According to USA today fantansy news Reds are actively shopping Freel and..

[Bigredfan#1]

are listening to offers for Hamilton. If they could get Garza I would be all for it!

[BearcatShane]

I'd trade Freel for anything.

[mroby85]

i think freel is a solid guy off the bench, they just used him completely wrong last year. I love his hustle, and wouldn't mind him being around. That being said, i would deal him in a heartbeat if i thought the trade made the team better.

[gedred69]

I'd trade Freel for anything.

Freel is, the odd man out, granted. I wouldn't be so quick to disparrage his value though. There aren't too many guys that can play anywhere in the OF, as well as 3rd and 2nd. He can steal a base, and give maximum effort to boot. He has market value, to a lot of teams. I see him as a possible deal closer on a big trade as a throw-in, to seal the deal.

[durl]

Freel has been a great help off the bench. I would have to say that I'd be willing to trade him given the emergence of Hopper and Keppinger.

I can understand the Reds shopping Hamilton but I'd like to see him remain a Red.

[*BaseClogger*]

are listening to offers for Hamilton. If they could get Garza I would be all for it!

ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?

[GoReds33]

ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?To get a proven player you would need more than Hamilton unless you wanted a proven terrible player. I think Garza will be a terrific pitcher in a couple years, if not next year.

[George Foster]

I would not trade Hamilton unless we got a no miss #1 or #2 starting pitcher. Does everybody realize what he did last year? He hit major league pitching after not playing baseball for a couple of years....thats unbelievable. You don't set out for as long as he did and then come back and be productive...he is the Natural....
All the tools. These guys don't come around that often.

[Bip Roberts]

Yea you only trade Hamilton unless the offer is overwhelming. What harm is there if we wait another year to see what hes got. Sure he could be injured all year but then again those injuries could also be flukes and he could be a multi MVP winning player

[roby]

Yea you only trade Hamilton unless the offer is overwhelming. What harm is there if we wait another year to see what hes got. Sure he could be injured all year but then again those injuries could also be flukes and he could be a multi MVP winning player

I honestly think that Hamilton's injuries had to do with being out of baseball for years, and then coming back. It is really rigorous to go out and play hard every day. It should also be noted that he had a couple of pretty flukie bouts with illness...not related to a sports injury problem. I'd really have to be bowled over before I would trade him. He's going to be something special. That being said, Matt Garza is a good starting place!

[AmarilloRed]

• The Reds are so convinced that minor league player of the year Jay Bruce could be ready for the big leagues by June, they're actively marketing outfielders to clear space. Don't figure on Junior Griffey or Adam Dunn changing zip codes. But the Reds are aggressively dropping Ryan Freel's name. And maybe most surprisingly, they've told other teams Josh Hamilton is also available in the right deal. "It really makes you wonder about his health," said an official of one team that spoke with them, "and whether all that time he missed took more of a toll than we thought."

I got this from Jayson Stark. It does not make sense to me. From all accounts, Bruce is the heir appparent to right field and will push Ken Griffey Jr. in 2008. I would think it would be easier to trade either Griffey or Dunn, who are quite expensive and have proven something in their careers. It does not make sense to trade the cheap outfielder and put another cheap outfielder in his place. I am not sure exactly what trade value Hamilton has, given the comments of this unnamed official.

[ChatterRed]

Amarillo,

I think it is comparable to the Reds and posters on this board talking about trading for Peavy, Kazmir or Bedard because they are locked into reasonably cheap starting pitcher contracts for a few more years and you know what you're getting.

Hamilton will come cheap for several years for a team that acquire's him. Dunn and Griffey will come expensive. That is why Hamilton is more attractive.

I think GM's are questioning Hamilton's health mainly to bring the pricetag down.

[AmarilloRed]

I suppose it goes both ways. The same factors that make Hamilton so valuable to us (a cheap contract, very talented) also make him excellent trade bait. It would be much better for the Reds , however, if Bruce would take over for Griffey in due course. It would clear Griffey's big salary with someone who would have a good chance of approaching Griffey's production.

[Bigredfan#1]

ugh... Matt Garza... what has he proven?

Garza was dominate at times last year. He lost 2 games 1-0. He got very little run support from the run hungry Twins. He was the 21rst rated rookie in Baseball America. What has Hamilton proved? We need pitching, I hate to lose Hamilton but I believe Garza would be one of the young pitchers I would trade him for. I doubt if the Twins would take Hamilton by himself for Garza. H

[*BaseClogger*]

To get a proven player you would need more than Hamilton unless you wanted a proven terrible player. I think Garza will be a terrific pitcher in a couple years, if not next year.



Garza was dominate at times last year. He lost 2 games 1-0. He got very little run support from the run hungry Twins. He was the 21rst rated rookie in Baseball America. What has Hamilton proved? We need pitching, I hate to lose Hamilton but I believe Garza would be one of the young pitchers I would trade him for. I doubt if the Twins would take Hamilton by himself for Garza. H

MLBTR brought up a possible Hamilton for Ian Snell trade, which makes perfect sense to me. Ian Snell has proven he can get big leaguers out, Garza hasn't- less risky. We may need to throw in a Stubbs or Maloney to get that trade done, but I would still go for it...

[BLEEDS]

over on ORG, one guy's suggesting trading Bruce, Cueto, Stubbs, and some other guys for Santana...

if I wasn't at 80% warning, and was on the ORG, I'd tell him I'd like to kick him in the groin for even mentioning that trade.

Jay Bruce should replace Griff in 2008, and man the OF for the next 10-15 years, he's that good. I don't trade that for anything less than a no-miss cheap young #1 SP, which by the way doesn't exist, and for pitchers is WAY more of a RISK than a 5-tool OF prospect.

I keep Jay Bruce a Red for the rest of his career barring injury or Total Bust. He's about the closest to a No-Miss prospect that you can get.

Hamilton? I'd trade him for Santana, along with a Bailey/Cueto in 2.2 seconds - IFF we can get him to sign an extension first. If any pitcher is worth $20M per year for 5 years, $100M investment, it's him. He's in the PRIME of his career, and would give us added revenue too. Hamilton is a great PROSPECT, but not without multiple risks. Bailey/Cueto are what the Reds need long-term, cheap young POTENTIAL SP's, but if you get the chance to get a PROVEN commodity, you do it in a heartbeat.

Santana
Harang
Arroyo
anyone...
Bueller...

We win 90+ games and the NL Central.

Sign Dunn to an LTC, and you get Bruce in there in 2009, along with BP, EE, Votto, and you've got a CORE for 5 years to work with.

PEACE

-BLEEDS

[757690]

Bleeds, I agree always get proven over prospect, although still not sure who I would rather trade for Santana, Bruce or Hamilton. Only time will tell.
However, with Hunter signing with the Angels, I see Santana signing with the Twins. He has already said he would take a hometown discount. $18 a year for 7 years. The Twins are idiots if they don't take that offer. Without Hunter, they have the money.

[AmarilloRed]

The Twins don't want to spend that much money. Santana turned down 5 years, 93 million, and the Twins are already looking to trade him. I think some team will give him 7 years 126 million; it just won't be the Twins.