Patrick Bateman (01-30-2014)
While I stated my thoughts on Law and the Reds earlier, I have never had an impression of him about other teams. Is he maybe someone who downplays things in general? While I have the opinion of how he has viewed the Reds, I have respected him enough to bother to try to read his stuff.
Superdude (01-30-2014)
Found the original article regarding Latos. Never said anything like was stated here. Insider info so will not post in entirety but here is Law's closing statement.
The Reds didn't give up much they'll miss in the short term and get four years of a staff ace to pitch in front of a solid rotation that lacked a No. 1 starter.
camisadelgolf (01-30-2014)
Or like the Denny Neagle trade.Jim Bowden says that the trade sending Mat Latos from the Padres to the Reds for four players could end up being MLB's version of the Herschel Walker trade.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Reds Top 10:
Player, POS (Top 100 rank)
1. Robert Stephenson, RHP (29)
2. Billy Hamilton, CF (52)
3. Phil Ervin, OF
4. Jesser Winker, OF
5. Yorman Rodriguez, OF
6. Michael Lorenzen, RHP
7. Nick Travieso, RHP
8. Daniel Corcino, RHP
9. Chad Rogers, LHP
10. Jackson Stephens, RHP
Sleeper
Jackson Stephens is a classic find from scouting director Chris Buckley, a high school quarterback from Alabama who's blessed with a great arm, sitting 94-98, but still learning the art of pitching, like changing speeds and working with his secondary stuff.
If Jackson Stephens sat 94-98 then Robert Stephenson sat 102-107 because someone had a broken radar gun.
mdccclxix (01-31-2014)
Using that logic, the Reds could have taken the same players they traded for Latos, but instead of trading for Latos they could have traded for an even better pitcher. However, it doesn't work that way. Latos was/is a young, rising pitching star and that was the price it took to get him. And looking back, the Reds completely fleeced the Pads. Even if the Reds didn't have Votto/Mes right now, they still would have won the trade. Course, they never would have done the trade in the first place, but the point of the matter is the Reds won that trade by a landslide.
I've been critical of Jocketty, but I think he was going to hold those chips (Grandal/Alonso) until he felt he found equal or better value. He finally did with Latos. It wasn't a matter of "Oh, we have a logjam at first and catcher, I'm going to take the first decent offer I get." I'm sure he was shopping them around for quite some time during the 2011-12 offseason, but wasn't going to let them go unless he found a great deal like the one he did with Latos.
Last edited by Chuckie; 01-31-2014 at 02:33 PM.
Not really because at the time, there probably weren't pitchers better than Latos on the market, even for a package like that.
And looking back doesn't so us much good since the Reds 3 traded prospects (and Volquez) and got back a Major Leaguer. Yes, Alonso has been in the Majors ever since, but the rest of that haul hasn't been and is still in the process of making things happen.
Looking at BRef WAR, Yasmani Grandal was worth 2.7 wins all by himself in half of a season in 2012. Yonder Alonso was worth 1.4 in 2012. So together, they provided 4.1 WAR. In 2012, Mat Latos provided 4.3 WAR.
It really isn't some clear cut "Reds easily won" looking back thing. Grandal has his own set of issues, mainly health and that PED thing, and he is going to have to rebound. But let's not get ahead of ourselves with your analysis.
Side note, I would still pull the trigger on that trade every day of the week and twice on Sunday and I have felt that way since the day that it happened.
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