Heyman says Rolen to the Reds

[TheNext44]

Here is a list of the 26-50th ranked prospects from 2005.

26. CHRIS NELSON, ss, Rockies Scouting Report
"His bat is further along than B.J. Upton's was at the same time."
--NL scout

27. RYAN HOWARD, 1b, Phillies Scouting Report
"When you have power like him, you don't have to pull it. It's not like any park can hold him."
--New Hampshire manager Mike Basso

28. J.J. HARDY, ss, Brewers Scouting Report
"He's a special kid in terms of what's between his ears and his heart."
--Brewers scouting director Jack Zduriencik

29. MIKE HINCKLEY, lhp, Nationals Scouting Report
"What separates with him is the makeup, work ethic, preparation. The physical tools are there, and all those intangibles are there already."
--Nationals farm director Adam Wogan

30. EDWIN JACKSON, rhp, Dodgers Scouting Report
"He had a rough year but I'll take him any day of the week. He's dominant when he has his command."
--AL scout

31. FELIX PIE, of, Cubs Scouting Report
"He's got five tools and all of them have a chance to be above-average. The sky is the limit."
--Sarasota manager Todd Claus

32. DARIC BARTON, 1b/c, Athletics Scouting Report
"I love his approach. It's what you try to teach kids."
--AL scout

33. JEREMY REED, of, Mariners Scouting Report
"He's another Mark Kotsay. I love the way he plays and I root for him."
--AL scout

34. ZACH DUKE, lhp, Pirates Scouting Report
"You look at him and you think, 'What does this kid have to work on?' He's just so polished."
--Altoona manager Tony Beasley

35. GAVIN FLOYD, rhp, Phillies Scouting Report
"He's had that big league curveball since high school. He just needs more fastball command."
--NL scout

36. ERIC DUNCAN, 3b, Yankees Scouting Report
"His work ethic reminds me of Todd Helton. He's not a guy who falls out of bed and hits. He's a guy who falls out of bed and works, and that's why he hits."
--Battle Creek manager Bill Mosiello

37. BRIAN ANDERSON, of, White Sox Scouting Report
"He's Jeremy Reed with a lot more power potential. He made the White Sox realize that Reed was expendable."
--NL scout

38. SCOTT OLSEN, lhp, Marlins Scouting Report
"He's a horse when he's out on the mound. He tries to do anything he can to use his fastball."
--Jupiter manager Luis Dorante

39. ERICK AYBAR, ss, Angels Scouting Report
"He's the perfect combination of fundamentals and flashiness."
--Rancho Cucamonga manager Bobby Meacham

40. CONOR JACKSON, of, Diamondbacks Scouting Report
"He doesn't swing at bad pitches and he doesn't miss good ones."
--Inland Empire manager Daren Brown

41. MICHAEL AUBREY, 1b, Indians Scouting Report
"The one thing he's always been able to do is hit a fastball. You can see him seek it out."
--Indians farm director John Farrell

42. RYAN SWEENEY, of, White Sox Scouting Report
"This guy is special. I've been in baseball a long time, and I've never seen a kid like this."
--White Sox farm director Dave Wilder

43. DAN MEYER, lhp, Athletics Scouting Report
"He's a big-game pitcher. He pitches every game with that same level of intensity--as if it was the last game of the season with it all on the line."
--Richmond manager Pat Kelly

44. BRIAN McCANN, c, Braves Scouting Report
"All he does is hit, and no one talks about how good he was defensively last year. He was one of the better catchers in the minors in a year when there weren't many good catchers."
--AL scout

45. JOSH BARFIELD, 2b, Padres Scouting Report
"The kid understands hitting. It's just rare to see a young hitter who understands how to stay inside the ball so well."
--Padres scouting director Bill Gayton

46. YUSMEIRO PETIT, rhp, Mets Scouting Report
"I just can't hit him. You just can't pick the ball up off him."
--Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss

47. ANTHONY REYES, rhp, cardinals Scouting Report
"Besides Jose Capellan, no starter in the Southern League had a better arm, and Anthony has better command than Capellan."
--Tennessee manager Mark DeJohn

48. HOMER BAILEY, rhp, Reds Scouting Report
"He's the epitome of a pure projection pitcher. He has plus stuff with a good breaking ball, and he even has a little change-piece now."
--NL scout

49. BRANDON McCARTHY, rhp, White Sox Scouting Report
"He's got exceptional command for a tall guy. He creates such good angles and works down in the zone."
--Lynchburg pitching coach Scott Lovekamp

50. PHILIP HUMBER, rhp, Mets Scouting Report
"His performance is pretty consistent, which matches his personality. He's pretty controlled, and I love his curveball."
--NL scout

About a 1 in 3 shot of one being a solid major leaguer. Just to put Stewart into perspective.

