Your 2011 Dream Team?

[Mario-Rijo]

What is yours? Let's try to keep it fairly realistic, we aren't gonna get Pujols to play LF.

Jason Bartlett SS
Stubbs CF
Votto 1B
Beltran LF
Bruce RF
Rolen 3B
Cozart 2B
Hanigan/Ramon (I'd rather see Mes than Ramon here but that has already been decided for us).

Hanny C
Janish MIF
Cairo IF/UT
Heisey OF (preferably an improved Heisey)
Matt Joyce OF

Greinke
Cueto
Wood
Leake
Chapman/Volquez/Bailey (a competition with whoever is left after Greinke deal)

Cordero (ok just don't see any realistic way this is gonna change in '11)
Masset
Rhodes
Burton
Bray
Ondrusek
LeCure

[corkedbat]

CF Drew Stubbs
2B Brandon Phillips
1B Joey Votto
LF Grady Sizemore
RF Jay Bruce
3B Scott Rolen
CA Ryan Hannigan
SS Zach Cozart

IF Paul Janish
IF Reid Brignac
OF Johnny Gomes
OF Matt Joyce
CA Ramon Hernandez

Bronson Arroyo
Jonny Cueto
Travis Wood
Edinson Volquez
Homer Bailey
Logan Ondruzek
Bill Bray
Jose Arredondo
Arthur Rhodes
Nick Masset
Aroldis Chapman

That's 24 - the 25th spot comes down to a 6th guy on the bench (Todd Frazier) or a 7th guy in the pen (Sam LeCure)

* Yonder Alonso, Chris Heisey, Mike Leake and Jordan Smith to the Tribe for Grady Sizemore
* Francisco Cordero (plus cash), Felix Perez and Matt Maloney to the Rays for Matt Joyce and Reid Brignac

I might skip deal two, add Cozart and another piece to the deal and see if I could swing Sizemore and Azdrubal Cabrerra from the tribe

[Mario-Rijo]

Good call on Arredondo I forgot about him. Personally I'd keep he (if healthy) and Burton and send LeCure or Ondrusek down. But I assume Burton isn't in the plans (I still don't get why he got the shaft).

[TRF]

Matt Joyce is an interesting target, but I doubt the Rays let him loose (He is a Ray right?)

Most of the position players are set, so that leaves SS and LF.

SS - JJ Hardy/Janish

LF - Dorn/Heisey All Danny Dorn does is hit. It's a perfect platoon.

SP's Arroyo, Cueto, Volquez, Chapman, Wood/Bailey/Leake

RP's CoCo, Arredondo, Massett, Bray, LeCure, Ondrusek and one of the guys that didn't get the 5th starters spot.

I'd deal Arroyo and one of Wood/Bailey/Leake for Greinke, trading from depth for a high end starter making a league change. I'd throw in half Arroyo's salary for 2011 to do it too. (Arroyo would thrive in the AL central. big park in DET and KC, plus all those caverns in the AL West and only facing a few of the AL East beasts.)

[Benihana]

Trade Leake, Alonso, Heisey, + 1-2 of Fraizer/Francisco/Joseph/Boxberger. All of them (except Box) are ML-ready. Sign Webb to a minor league deal as rotational depth.

LF Upton
2B Phillips
1B Votto
3B Rolen
RF Bruce
CF Stubbs
C Hernanigan
SS Janish/Cozart

SP Arroyo
SP Cueto
SP Volquez
SP Wood
SP Bailey/Chapman/Webb

is a World Series-caliber team. And I also wish the Reds would offer Rhodes arbitration. I only want him on a one year deal, or get a draft pick. Anything else is unsatisfactory.

[Puffy]

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippin, John Stockton and Magic Johnson.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippin, John Stockton and Magic Johnson.

I'm fairly certain Barkley ate at least three of those guys last week.

[Scrap Irony]

My team:

SS Jose Reyes
CF Drew Stubbs
1B Joey Votto
LF Manny Ramirez
RF Jay Bruce
2B Brandon Phillips
3B Scott Rolen/ Alex Gordon
C Ryan Hanigan/ Ramon Hernandez

Starters
Homer Bailey
Edison Volquez
Johnny Cueto
Bronson Arroyo
Travis Wood

Bullpen
Francisco Rodriguez (Co-C)
Aroldis Chapman (Co-C)
Jose Arrendondo (SU)
Nick Masset (SU)
Bill Bray (LOOGY)
Dontrelle Willis (LOOGY)
Logan Ondrusek (MR)

Bench
Johnny Gomes
Chris Heisey
Alex Gordon
Paul Janish
Hernandez
Moves
1. Trade Yonder Alonso, Zach Cozart, Mike Leake, and Francisco Cordero to New York for Francisco Rodriguez and Jose Reyes (plus cash).
2. Trade Matt Maloney and Sam LeCure for Alex Gordon.
3. Sign Manny Ramirez, banking on one more huge offensive season. (And get it.)

Comments:
Everyone aside from Manny can field well. There are no weak sister offensive bats on the infield and each of the possible problem areas or injury concerns have multiple answers either on the squad or in AAA.

