ESPN the magazine article on Reds....

[_Sir_Charles_]

link--> http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3385066

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

How do you restore a once-proud franchise? Glad you asked.
By Steve Phillips

The Reds haven't made the playoffs in 13 years, and a slow start this season cost GM Wayne Krivsky his job. So how can new boss Walt Jocketty build a new Big Red Machine?

Baseball Tonight analyst and former Mets GM Steve Phillips has a few ideas.

1. TRADE JUNIOR Yes, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the few reasons to visit Great American Ball Park, but it's time to make the tough decisions. Griffey is signed only through this year, with a club option for 2009. As a 10-and-five player, he can veto any deal, but Chicago is a popular destination, so call White Sox GM Ken Williams, who's tried to get Griffey in the past, and ask for Josh Fields or Carlos Quentin. The Sox have a shot, and Griffey would be huge in Chi-Town. Then call up top prospect Jay Bruce, and put him in center for the next 10 years.

2. DUNN DEAL Use Adam Dunn's power as a chip to get pitchers. The Reds have a limited budget and an even smaller ballpark, so they must deal for arms and develop them. Dunn is in the last year of his deal, so maximize the return by giving an interested team a 72-hour window to negotiate an extension. Go to the Giants, who need offense to replace Barry Bonds, and ask for Matt Cain. Go to Toronto and request a package that includes Adam Lind and Dustin McGowan or Shawn Marcum. Call Cleveland, which is desperate for bats, and ask for Cliff Lee and one of these three: OF Franklin Gutiérrez and lefties Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey.

3. BYE, BYE BRONSON In 2006, Bronson Arroyo was a great acquisition by Krivsky, but at age 31, and after throwing 656µ innings the previous three years, he's not the same pitcher. Get what you can, and get out from under his contract, because financial flexibility is critical for a small-market franchise. There are plenty of teams dying for starting pitching: Texas, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and Baltimore come to mind. After trading Arroyo, bring up Homer Bailey, and give him the ball every fifth day. Scouts think he can be special; let's see if they're right.

4. CALL HANK Have owner Bob Castellini ring Hank Steinbrenner and tell him you've got a way to move Joba Chamberlain into the Yankees' rotation. Offer Jared Burton, who's whiffing hitters in bunches, and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes. Sell Burton as Chamberlain's eighth-inning replacement and Affeldt as the situational lefty the Yanks lack. Throw in Arroyo if they want. Make it an owners deal. Castellini and Hank will love it; GM Brian Cashman will hate it. The bottom line is that Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Vólquez and Hughes would give Cincy four very different looks.

5. SHORT CUT The Reds have a tough decision when Álex González returns from his left-knee injury in a few weeks, because Jeff Keppinger has proved he can play shortstop every day. What to do? Trade utility man Ryan Freel to the Dodgers for Scott Proctor. LA can use a supersub, and Proctor can pitch the eighth inning if Burton is traded. Then Keppinger stays put and González becomes a defensive specialist—one with a lot of value if another club loses its starting shortstop.

[NorrisHopper30]

I doubt we could get Hughes for that.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Yeah, I think most of those trade ideas are pretty far-fetched too. But then what do you expect from Phillips. That guy's a head-case. But I figured you guys would at least enjoy the read.

[Degenerate39]

Can I get back the 45 seconds I spent reading that? There's no way you can trade Burton, Affeldt, and even Bronson for Phil Hughes. This was an awful article.

[757690]

There is a reason Phillips is in an ESPN chair and not in a GM's chair.

The good news is that somebody actually overvalues Reds players more than Reds fans. Don't think the other teams would make any of those deals. Also, I'm not impressed with Phillip Hughes. His pitches are very straight, and he seems to buckle under pressure.

[Orodle]

is he for real? hes gotta be kidding on the Joba idea.

Often while watching baseball tonight I wonder how someone like him walked into a GM position.

[Rounding Third]

Sounds like an article from somebody on Redszone.com

[I(heart)Freel]

I'll say this though... it's nice to see Junior and Dunn valued that much by someone outside the city. So often on RZ, we hear that we're all overestimating their worth on the trade market. We might be. But it's good to see someone in Connecticut do the same thing.

[mroby85]

Question... How did steve phillips do with the Mets $200,000,000 payroll?

thats all i have to say about that.

[BLEEDS]

I stopped after "call Jay Bruce up and put him in CF for the next 10 years"... anyone who knows anything about baseball knows Bruce is destined for a corner spot, and 99.9% it is RF to replace Junior.

PEACE

-BLEEDS

[BuckU]

Affeldt and Burton, two guys the Yankees and all the other teams could have picked up the last two off seasons for nothing for Hughes?

I'll take it, but the Yanks won't.

[Rounding Third]

Originally Posted by BLEEDS

I stopped after "call Jay Bruce up and put him in CF for the next 10 years"... anyone who knows anything about baseball knows Bruce is destined for a corner spot, and 99.9% it is RF to replace Junior.

PEACE

-BLEEDS

We all should have stopped reading when we saw it was from ESPN.

[krm1580]

Wow I never realized that teams just accept any piece of crap offer you throw at them. I am no Steve Phillips but let me see if I can be a GM.

1.) Norris Hopper to the Cardinals for Albert Pujols
2.) Arroyo to San Diego for Jake Peavy
3.) Griffey and $500 check to the Marlins Stadium fund for Hanely Ramirez
4.) Alex Gonzales and Ryan Freel to the Dodgers for Broxton and Martin
5.) Adam Dunn to San Franciso for Matt Cain AND Lincecum

While we are at it how about a fungo bat and a Johnny Bench autographed catcher's mitt for Chase Utley.

There you have it!! World Series

[durl]

Originally Posted by Rounding Third

We all should have stopped reading when we saw it was from ESPN.

Bingo.

[Hey Meat]

This just confirms the fact that I always knew. There is a reason Steve Phillips is an analyst, not a GM. He is an idiot. Horrible ideas, none of which will ever come to fruition.