[Playadlc]

Anybody who thinks this was a good trade has no business complainig about the Taveras signing. This is every single bit as stupid, even if it works out better than this FO hopes. Not the kind of risk tis team should take. Stupid from every conceivable angle.

What the heck is going on here? You seriously think this is just as stupid as signing one of the worst players in MLB?

I think we should all wait to see what happens this off-season before going off the deep end about this trade.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

One other thing, for those that think this is a great trade and that anyone that doesn't is overreacting, well just watch what the baseball world has to say about it in the next few days. I guarantee the reaction will be consistently negative, regarding what the Reds gave up.

I know that won't convince you, but at least you'll know the people that cover baseball for a living agree with some of us.

[westofyou]

One thing for sure is Scott Rolen eats, drinks and craps baseball. It's been awhile since the Reds had a guy like that.

[CTA513]

One thing for sure is Scott Rolen eats, drinks and craps baseball. It's been awhile since the Reds had a guy like that.

I hope he can also crap money so the Reds have some to spend next season.

[edabbs44]

One thing for sure is Scott Rolen eats, drinks and craps baseball. It's been awhile since the Reds had a guy like that.

I was actually just thinking the same thing. People can make jokes about leadership and I know that many want to compare it to talent. But when you look at this team and realize that the closest thing that some of these guys have to a vet leader is the dumbest manager in the game, it is a scary thought.

[corkedbat]

What the heck is going on here? You seriously think this is just as stupid as signing one of the worst players in MLB?

I think we should all wait to see what happens this off-season before going off the deep end about this trade.

Yes I do. This is exactly the kind of deal the Reds need to make, if they were looking at it from the Jays side of things.

I love Scott Rolen and was sick when the Reds let him go to the Cards seven years ago - this isn't seven years ago though. He's a very bad injury risk with dropping power numbers. This makes him a terrible risk for an extension, but that is what they are talking of doing. This is just another Harang/Arroyo situation waiting to happen - more dead dollars for a franchise that can't afford any more dead dollars.

This trade could have been made next year in January after more intelligent avenues had at least been explored. That alone makes this a very stupid trade.

[M2]

One thing for sure is Scott Rolen eats, drinks and craps baseball. It's been awhile since the Reds had a guy like that.

About five years to be exact.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

This trade could have been made next year in January after more intelligent avenues had at least been explored. That alone makes this a very stupid trade.

Exactly.

And I could understand overpaying at the deadline, if the Reds were contending in '09, but let's face it, they are out of it and probably one of the 5 worst teams in baseball right now. If they were contending, the Jays would have had the leverage (making the Reds overpay), but they are not contending, so WJ should have seen that he had the leverage and told the Jays he'd talk to them in 5 months.

Panic.

I would think WJ would be fun to play poker with.

[MattyHo4Life]

Yeah, you were originally a Reds fan, right?

I'm strongly considering it man. I can't believe I'm saying that. I hated the Cardinals there for a few years but my opinion of them has changed completely in the last year or so. They are just a great organization dedicated to winning. They'll do anything to win. They're fans are unbelievable. They don't run their great players out of town or give up on young players early. I'm sick and tired of the Reds crap.

Yeah...I was a Reds fan for the first 20 years of my life. My whole family loved the Reds (they still do), and I grew up going to Riverfront every chance I had. I just got tired of the excuses that management always made, and then they couldn't understand why fans stayed away. Cincinnati is a great baseball city, but the Reds are really good at disapointing their fans. I moved to St. Louis about 15 years ago, and I thought I would always be a Reds fan. Well, after seeing how the Cardinals treat their fans, it really made me look at things a different way. St. Louis and Cincinnati are so similar, but yet the organizations treat their fans totally different. The Cardinals management always tries to put a good team out on the field even if it does cost them a lot. The fans repay them by selling out the stadium again and again.