Reyes fills the leadoff conundrum and offers a major upgrade at the position even if he only hits like last season. (Janish becomes his defensive caddy, especially late in games, with the hopes that Gregorius or Hamilton can speed through the system and be ready in a couple seasons.)

Manny is the question mark. I love his possible upside and, even if he struggles compared to past seasons, he'd still be better than the LF duo of last season. His glove, while nothing special, would play okay next to Stubbs, though his concentration lapses may lead Rolen to kill him halfway through the season. If Manny struggles, the combination of Gomes, Heisey, and Gordon can give the Reds enough pop to perhaps be just as good as last season, perhaps a bit more.

Gordon is my most-wanted player. As a former phenom, he may be overrated, but I think he simply needs a change of scenery, and I'm a sucker for that swing. He'd play when Rolen is iffy (50 games at third base-- at least), LF when Manny isn't feeling it (25 games or so), and RF and 1B when Bruce and Votto need a blow (another 30 games between them). That's about 115 games, not counting PH appearances or possible long-term injuries. In other words, it's enough ABs to make him a happy camper despite not having a set position.

FRod becomes the new closer, as the Mets and Reds deal closers. He has that huge appearances bonus, so I'd limit innings by having him be co-closer with Chapman. Sure, he may kvetch, but, if he does, he can be cut. He's a better bet than Cordero as closer and could bounce into a pretty solid season (though he'd never perform well enough to trip that monster clause and earn his salary).

[TRF]

Reyes is Furcal redux. so much potential, so much talent, so much time on the DL. he's a high risk/high reward guy. For his career's sake, he needs to move to 2B.

JMO.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippin, John Stockton and Magic Johnson.

I had that one coming I guess, uh huh yeah.

[Red Leader]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippin, John Stockton and Magic Johnson.

Dude, I don't think any of those guys made it above AAA. Your team would get smoked.

[nemesis]

1B - Votto
2B - Phillips
3B - Rolen
SS - Hardy
LF - Upton
CF - Stubbs
RF - Bruce
C - Hanigan

IF - Valaika
IF - Cairo
3B - Francisco
OF - Nix
C - Hernandez


Making the assumption Maloney, Janish, Heisey and Gomes were moved for Hardy.

Leake, Alonso, Cozart and 1 or 2 more C type prospects moved for Upton.

Nix was resigned for his Plus D at all 3 spots and above average bench bat.
Francisco was kept as a caddie to Rolen and gets one full year in reserve the way Heisey did.


Arroyo
Cueto
Volquez
Wood
Bailey

Ondrusek
Bray
Burton
Arredondo
Chapman
Masset
Cordero

Fine starting staff, solid 1-7 in the pen with guys like LeCure, Klinker, Lehr, Smith, Horst, Herrera, Fisher in AAA who are all serviceable pitchers. Keeping Cozart, Frazier, Sappelt, Valaika, Negron all in AAA as injury call ups.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

What is yours? Let's try to keep it fairly realistic, we aren't gonna get Pujols to play LF.

Jason Bartlett SS
Stubbs CF
Votto 1B
Beltran LF
Bruce RF
Rolen 3B
Cozart 2B
Hanigan/Ramon (I'd rather see Mes than Ramon here but that has already been decided for us).

Hanny C
Janish MIF
Cairo IF/UT
Heisey OF (preferably an improved Heisey)
Matt Joyce OF

Greinke
Cueto
Wood
Leake
Chapman/Volquez/Bailey (a competition with whoever is left after Greinke deal)

Cordero (ok just don't see any realistic way this is gonna change in '11)
Masset
Rhodes
Arredondo
Bray
Ondrusek
LeCure

I guess I should have added "the how".

Reds get: Bartlett & Joyce
Rays get: Alonso, Francisco & Burton

Reds get: Greinke
Royals get: Volquez/Bailey, Boxberger & Sappelt

Reds get: Beltran & 2.5 Million
Mets get: Phillips, Maloney & Gomes

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by Mario-Rijo

I guess I should have added "the how".

Reds get: Bartlett & Joyce
Rays get: Alonso, Francisco & Burton

Reds get: Greinke
Royals get: Volquez/Bailey, Boxberger & Sappelt

Reds get: Beltran & 2.5 Million
Mets get: Phillips, Maloney & Gomes

I would think it would take substantially more than that to get Greinke. I also wouldn't trade Phillips for Beltran. If we're not sending Coco the other way, I'd rather just sign Magglio or Vlad.

[Mario-Rijo]

Originally Posted by Benihana

I would think it would take substantially more than that to get Greinke. I also wouldn't trade Phillips for Beltran. If we're not sending Coco the other way, I'd rather just sign Magglio or Vlad.

Your probably right on Greinke after coming back and looking at it I think a bat with some power would have to go along with it. Send them Francisco and a lesser guy to TB perhaps Felix Perez would do it.

I think it's time to shed some dollars ourselves beyond 2011 and IMO Phillips is likely at the highest value he will ever be, I.E. the easiest high dollars to shed. I also thought I saw a subtle drop in his range.