Reds Have Preliminary Discussions About Blanton

[RedLegSuperStar]

MLBTradeRumors.com -

We've heard the rumblings for some time. Now there's word from the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay that the Reds have "had some preliminary discussions with Oakland about right-hander Joe Blanton." The Reds also made some kind of offer for Erik Bedard, but Fay admits that neither trade is likely to occur. That's because the Reds won't trade Jay Bruce and only want to part with one of Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, and Joey Votto (though all three are very good prospects). Note that Billy Beane reportedly wanted Cueto in a Dan Haren deal.

Instead, the Reds are entertaining all sorts of second tier free agents. Wayne Krivsky runs a tight ship, so it's tough to narrow down who the Reds have actually talked to. Fay implies that Livan Hernandez or Jon Lieber could be possibilities. We do know from previous reports that the Reds have shown interest in Lieber, Runelvys Hernandez, Brett Tomko, Josh Fogg, and David Wells.

Fay -

The first advice the Reds would like newly hired special adviser Walt Jocketty to give them is this:

Where can we find our Chris Carpenter?

Jocketty signed Carpenter in 2002 after he went 4-5 with a 5.28 ERA for Toronto. Carpenter was also hurt.

He sat out all of the 2003 season but came back better than ever. He went 51-18 from 2004-06.

The Cardinals won two National League pennants and a World Series title in that span, thanks largely to Carpenter.

Carpenter was a once-in-a-lifetime find, but Job One for Jocketty is to help the Reds plug a veteran into the pitching rotation.

There are two means of getting a starter: trade or free agency.

The Reds made a bid for Baltimore left-hander Erik Bedard.

And they've had some preliminary discussions with Oakland about right-hander Joe Blanton.

Neither is likely to end up a Red, unless the Orioles or A's back off their demands. The Reds won't trade top prospect Jay Bruce, and they aren't keen on giving up more than one of their other top prospects: Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto and Joey Votto.

That leaves free agency.

Without talking specifics, general manager Wayne Krivsky says the Reds are active on that front.

"We're having lots of discussions," he said.

The top pitcher left might be former Reds right-hander Kyle Lohse. But he's coming off a 9-12, 4.62-ERA season. He's wildly inconsistent, and he's likely to get a lot of money.

Right-hander Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93) is also available. He pitched a lot of innings (2041/3 last year), but he gives up a lot of hits (247) and home runs (34). That's not the formula for success in Great American Ball Park.

The best way to go might be to take a risk on someone coming off an injury.

Right-hander Jon Lieber, 37, was limited by a foot injury to 12 starts last season. But he's a guy who went 17-13 with a 4.20 ERA in 2005.

It's hard to say if he'll return to that form again, but if he does, he'll make the Reds' rotation much better.

You can be sure Krivsky will be getting Jocketty's scouting report on Lieber and Co. over the next couple of days.

That's one of Jocketty's strengths.

"He's a tremendous talent evaluator," said Jeff Brantley, who played for Jocketty in St. Louis. "He sees the positives and the negatives. He's not afraid to take a chance."

If Bedard and Blanton are out, the Reds are in a position where they have to take a chance: a chance on a free agent, or a chance that two of their four young pitchers are ready.

Given Jocketty's history, the Reds are more likely to go the free-agent route.

[redsmetz]

Is any of this anything new?

[Heath]

Originally Posted by redsmetz

Is any of this anything new?

Let's see -

mlbtradrumors.com muck on the wall.....check

John Fay's "indepth" reporting......check.


Nope. Nothing new here.

[REDREAD]

Well, one new thing is the writers claim that the Reds are only willing to give up one of Homer, Cueto, or Votto.

I can see why the Haren and Bedard talks got nowhere fast. In all honesty, past the "big four", the Reds don't exactly have a lot of guys that get you excited.

I mean, in all honesty, if the Reds were rebuilding, would you guys accept one of Homer/Ceuto/Votto for Harang? Of course not.

