Meaningful Rambling By RedLegSuperStar

[RedLegSuperStar]

If you spend money.. They will come. If you go out and get a Greinke or a Cliff Lee you will sell tickets. If you trade Joey Votto.. Or hint at it you won't sell any. This organization proved it wanted to lock up it's ace but why not it's MVP? Say the payroll is $80 million.. That doesn't buy a lot. Say the payroll is $100 million. That buys your needs and sells season ticket packages. In return pays for it's investment. This is a baseball town and if RedsFest was any inclination to what the 2011 season is going to be like then the organization has got to know we are excited.

I keep hearing the following:

We need a leadoff hitter.

We don't have any money to spare.

We want to bring Miguel Cairo and Arthur Rhodes back.

Time is money and it's time to give back what us fans put in. Ticket sales were up last year and we would like to see that put back into the product if you want to keep seeing that type of revenue.

[nemesis]

Had a similar thought the other night. This team could have and afford a $100 Million Dollar payroll. If $75 Mill is the budget for losing teams you'd have to think a 33% increase isn't all that much for a team that is winning and getting to the playoffs.

[UKFlounder]

If you're expecting this team to go on a spending orgy and increase its payroll by 33% overnight, you're going to be disappointed.

Just accept that now.

Regarding next year, it's likely that the payroll will increase, but just because they haven't gone "Jayson Werth" over anybody by the first week of December does not mean they are not going to do anything.

I'd love to come on Redszone and see "Reds acquire (fill in the blank) and the discussion that would ensue, but sometimes patience can be a virtue.

The serious offseason player movement has just started. Let's see what happens before we all rant over possible lack of spending.

Castellini & Jockety have shown they will spend money - perhaps not $100 million right now, but more than previous owners have, and they year showed they may know what they're doing.

[RedLegSuperStar]

I just want them to not talk so cheap. I want them to lock Bruce and Votto up. I want to see some of these blocked prospects dealt for needs.

[kaldaniels]

It is easy to say, lock them up. I know, because I want it to happen.

But it becomes extremely difficult when you try to crunch the numbers.

And this Werth fiasco didn't help matters.

[IslandRed]

Good thoughts, but I'll point out that market size is more important than record in terms of how much $$$ a team has. If we win the division the next three years while the Cubs finish last every year, they're still bringing in a lot more money than we are. And baseball history is littered with the carcasses of owners who spent money the team hadn't yet made, figuring it would be made good by the winning that was sure to follow.

Now, we ought to see some bump from the 2010 run. We just don't know how much. Either way, there's no competitive advantage to publicly announcing exactly how high the payroll can go.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

It is easy to say, lock them up. I know, because I want it to happen.

But it becomes extremely difficult when you try to crunch the numbers.

And this Werth fiasco didn't help matters.

Especially since fans aren't the one that has to sit across the table from the agent telling them why their client should receive $125 million.

[Homer Bailey]

Originally Posted by IslandRed

Good thoughts, but I'll point out that market size is more important than record in terms of how much $$$ a team has. If we win the division the next three years while the Cubs finish last every year, they're still bringing in a lot more money than we are. And baseball history is littered with the carcasses of owners who spent money the team hadn't yet made, figuring it would be made good by the winning that was sure to follow.

Now, we ought to see some bump from the 2010 run. We just don't know how much. Either way, there's no competitive advantage to publicly announcing exactly how high the payroll can go.

Well said.

[nemesis]

Originally Posted by UKFlounder

If you're expecting this team to go on a spending orgy and increase its payroll by 33% overnight, you're going to be disappointed.

Just accept that now.

Regarding next year, it's likely that the payroll will increase, but just because they haven't gone "Jayson Werth" over anybody by the first week of December does not mean they are not going to do anything.

I'd love to come on Redszone and see "Reds acquire (fill in the blank) and the discussion that would ensue, but sometimes patience can be a virtue.

The serious offseason player movement has just started. Let's see what happens before we all rant over possible lack of spending.

Castellini & Jockety have shown they will spend money - perhaps not $100 million right now, but more than previous owners have, and they year showed they may know what they're doing.

I never said overnight. I could see a Jump to 80 this year, 88 next and close to 95 the year after that if things continue down the same winning path. So affording a guy like Votto might be a possibility. If the Cards can afford Carpenter, Wainwright, Loshe, Albert, Holiday and Berkman to very sizable contracts, you would think the Reds in a Similar market could do the same provided that they keep winning.

[edabbs44]

Patience.

[kpresidente]

What if you have a bad year? Get hit by the injury bug? Or maybe we're just not as good as everybody thought and we only win 80-85 games and miss the playoffs. Ticket sales go down and now you've got to cut back the $20 million you added. So the payroll the next season is only $60 mil and you have to have a fire sale.

Just sayin'.

[westofyou]

Time is money and it's time to give back what us fans put in.

The problem is the ledger on the fan side in Cincinnati is a credit risk.

[edabbs44]

Is Walt asleep at the wheel again?

I'm fairly certain that, if things can be done, they will get done.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by westofyou

The problem is the ledger on the fan side in Cincinnati is a credit risk.

Well put. If the Reds open the season losing 2 of 3, attendance might take 10 years to recover.

[paulrichjr]

Originally Posted by RedLegSuperStar

I keep hearing the following:

We need a leadoff hitter.

We don't have any money to spare.

We want to bring Miguel Cairo and Arthur Rhodes back.

Time is money and it's time to give back what us fans put in. Ticket sales were up last year and we would like to see that put back into the product if you want to keep seeing that type of revenue.

Seeing what this team has done post-Bowden I'm not sure you can talk about them not having money to spare. Last year this team went out and got creative and signed Chapman way after everyone else had spent their money. They spend smart. I would much rather spend $30 million on a Chapman than $126 million on a Werth. I say Walt is sneaky and I like it. Let everyone else take foolish chances on $100s of millions of dollars. In Walt We Trust!