IMO, Reds fans and Cardinal fans may be two of the most similar types of fans in all of baseball. If the Reds would just spend some cash (wisely) to put a competetive team on the field, then the fans would come out to the ballpark. I can't blame fans for staying away after being disapointed time after time. At first I felt guilty for switching teams. It was like I was turning my back on a relative, but I don't anymore. I hear people say that they are loyal to their team, and will always be a fan of a certain team. I agree... to a point. Loyalty is great. I am a die hard Cardinals fan now, and probably will be forever. I tried giving the Reds another chance a few years ago when I moved back to Ohio. It didn't work though, I ended up buying Extra Innings from Direct TV so that I could watch the Cardinals. It just seems like loyalty usually goes one way, at least in Cincinnati. The fans are expected to follow the Reds no matter what. They can be disapointed year after year, but if they dare stay home and not go to the games, ownership blames the fans for why they can't spend money. I just got tired of that attitude. I want my team to be as loyal to me as I am to them. The Reds used to have a higher payroll than the Cardinals did. The Cardinals ownership invested a lot of money in the team to make the team better, and the attendance sky rocketted. I believe the same thing would happen in Cincinnati if ownership showed that they know what they are doing and they really tried.

[Stormy]

About five years to be exact.

Man does this organization miss a guy like Barry. At this stage in his career, I don't expect much from Rolen in that regard though. You know it's curious: Toronto has been very public about it's dangling of Rolen for a month, and yet not a single actual contender even nibbles apparently. Meanwhile, a team light years removed from contention swoops in and pays the premium price moments before the deadline, even though they should have been the team with all the leverage. Puzzling.

[Falls City Beer]

OBM's getting converted!

Lol.

Have fun with the Cardinals, brah!
:

I love the Reds. Go Reds.

[MattyHo4Life]

One thing for sure is Scott Rolen eats, drinks and craps baseball. It's been awhile since the Reds had a guy like that.

One thing is for sure... it will be wierd when the Reds come to St. Louis and Rolen is wearing a Reds uni.

[wheels]

Yeah...I was a Reds fan for the first 20 years of my life. My whole family loved the Reds (they still do), and I grew up going to Riverfront every chance I had. I just got tired of the excuses that management always made, and then they couldn't understand why fans stayed away. Cincinnati is a great baseball city, but the Reds are really good at disapointing their fans. I moved to St. Louis about 15 years ago, and I thought I would always be a Reds fan. Well, after seeing how the Cardinals treat their fans, it really made me look at things a different way. St. Louis and Cincinnati are so similar, but yet the organizations treat their fans totally different. The Cardinals management always tries to put a good team out on the field even if it does cost them a lot. The fans repay them by selling out the stadium again and again.

IMO, Reds fans and Cardinal fans may be two of the most similar types of fans in all of baseball. If the Reds would just spend some cash (wisely) to put a competetive team on the field, then the fans would come out to the ballpark. I can't blame fans for staying away after being disapointed time after time. At first I felt guilty for switching teams. It was like I was turning my back on a relative, but I don't anymore. I hear people say that they are loyal to their team, and will always be a fan of a certain team. I agree... to a point. Loyalty is great. I am a die hard Cardinals fan now, and probably will be forever. I tried giving the Reds another chance a few years ago when I moved back to Ohio. It didn't work though, I ended up buying Extra Innings from Direct TV so that I could watch the Cardinals. It just seems like loyalty usually goes one way, at least in Cincinnati. The fans are expected to follow the Reds no matter what. They can be disapointed year after year, but if they dare stay home and not go to the games, ownership blames the fans for why they can't spend money. I just got tired of that attitude. I want my team to be as loyal to me as I am to them. The Reds used to have a higher payroll than the Cardinals did. The Cardinals ownership invested a lot of money in the team to make the team better, and the attendance sky rocketted. I believe the same thing would happen in Cincinnati if ownership showed that they know what they are doing and they really tried.

Wow.

A simple, great summation.

Can any of us find fault with this?

Why didn't Casetellini and Jocketty bring the lessons learned from their respective stints in St. Louis to Cincinnati?

[smith288]

I LOVED this trade. Why? Because it gives me something to read during Reds losses.