2007 #1 need: a BAT

[Will M]

I think the #1 need next year is for a BAT. We need someone who can play SS, 2B or CF, play good defense & contribute offensively.
I envision a lineup of:

Freel
???
Dunn LF
Encarnacion 3B
Griffey RF
Hatteburg/Aurillia 1B
Phillips
Ross C

OR

Freel
Hatteburg/Aurillia 1B
Dunn LF
Encarnacion 3B
Griffey RF { He has to move away from CF }
???
Phillips
Ross C


We need either:
a SS ( which Phillips at 2B & Freel in CF )
a 2B ( which Phillips at SS & Freel in CF )
a CF ( which Phillips at SS & Freel at 2B)

Looking at potential acquisitions:

1. Tori Hunter may be a free agent ( if the Twins decline his $12million option ). He would look good in CF & batting 5th.

2. Julio Lugo is a free agent. He would be a good #2 hitter and can play 2b or SS.

So...

1. do you agree with me?

2. who else is available for 2007?

- Will

[Always Red]

I don't care where it comes from, but this team will need some R handed power. EE works for me, whether he's at 3B, 1B or in the OF. I'd like to get his bat in the lineup more often.

[fearofpopvol1]

I disagree, sort of. They do need another right handed bat, but another decent starting pitcher is the #1 need.

[dieselman44]

Throw money at Soriano

[HBP]

If Tori Hunter could prove he's healthy, I'd see if he could be had for a decent contract. In Minn. he's a .270, 25 HR, 80-90 RBI guy, so you'd figure those numbers would go up playing in Cincinati. Jr would have to move to RF, no questions asked. Playing only 98 games last year and missing about 15 games this year is a concern though.

Nobody else on the market is too intriguing. Carlos Lee would be expensive and is a defensive liability and Soriano will get huge $$$.

[Joseph]

Pitching wins championships.

A bat is a useful tool, but not a need yet. We need more pitching.

[cumberlandreds]

For the money that most of those guys you have mentioned I would rather spend it on a quality starting pitching. Starting pitching is where success is determined. Add just one more quality starting pitcher to our ratation as it stands now and you have a playoff team.

[REDREAD]

It's going to be tough to add quality starting pitching though. We don't have the chips to trade for it, and the bidding for even mediocre FA starting pitching has gotten way out of hand.

In contrast, you can improve the talent in position players a lot more economically. I'm not saying that we should ignore starting pitching, just saying it might translate into more wins if we get a legit starting SS and possibly another bat elsewhere.. In other words, spending 7 million on position players might give us more wins than signing a Paul Byrd or Milton type guy, because that's what the going rate is now for a mediocre starting pitcher.

[keeganbrick]

I think Tori Hunter would be a good option. If we could pick up him and then find a #2 or 3 starter that would be great.

[Will M]

Look at the projected 2007 rotation:

Harang
Arroyo
Elizardo
Milton
???

I'm guessing we will be seeing Bailey sometime in 2008.
Whether at the start of the season or half way through I don't know.
This assumes he continues to progress.
I do think he will have to pitch 1/2 season at AAA before Wayne calls him up.

Clausen or Lohse will be the 5th started the rest of 2006.
We will see how they perform.
They will be auditioning for 2007.

We also need to see Elizardo over the last 2 months of 2006 to feel comfortable that he will continue to progress

I totally agree that a rotation of Harang, Zito, Arroyo, Elizardo &
Milton/Bailey would be awesome BUT

1. Zito will cost $75 million over 5 years. Any #1 or #2 starter in the free agent market is going to cost a LOT of money

2. Do you really want to run out an offense like we are seeing currently for 2007? We need to replace the weak bat of Clayton with a strong bat.

A guy like Lugo or Hunter or someone similar will cost a LOT less than Zito & could give the Reds money saved to sign a stopgap #3/4 starter while waiting for Bailey.
The 2007 Reds bullpen should be deep { Bray Coffey Majik Cormier Stanbridge Belisle } so we could get away with a weaker rotation & better offense

- Will

[redsfanfalcon]

You could put your money on us getting Hunter...he's in Minnesota, remember?

[fearofpopvol1]

I'm guessing we will be seeing Bailey sometime in 2008.

No way. If you don't see him in '06, you will see him at some point in '07. Maybe not right out of spring training, but he will be called up.

[Will M]

oops

I meant we will see him sometime in 2007

- Will

[cincrazy]

Taking a flier on Hunter would be like taking on Junior all over again. Hunter's played the last several years on that unforgiving turf in the Metrodome, and chances are in the middle or towards the end of his next contract, that turf will catch up with him in the form of injuries, just as the KingDome caught up with Griffey.

[Will M]

Assuming we don't play Castro or Clayton at SS next year then we need another bat somewhere.

And I think it needs to be 2B, SS or CF ( see my original post )

EVEN if we somehow sign Zito or another #1/#2 SP then we still need a bat. Olmedo? Denorfia? Aurillia at 2B?
None of these are appealing to me.
I like all of these players on the big league roster but not as a full time starter.

If not Lugo or Hunter then who???

- Will