I'm glad Jocketty is having input into the pitching problem, although I'm not happy that this report confirms that the Reds are going to resort to bottom feeding because Wayne isn't willing to pay fair value for Bedard.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

I'm glad Jocketty is having input into the pitching problem, although I'm not happy that this report confirms that the Reds are going to resort to bottom feeding because Wayne isn't willing to pay fair value for Bedard.

What is fair value, and who determines that? I wouldn't trade Jay Bruce and Bailey or Cueto for Bedard. But that's just me.

[chicoruiz]

Well, one new thing is the writers claim that the Reds are only willing to give up one of Homer, Cueto, or Votto.

I can see why the Haren and Bedard talks got nowhere fast. In all honesty, past the "big four", the Reds don't exactly have a lot of guys that get you excited.

I mean, in all honesty, if the Reds were rebuilding, would you guys accept one of Homer/Ceuto/Votto for Harang? Of course not.

I'm glad Jocketty is having input into the pitching problem, although I'm not happy that this report confirms that the Reds are going to resort to bottom feeding because Wayne isn't willing to pay fair value for Bedard

If your scouts tell you that Bailey or Cueto are the real thing, why wouldn't you make the trade, especially given;

1. You're going to control them for more years at a cheaper price than Bedard, and

2. You're going to pick up some tasty stuff in the package such as Encarnacion, Roenicke, Freel and/or Stubbs.

[traderumor]

I know this is Fay, but hope that there is more on Jocketty's agenda than "finding the next Cris Carpenter," since that is an example of an exceptional case. If that is what the Reds were really looking for, I would hope they were aggressive in their pursuit of Mark Prior and were rejected for reasons other than not putting an impressive package out there for him to consider.

[nate]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

Well, one new thing is the writers claim that the Reds are only willing to give up one of Homer, Cueto, or Votto.

I can see why the Haren and Bedard talks got nowhere fast. In all honesty, past the "big four", the Reds don't exactly have a lot of guys that get you excited.

Neither do any of the other teams in baseball. Most of them are lucky to have a "big one".

Ahem.

I'm glad Jocketty is having input into the pitching problem, although I'm not happy that this report confirms that the Reds are going to resort to bottom feeding because Wayne isn't willing to pay fair value for Bedard.

I didn't get that from the report. It says the Reds are trying to get Bedard or Blanton in addition to many other not as good options. Oddly, according to the article, its Jocketty who's more likely to be a "bottom feeder":

Given Jocketty's history, the Reds are more likely to go the free-agent route.

I'm glad Wayne isn't going to mortgage the future for 2 years of Bedard.

[RedLegSuperStar]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

I can see why the Haren and Bedard talks got nowhere fast. In all honesty, past the "big four", the Reds don't exactly have a lot of guys that get you excited.

I think Maloney and Pelland could make this team this season. Fransisco, Herrera(part of the Hamilton trade), Frazier, Dorn, Viola, Lecure, Roenicke, and Wood all have my toes tingling. But I see what your saying. The names I mentioned excite us.. perhaps not other teams. We have probably have the best four-some of prospects compared to any organization.

[RedLegSuperStar]

Is Dusty pulling his weight?

I maybe the only one who remembers D-Bake saying he had players calling him wanting to play for him and that he could bring in players. I know he had a lot of communication with Cordero but is that where he stops? Players still currently free agents who played for Dusty:

Catchers
Johnny Estrada (32)
Damian Miller (38)

First basemen
Sean Casey (34) - Type B
Tony Clark (36)
Ryan Klesko (37)
Doug Mientkiewicz (34)

Second basemen
Jose Valentin (38)

Shortstops
Sorry, there's pretty much nothing here.

