Outside the Box Idea - Utley?

[Benihana]

Reds need offense, and an upgrade over Zack Cozart would be the place to start.

Brandon Phillips is in offensive decline, but his defense seems to be holding up sell.

The Phillies may shop Chase Utley, per published reports, who despite being 35 is OPSing .880 and is under contract for next year at a manageable $10M.

What if the Reds trade a couple of prospects (say, Ben Lively, Yorman Rodriguez, and Seth Mejias-Brean) for Utley, and finally relented on the much-discussed-but-never-executed idea of moving Phillips to SS- at least for the next year-and-a-half?

CF Hamilton
1B Votto
2B Utley
3B Frazier
RF Bruce
C Mesoraco
SS Phillips
LF Heisey/Ludwick/Lutz

is nothing to sneeze at.

Phils would begin their youth movement. Lively would be selling high, Yorman would be selling low, and SMB is now replaceable with Frazier's breakout and the drafting of Sparks/Franklin/Rahier as the last three second round picks. Or if they wanted more immediate help, maybe just trading Leake + SMB or Yorman? Also makes it salary neutral.

[Old school 1983]

Utley has crossed my mind, but I don't think you move BP off of second. Wonder if Utley coukd play left.

[Ironman92]

Nah

[Ironman92]

Utley has crossed my mind, but I don't think you move BP off of second. Wonder if Utley coukd play left.

Last week Adam Dunn played 2 games in LF

[Don Votto]

Reds need offense, and an upgrade over Zack Cozart would be the place to start.

Brandon Phillips is in offensive decline, but his defense seems to be holding up sell.

The Phillies may shop Chase Utley, per published reports, who despite being 35 is OPSing .880 and is under contract for next year at a manageable $10M.

What if the Reds trade a couple of prospects (say, Ben Lively, Yorman Rodriguez, and Seth Mejias-Brean) for Utley, and finally relented on the much-discussed-but-never-executed idea of moving Phillips to SS- at least for the next year-and-a-half?

CF Hamilton
1B Votto
2B Utley
3B Frazier
RF Bruce
C Mesoraco
SS Phillips
LF Heisey/Ludwick/Lutz

is nothing to sneeze at.

Phils would begin their youth movement. Lively would be selling high, Yorman would be selling low, and SMB is now replaceable with Frazier's breakout and the drafting of Sparks/Franklin/Rahier as the last three second round picks. Or if they wanted more immediate help, maybe just trading Leake + SMB or Yorman? Also makes it salary neutral.

Never would happen. You cannot just move a guy in the middle of the season to play a new position full time. If this experiment would happen it would be in the off-season.

But, to tell you the truth, I would seriously scratch my head on this if the Reds would do it. You would have now a 33 year old SS, a 36 year old second baseman and your minor league middle infield prospects suck. What would be the point?

[joshua]

I'd rather not send off more prospects for aging rentals to try to save a what is a pointless season. Farm is in bad enough shape as it is.

[NebraskaRed]

Last week Adam Dunn played 2 games in LF

Maybe the Reds could trade Micah Owings for Dunn straight up?

[Tom Servo]

and finally relented on the much-discussed-but-never-executed idea of moving Phillips to SS

That shipped sailed many, many, many moons ago.

[Always Red]

Have you seen BP run lately?

The man once could have been a fine SS, but no longer.

[Big Klu]

Last week Adam Dunn played 2 games in LF

I think it would be more accurate to say that Adam Dunn stood in LF for two games.

[PuffyPig]

It would unusual to move someone of Phillips age to SS all of a sudden when there's been many, many opportunities to do so in the past.

IMO, there is zero chance they would consider it.

[Roy Tucker]

Have you seen BP run lately?

The man once could have been a fine SS, but no longer.

Yep. He'd need to go on a major conditioning and flexibility program and that ain't a mid-season thing. And even then, I don't think it would work. If Cozart is one thing, it's a very good SS.

[Always Red]

Yep. He'd need to go on a major conditioning and flexibility program and that ain't a mid-season thing. And even then, I don't think it would work. If Cozart is one thing, it's a very good SS.

I do think, at this point, Brandon would make a helluva third baseman. Not that this team has need of one.

[HokieRed]

I do think, at this point, Brandon would make a helluva third baseman. Not that this team has need of one.

This would allow Frazier to go to LF. I like the idea of Utley but not the price Beni is proposing.

[jojo]

Kind of a nonstarter of an idea.

[Raisor]

I think moving BP to SS is a great idea. It would allow the Reds to restructure Willy Moe's contract and bring Jeff Shaw back to strengthen the bullpen.

[RedTeamGo!]

I'd rather not send off more prospects for aging rentals to try to save a what is a pointless season. Farm is in bad enough shape as it is.

I agree about sending off prospects for an aging rental being a bad idea this year, but the farm is really not in bad shape.