Reds Farm System Depth?

[Billy Budd]

Ok.

How can the Blue Jays trade make a trade for a ballplayer like Donaldson, giving up, Lawrie, two young AAA starters and a young Lower A SS prospect, and the Reds not be able to match that type of deal with their AWESOME farm system?

I keep reading how the Reds Minor Leaguers are just miles ahead and that the Reds have a ton of live starting pitching arms, how could a trade like this not been pulled off?

Especially, when you consider that Donaldson would be a free agent at the earliest in 2019?

I will answer that question for you. The Reds Farm System is not as deep as you all hope and pray it is.

[Old school 1983]

Or the Reds have a third baseman and their best hitting prospect will fill LF this or next year. I like Donaldson, but he wasn't a fit to the Reds at the price.

[Old school 1983]

To get Donaldson, and equate what the jays gave, they'd start with Frazier and add a few top pitching prospects to get him. Not a depth issue. More of an intelligence of trade issue. I'm not trading pitching prospects with 4 starters set to become FA at years end. Frazier may put up similar numbers to Donaldson, plus prospects you'll need as soon as this year if not next doesn't make much sense.

[RedlegJake]

Old School pretty much answered this. The Reds do have great pitching depth from star quality to contributing pitchers (end of rotation/bullpen types) in the minors from Arizona to near ready. The problem with dealing the best of them is the FA situation. Very soon the Reds have to replace or sign Cueto, Latos and Leake, plus Simon is getting long in the tooth. The best idea is to trade from these 4 to acquire the needed parts. Another thought is that hitting prospects are so rare for the Reds (beyond Winker and possibly YRod and Waldrop) that trading off young pitching may really kill their future. You could easily end up with no hitting AND no pitching...