From Fay's Blog

[Slyder]

I've come to conclusion over the last couple of the days after talking to some Reds insiders that the best course of action this offseason will be to do as little as possible as far as free agents. I base this on a couple of things:


--There's too much to fix, too little money to do it.


--The current big contacts are the reason the team has little money to do it.


--When you shop for bargain, it doesn't often work out. As I wrote Sunday, "Some times you get lucky; some times you get Willy Taveras."


--And, most importantly, for this team to win, it's going to have to be with players it drafted and developed. Trying to get around that by patching holes with free agents (Alex Gonzalez, Francisco Cordero, Willy Taveras) hasn't worked.


Apparently, now that Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are pitching well, the Reds is less likely to trade them because Bob Castellini is hoping for a turnaround in the 2010. The trade for Scott Rolen hammered home that idea. Adding Rolen's salary removed what little payroll flexibility the Reds had.


So how do the Reds fill the holes they have? If I'm running the team, Drew Stubbs is playing center field and leading off Tuesday night. He's gets a six-week trial to prove himself. Brandon Phillips goes to shortstop, and the Todd Frazier experiment at second base moves to the majors. Wladimir Balentien plays every day.


I don't know that any of the above are the answers. But if they fail, you don't have to deal with their contracts.


The Reds fear the fans won't buy a rebuilding job. I think they'll embrace it.

I want to Echo Tom Servo's response.

[GIDP]

They are so disconnected from every aspect of how to build a winning ball club.

[texasdave]

Spend some money in the off-season and gear up for a run in 2010. If that run doesn't occur have the mother of all fire sales in July/August.

And Fire Dusty Now!

[GIDP]

They didnt spend money last offseason and the money they did spend went to the worst of the worst when it came to talent. I actually hope they dont spend money because they would likely do a Jose Guillen/Royals type deal over actually finding a good player that is worth the money.

[FlyerFanatic]

why do we need to do anything? didnt you guys hear? adam rosales won the hustle award!

[GIDP]

Yea its a shame that guy runs what a loser.

[Joeyjection19]

I am slightly sympathetic when you're spending almost 30M on the likes of Arroyo and Harang, but successful teams find ways to deal with those problems. To think that they'll both be able to turn it around in '10 is just dumb- at the very least, trade Arroyo if it creates some salary wiggle.

I'm very terrified that at this time next year we'll be talking about trading Philips because he's at the height of his value.

[FlyerFanatic]

Yea its a shame that guy runs what a loser.

i know...hes such a great hitter too

[Newman4]

What a depressing article. It's like you want to sell your house but can't make enough to pay off your existing mortgage. So, you just continue to live in it and hope the value miraculously goes up.

[GIDP]

i know...hes such a great hitter too

Mock his hitting then.

[JayBruceFan]

Bob Castellini needs to sell this team to someone with a clue and much deeper pockets

Big Bob's Playtime is over and the charm of the hometown guy buying his hometown team has worn off

Screw the power of tradition and all that crap Bob keeps preaching, Fans want a winning team now!

[Slyder]

Bob Castellini needs to sell this team to someone with a clue and much deeper pockets

Big Bob's Playtime is over and the charm of the hometown guy buying his hometown team has worn off

Screw the power of tradition and all that crap Bob keeps preaching, Fans want a winning team now!

I just want to see a competant plan in place. We spin our wheels and get nothing done. Then when we try to do something we either overpay, overpay for junk players, or if we get lucky and get someone like Hairston circa 08 we overpay to bring them back.

I Dont care about winning now, as long as the plan is in place. Thats why I was behind Krivsky he at least seemed to have "a plan" and Bob may have gone "Jerry Jones" on him to sign the likes of Corey Patterson, Duhhhsty Baker.

I wouldnt mind if Bob came out and had a targeted trade off quoting the misallocation of important funds. Trading with cash someone like a Cordero and then using the difference (for argument sake say 10 mil a year) then using that 10 mil to further improve the team in multiple areas and not waste assets (or money) on the usual bottom tier crap we have been. We would need some luck/help but this team with just a couple additions could be much better than they are. Starting with a manager that isnt afraid to go Bobby Cox for some of the shear downright moronic mistakes this team makes.

[LouisvilleCARDS]

It's useless to even try to suggest things I know, but here's what I would ATTEMPT to do if I ran the team to try to make it at least competitive next year:

1) Try to deal Cordero in the offseason to get out from his contract.

2) Get rid of Dusty, bring in a new manager and pitching coach. At the very least a new pitching coach. Dusty needs to be informed why his ways of doing thing are incorrect and we're not starting players based on salary. We CANNOT be competitive with this team when he continuously bats the the worst 1-2 punch in the majors at the top of the order. Stop batting Taveras LEADOFF! We can't win like this!

3) Move Brandon Phillips to SS, and sign a decent bat at 2B. Someone cheap, doesn't have to be anything special. Someone who is at least a PLAYER though, not a scrap heap.

4) Resign Gomes to left, or at least a similar or better player to a deal to play there.

Those 4 things, I think all can be doable. Obviously the first point is the most difficult to do, but doing these things would at least make us look better in 2010. I'm not saying they make us competitive or anything, it takes a lot more to be competitive, like:

1) Jay Bruce needs to grow up and in a hurry. He has to play like how he was hyped. We have zero chance next year if Jay Bruce continues to bat .200. We have zero chance with Volquez out if Bailey continues to get rocked. Forget his hyped status, just be an AVERAGE pitcher, I don't think that's too much to ask. Hanigan also has to bat well consistently and become an every day player, not the slump he is in. Oh and BTW, Cueto has to pitch like he did in the first half of the year, and pitch like that ALL year. That may be the biggest thing of all.

2) Arroyo and Harang need a strict offseason regiment. We can't continue to get the herky jerky starts from these guys. They're veterans and need to act like it! Go get surgery if you're that bad off with carpel tunnel pain Arroyo.

I mean, that's really all I can say. Stop making stupid mistakes in the lineup, fill holes with someone other that scrap heaps, and the young players have to step up. For 3 of what are or were considered some of the top prospects in MLB, Cueto has pitched completely atrocious since right before the ASB, Bruce was bad all year before his injury, and Bailey's been bad period. The latter two were considered the top prospects in all of baseball at one point! It's just ridiculous.

[bounty37h]

What a depressing article. It's like you want to sell your house but can't make enough to pay off your existing mortgage. So, you just continue to live in it and hope the value miraculously goes up.

:(:bang::cry::help::bash::explode::scared::censore d::dunno::drink::rant::deadhorse:runawaycr:rant2:: barf::sleep::yikes::nono::all_cohol:angry:
Think those are all we have that fit this, but your absolutely right with that assesment.