offer came along to better their ballclub, they'd be stupid to not part with Choo.

Why keep one good player if you can gain 2 or 3 good players?
And maybe the team willing to give up 3 good players for one good player has one specific need to better their team and have excess players at certain positions, ready to be dealt?

Are you saying Choo = Pujols? Votto? Is Untradeable?

Doubtful. Choo is the type of player that will be dealt for the right offer.

You know Choo can produce, what guarentee is there that what they get in return can?

[brm7675]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/0...red-lewis.html

Ugg I think may upchuck....

[swaisuc]

Because they suck with Choo, and if the right offer came along to better their ballclub, they'd be stupid to not part with Choo.

Why keep one good player if you can gain 2 or 3 good players?
And maybe the team willing to give up 3 good players for one good player has one specific need to better their team and have excess players at certain positions, ready to be dealt?

Are you saying Choo = Pujols? Votto? Is Untradeable?

Doubtful. Choo is the type of player that will be dealt for the right offer.

Choo is a great player that is cheap. Not a ton of those floating around. With that said, anyone is tradable if you are willing to overpay so of course it is possible. When I start thinking about dealing a package of Cueto, Alonso, along with whatever other prospects, I get gunshy. I don't care how good he is or how much he helps this year, that is scary to part with the kind of talent it would take.

Its easy to say, well I don't want to overpay, but you can't make dealing for a team's best player (who doesn't make much) your main priority unless you're willing to do whatever it takes to get him.

[Hondo]

They are not going to trade Choo with his Salary...

Sizemore is on the block but you guys wouldnt want him anyway, but I would... Lead off and Left field ...