Reds Sign Fred Lewis - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

RedsManRick · 01-10-2011, 05:52 PM

1 year, $900k. Great signing, IMO.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/0...medium=twitter

Quote:

Reds Sign Fred Lewis
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 10, 2011 at 4:43pm CST]
The Reds announced that they signed Fred Lewis to a one-year deal (Twitter link). It's a $900K major league deal, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon (on Twitter). The team also officially announced its one-year deal with Edgar Renteria.

Until last week, Jay Bruce was the lone left-handed hitter in the Reds' outfield. Drew Stubbs, Jonny Gomes and Chris Heisey all bat from the right side, so the team signed Jeremy Hermida and Lewis, two left-handed hitters.

Lewis, 30, hit .262/.332/.414 in 480 plate appearances for the Blue Jays after they acquired him from the Giants early in the season. Though he mostly played left field, Lewis did play some center and right in 2010. He contributed 31 doubles and 17 steals, mostly as Toronto's leadoff hitter, before the Blue Jays cut ties with him at last month's non-tender deadline.

The signing presumably eliminates the possibility that the Reds sign Scott Podsednik.

I wonder, does Hermida sign if Lewis had signed first?

kaldaniels · 01-10-2011, 05:52 PM

It is now complete.

kaldaniels · 01-10-2011, 05:53 PM

Rick beat me. Shut it down mods. I sat on it for 3 minutes knowing this would happen.

Brutus · 01-10-2011, 05:54 PM

Sweet fancy Moses. I like it!

Not a game-changer, but an upgrade and on the cheap at that. He's a guy that gets on base better than average and won't hurt the Reds defensively. Decent leadoff option. I like this. Not a ton of upside, but definitely not much downside either.

Redsfan320 · 01-10-2011, 05:57 PM

For 900K, that's awesome!

320

RedsManRick · 01-10-2011, 05:59 PM

I'm guessing he's the primary starter vR and will leadoff when he plays. Then Stubbs/Phillips can leadoff vL.

Fangraphs has him at league average in LF defensively for his career. Fan Scounting Report is less generous, giving him decent range but a crap arm.

kaldaniels · 01-10-2011, 05:59 PM

Maybe Lewis and Gomes will make a nice 2 Headed Monster in LF for a cool 3 Million.

Cedric · 01-10-2011, 06:00 PM

Like this move a lot. Gives the Reds balance in their lineup and probably takes away a ton of at bats from Gomes.. Can't argue at all with this.

Redsfan320 · 01-10-2011, 06:00 PM

Hats off to Walt. This makes us front-runners in the division again. Our bench has improved a lot with RR/SoftJ and Gomes on it.

320

Homer Bailey · 01-10-2011, 06:02 PM

Less Gomes vs. RHP, and very cheap. I'm guessing it's going to be him and Renteria hitting 1-2 in front of Votto.

Do we have any idea why his walk rate dipped last year? I'd love to see him post his OBP #'s from his SF era:

2007: .374
2008: .351
2009: .348

Bill James projecting him at a .353 OBP and a .338 wOBA. I can get behind this, assuming his defense is league average or better, and the decline in his numbers isn't indicative of an actual decline.

redsfandan · 01-10-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

It is now complete.

Yep. We can probably pass judgement on the offseason now cuz I doubt there's anymore moves on the horizon.

Homer Bailey · 01-10-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redsfan320

Hats off to Walt. This makes us front-runners in the division again. Our bench has improved a lot with RR/SoftJ and Gomes on it.

320

No team signs Fred Lewis and BECOMES the front runner in their division.

RedsManRick · 01-10-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Less Gomes vs. RHP, and very cheap. I'm guessing it's going to be him and Renteria hitting 1-2 in front of Votto.

Do we have any idea why his walk rate dipped last year? I'd love to see him post his OBP #'s from his SF era:

2007: .374
2008: .351
2009: .348

Bill James projecting him at a .353 OBP and a .338 wOBA. I can get behind this, assuming his defense is league average or better, and the decline in his numbers isn't indicative of an actual decline.