Third basemen
Morgan Ensberg (32)
Pedro Feliz (33) - Type B
Corey Koskie (35)
Dallas McPherson (27)

Left fielders
Barry Bonds (43) - Type A
Luis Gonzalez (40) - Type B
Kevin Mench (30)
Reggie Sanders (40)
Shannon Stewart (34) - Type B
Brad Wilkerson (31)

Center fielders
Kenny Lofton (41) - Type B
Corey Patterson (28)

Right fielders
Shawn Green (35) - Type B
Kevin Mench (30)
Trot Nixon (34)
Reggie Sanders (40)

DHs
Barry Bonds (43) - Type A
Mike Piazza (39) - Type B
Sammy Sosa (39)
Mike Sweeney (34)

Starting pitchers
Tony Armas Jr. (30)
Kris Benson (32)
Shawn Chacon (30)
Roger Clemens (45)
Bartolo Colon (35)
Josh Fogg (31)
Casey Fossum (30)
Freddy Garcia (32) - Type B
Mark Hendrickson (34)
Livan Hernandez (33) - Type B
Jason Jennings (29)
Byung-Hyun Kim (29)
Brian Lawrence (32)
Jon Lieber (38)
Kyle Lohse (29)
Rodrigo Lopez (32)
Mike Maroth (30)
Eric Milton (32)
Tomo Ohka (32)
Russ Ortiz (34)
Odalis Perez (31)
John Thomson (34)
Brett Tomko (35)
Steve Trachsel (37)
Jeff Weaver (31)
David Wells (45)
Jaret Wright (32)

Closers
Armando Benitez (35)
Octavio Dotel (32)
Keith Foulke (35)
Bob Wickman (39)

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (29)
Antonio Alfonseca (36)
Shawn Chacon (30)
Mark Hendrickson (34)
Jorge Julio (29) - Type B
Jose Mesa (42)
Trever Miller (35) - Type B
Akinori Otsuka (36)
Rudy Seanez (39)
Aaron Sele (38)
Ron Villone (38)

By all means correct me if any are wrong or if I missed one..

[redsmetz]

Regarding players talking to Dusty, I don't think it necessarily means these would be players who have played for him. It could be (presumably Free Agents) players who would like to play for him.

Likewise, we need to remember on some of these trades that sometimes the secondary players that ultimately make a trade a good one. IIRC, Aaron Harang was not the centerpiece when we got him from the A's; it was Joe Valentine. Likewise, I don't think EE was the big piece either, although I think we knew were getting a decent prospect.

I'm still in the camp of not wanting to give up a big number of our top prospects for the here and now. I understand sometimes you need to pull the string on these, but I'd want to know it has a longer term upside for us than just two years.

[MikeS21]

As I said in another thread, I'm not too keen on trading for Bedard, or Blanton, or Haren, or virtually anyone else not named Johan Sanatana if it means losing Johnny Cueto before we see what he can do. If the kid has a mid-90's fastball, a better-than-average slider, and a Mario Soto-like change, Cueto may wind up better than any of those guys.

Bruce is untouchable, as far as I am concerned. And I'd rather keep Votto, unless we are willing to settle for no-power first base men like Sean Casey and Scott Hatteburg for the next five or six years.

Of the "big four," Bailey is the only one I would consider trading.

[Topcat]

If winning the "Division" is more important than long term success then "sure" deal all of the kids. If "reality" is a much better world then consider cost management and long term future more important then stay the course. Seriously I do not have a problem with the Reds dealing prospects or in the case of Hamilton an area of strength we had. But just this one time i pray to Johnny Bench that the Reds stand pat in regard to Cueto and Bailey and Bruce.

Did anyone pick up on that ? Johnny Bench aka god lol.

[traderumor]

Shawn Chacon may be a cheap gamble for a righty bullpen arm/spot starter.

[westofyou]

I can see why the Haren and Bedard talks got nowhere fast. In all honesty, past the "big four", the Reds don't exactly have a lot of guys that get you excited.

This is not as much the Reds issue as it is the O's either.

They reportedly squelched the Roberts deal by asking for the sky.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/0...roberts-d.html

Brian Roberts Deal Dead?

A trusted emailer wrote in to tell me about a report today from Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio 1000. According to Levine, Brian Roberts is no longer available. The Orioles were apparently asking for Tyler Colvin or Felix Pie plus multiple pitchers, and the Cubs wouldn't do it.

Levine says the Cubs may turn their attention to the Rangers' Marlon Byrd or free agent Jon Lieber.

I think part of being a good trader is not giving up too much when you know you don't have too.