Am I watching the Bad News Bears

[Dusty is Done]

At this point it's laughable

The only good thing that can come out of this disaster

is BAKER GETTING CANNED

[BEETTLEBUG]

Sorry Dusty is done but it ain't goina happen very soon. Bob loves his team.

[Vottomatic]

It's like the players have packed it in for the season. Terrible. Embarrassing.

They need to shake it up. If they stand pat this offseason, the fans won't be as supportive.

I'd seriously consider Votto and a prospect (Corcino) to the Blue Jays for Bautista. Then I'd put Alonso on 1B. I don't think there would be as big an uproar as some think. Joey's due to make like $10M next season anyway. You gain a cleanup hitter and Alonso bats 3rd before him. Kills 2 birds with one stone.

I hope Scott Rolen retires. Appreciate all he's done, but I think he's done. Platoon Frazier and Francisco over at 3B. Frazier also is solid as an extra OFer. B

Beef up the starting pitching to be more dominant.

[Mutaman]

Does anybody out there know what our record is in games started by right handed pitchers?

[Stray]

I don't think they've all called it a year, but some definitely have, and it shows. They should be embarrassed.

[wabashfalcon]

It's time for Rick Sweet to have a shot at the Big League club.

[webbbj]

time for chapman to start

[holster10]

Votto for Bautista and best Reds SP prospect? No way.... and no way is this an even "steven" trade. Bautista can tag bombs, i'll give him that but coming into this season he's a "robust" .254 career hitter, he's 3 years older and lest you forget he was a middling player for years before discovering his power stroke.

[R_Webb18]

Votto for Bautista and best Reds SP prospect? No way.... and no way is this an even "steven" trade. Bautista can tag bombs, i'll give him that but coming into this season he's a .254 career hitter, he's 3 years older and lest you forget he was a middling player for years before discovering his power stroke.

lol

[DocRed]

This team has given up...its plain to see.

[Old NDN]

Pathetic. It's bad enough to lose. But, to roll over and just plain quit is inexcusable. Play the rest of the kids. It can't get much worse. At least they may give more of an effort, hoping for a job next year.

[AintlifeGrande]

What's even worse is the major letdown that came after a legit 2010 campaign.Just when we looked for real in the eyes of MLB,we come back and stink it up.

[bshall2105]

Votto for Bautista and best Reds SP prospect? No way.... and no way is this an even "steven" trade. Bautista can tag bombs, i'll give him that but coming into this season he's a "robust" .254 career hitter, he's 3 years older and lest you forget he was a middling player for years before discovering his power stroke.

Votto will walk in 3 years so age difference is not a factor, and Bautista has been the best player in the league over the past 2 seasons, what he did before 2010 is meaningless.

[Vottomatic]

Votto will walk in 3 years so age difference is not a factor, and Bautista has been the best player in the league over the past 2 seasons, what he did before 2010 is meaningless.

I was just going to post this. Well said.

People get hung up on Votto being 3 years younger than Bautista. The timetable isn't 3 years. The timetable is Votto's contract length and the variable is "will he explore free agency"? Votto is signed through 2013. Bautista is signed through 2015 (I think) at a reasonable rate. Do you want to pay Votto $19M in 2013 and then watch him walk that offseason, or do you want to pay Bautista $14M for every season from 2012 through 2015?

The Reds have a good prospect ready to take over first base, in Alonso. Yonder struggled in his big league taste last year, but has looked pretty good so far this year. And he has nothing left to prove in triple A. If the Reds didn't have a decent prospect to replace Votto, then I might hedge on this idea more. But I look at it as gaining a true cleanup hitter and left fielder in Bautista, and simply replacing Votto in the third spot with Alonso, who may end up being nearly as good as Votto.........and if he's 80% of Votto, that's still pretty darn good. There is no place for Alonso to play right now, unless you're really comfortable with him playing LF (which I'm not).

People also forget that Bautista's resurgence is completely due to him changing his hitting mechanics.

Here is my lineup wish for next year:

CF Sappelt (min $)
2B Phillips ($12M)
1B Alonso ($1.2M)
LF Bautista ($14M)
RF Bruce ($5.2M)
3B Francisco/Frazier (min $)
SS Cozart (min $)
C Hanigan/Mesoraco ($2.1M / min $)

Let Hernandez, Cordero, Renteria all walk.
I hope Rolen retires.
Trade Stubbs in a package for pitching.

We need guys that can get on base ahead of our rbi guys.

[izzy's dad]

It's time for Rick Sweet to have a shot at the Big League club.

I have been saying this for two years.

[wabashfalcon]

I have been saying this for two years.

I really have no idea what else he has left to prove, honestly. Dave Miley he ain't.

[jwmann2]

It's like the players have packed it in for the season. Terrible. Embarrassing.

They need to shake it up. If they stand pat this offseason, the fans won't be as supportive.

I'd seriously consider Votto and a prospect (Corcino) to the Blue Jays for Bautista. Then I'd put Alonso on 1B. I don't think there would be as big an uproar as some think. Joey's due to make like $10M next season anyway. You gain a cleanup hitter and Alonso bats 3rd before him. Kills 2 birds with one stone.

I hope Scott Rolen retires. Appreciate all he's done, but I think he's done. Platoon Frazier and Francisco over at 3B. Frazier also is solid as an extra OFer. B

Beef up the starting pitching to be more dominant.

I love everything you've said. Bautista would solve our left field problem but would you still have Heisey coming off the bench to fill in all three outfield positions? Why not keep Votto and make Heisey an everyday player. With Alonso/Fraizer at third and Mesoraco as our catcher.

[bshall2105]

I love everything you've said. Bautista would solve our left field problem but would you still have Heisey coming off the bench to fill in all three outfield positions? Why not keep Votto and make Heisey an everyday player. With Alonso/Fraizer at third and Mesoraco as our catcher.

It comes down to if you like Bautista/Alonso or Votto/Heisey. I like the first option much better IF we think Votto will leave which I think he will.

[Jr's Boy]

And dont think for a minute Votto would not jump at the chance to play at home in Toronto.