I don't know if this is the reason, but Toronto coaching staff has advocating a swing hard philosophy. They may have encouraged a more aggressive approach. Though we're only talking about something like 8-10 walks. Could be a bit of random variation.

Mario-Rijo · 01-10-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Less Gomes vs. RHP, and very cheap. I'm guessing it's going to be him and Renteria hitting 1-2 in front of Votto.

Do we have any idea why his walk rate dipped last year? I'd love to see him post his OBP #'s from his SF era:

2007: .374
2008: .351
2009: .348

Bill James projecting him at a .353 OBP and a .338 wOBA. I can get behind this, assuming his defense is league average or better, and the decline in his numbers isn't indicative of an actual decline.

I'd say this is probably the case unless they are true to their word and Renteria is a backup in which case I suspect it'll be Lewis and BP at the top. But yes fantastic move and got him a whole lot cheaper than I thought.

HeatherC1212 · 01-10-2011, 06:06 PM

Nice pickup for the Reds! I'm on board for sure.

01-10-2011, 05:52 PM	#2
kaldaniels Viva la Rolen Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,329	Reds sign Fred Lewis It is now complete.

01-10-2011, 05:53 PM	#3
kaldaniels Viva la Rolen Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,329	Re: Reds sign Fred Lewis Rick beat me. Shut it down mods. I sat on it for 3 minutes knowing this would happen.

01-10-2011, 05:54 PM	#4
Brutus Et tu, Brutus? Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 8,928	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Sweet fancy Moses. I like it! Not a game-changer, but an upgrade and on the cheap at that. He's a guy that gets on base better than average and won't hurt the Reds defensively. Decent leadoff option. I like this. Not a ton of upside, but definitely not much downside either. __________________ "No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda Last edited by Brutus; 01-10-2011 at 05:58 PM.

01-10-2011, 05:57 PM	#5
Redsfan320 2 in 3 years! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oxford, OH Posts: 2,277	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis For 900K, that's awesome! 320 __________________ I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou

01-10-2011, 05:59 PM	#6
RedsManRick Stat Wanker Hodiernus Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 14,915	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis I'm guessing he's the primary starter vR and will leadoff when he plays. Then Stubbs/Phillips can leadoff vL. Fangraphs has him at league average in LF defensively for his career. Fan Scounting Report is less generous, giving him decent range but a crap arm. __________________ Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance. Last edited by RedsManRick; 01-10-2011 at 06:03 PM.

01-10-2011, 05:59 PM	#7
kaldaniels Viva la Rolen Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,329	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Maybe Lewis and Gomes will make a nice 2 Headed Monster in LF for a cool 3 Million.

01-10-2011, 06:00 PM	#8
Cedric Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Monroe Posts: 6,218	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Like this move a lot. Gives the Reds balance in their lineup and probably takes away a ton of at bats from Gomes.. Can't argue at all with this. __________________ This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.

01-10-2011, 06:00 PM	#9
Redsfan320 2 in 3 years! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oxford, OH Posts: 2,277	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Hats off to Walt. This makes us front-runners in the division again. Our bench has improved a lot with RR/SoftJ and Gomes on it. 320 __________________ I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou

01-10-2011, 06:02 PM	#10
Homer Bailey I'm back... and forth Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 4,605	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Less Gomes vs. RHP, and very cheap. I'm guessing it's going to be him and Renteria hitting 1-2 in front of Votto. Do we have any idea why his walk rate dipped last year? I'd love to see him post his OBP #'s from his SF era: 2007: .374 2008: .351 2009: .348 Bill James projecting him at a .353 OBP and a .338 wOBA. I can get behind this, assuming his defense is league average or better, and the decline in his numbers isn't indicative of an actual decline.

01-10-2011, 06:06 PM	#15
HeatherC1212 Joey Votto Fangirl Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 2,514	Re: Reds Sign Fred Lewis Nice pickup for the Reds! I'm on board for sure. __________________ "I tried to play golf, but I found out I wasn't very good." -Joey Votto on his offseason hobby search An MLB.com reporter asked what one thing Votto couldn’t do. “I can’t skate or play hockey,” Votto said. “Well, I can skate ... but I can’t stop.”

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