Trade rumors?

[Strikes Out Looking]

I keep reading that people think there will be a major roster move before opening day. Marc Lancaster keeps saying he thinks something is going to happen. However, since LaRue's surgery, I've seen no actual rumors anywhere of what exactly is supposed to go down. Has anyone heard anything? Anyone heard of any team interested in Womack, who seems to be playing his way off the starting lineup/roster.

[max venable]

Nobody knows of anything specific in the works, but here is some stuff that could happen (based on common sense):

It would not be a surprise for the Indians to explore trade options for first baseman Ben Broussard, or even go so far as to release him. Broussard, who hit .255 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs, will make $2.5 million this year

I can see the Reds re-aquiring Broussard. In fact, I'd be in favor of it. My guess is that Krivsky's just gonna let this play out and see if he can claim him off waivers rather than trade for him. We'll see.

Detroit's Franklyn German, San Francisco's Tyler Walker, Pittsburgh's Ryan Vogelsong, Boston's Matt Ginter, Cleveland's Steve Karsay and the Los Angeles Angels' Kevin Gregg - are all right-handers who are potentially available.

I could see the Reds making a run at Gregg, Walker, maybe German. Always looking for pitching, ya know.

One source familiar with the situation said Aaron Heilman could ask the Mets to trade him somewhere he could start.

I would LOVE to get Heilman. I don't know what the Mets are looking for in return...my guess is that the asking price would be too high.

Utility man Brandon Phillips, who lost a competition with Ramon Vazquez, said the Indians told him he'd be traded in three days. "They won't do anything for three days in case somebody gets hurt," said Phillips. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

From what I've seen, Phillips could be a Krivsky kind of guy.

From The Denver Post:

A team such as Cincinnati, with Scott Hatteberg at first base, could have a place for (Ryan) Shealy.

Haven't heard any thing at all on this one...would love to see Shealy in red.

From the Newark Star-Ledger:

...the Reds are trying to trade catcher Jason LaRue for pitching help, since they believe (correctly) that they needed more than Arroyo

This, of course was before LaRue's knee surgery. But I still think we could see LaRue move on before the All-Star break.

That's all I got. Nothing concrete...just a bunch of speculation. My gut tells me that Kriv is up to something, though.

[KronoRed]

If they get anyone it'll be someone very cheap, the team is still budget conscience.

[RedLegSuperStar]

Hope whatever happens improves us. I don't really see how these past signings help the Reds ball club other than add depth to the minors... Will just have to see how much Arroyo helps.

[TeamBoone]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

If they get anyone it'll be someone very cheap, the team is still budget conscience.

Anybody have a ballpark figure as to what the payroll number is up to these days?

Originally Posted by RedLegSuperStar

Hope whatever happens improves us. I don't really see how these past signings help the Reds ball club other than add depth to the minors... Will just have to see how much Arroyo helps.

I think whomever said these signings were made to serve as trade fodder was right on the money. I believe it was a thread entitled "What do these moves have in common?"... or something like that.

[max venable]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

If they get anyone it'll be someone very cheap, the team is still budget conscience.

Hey...just wait till we get in the new stadium...then we'll be able to afford...wait...nevermind...

[RedLegSuperStar]

Originally Posted by max venable

Hey...just wait till we get in the new stadium...then we'll be able to afford...wait...nevermind...

Yea.. contenders.. 2003..

[max venable]

From the Akron paper today:

won't be long before the Indians wash their hands of the failed Brandon Phillips experiment.

General Manager Mark Shapiro is almost certain he can trade Phillips in the next few days, rather than lose him to a team that makes a waiver claim. Because Phillips is out of options, he would have to clear waivers before the Tribe could assign him to Buffalo again.

``We will be able to trade Brandon, definitively,'' Shapiro said Thursday. ``There is a good possibility that we could have a trade in place by the last out on Saturday.''...

...We can get value for Brandon,'' Shapiro said. ``But the value would be what he is worth now (rather than his potential), and there are multiple teams interested.''

Teams that appear to be Phillips pursuers are Tampa Bay, Washington and maybe Kansas City, for starters. The club that acquires him must add him to its 25-man roster or put him on waivers.