Assets

[MikeS21]

I agree that the roster is a mix of negative trade value, neutral trade value, and only a few high-trade value assets. Castillo and Grey would be very, very valuable trade chips for example.

But I don't want the team to trade good players away, so that's not important to me. I don't think it's a great team as built, but it has some talent on the roster. I wouldn't call it bleak. It should at least compete for the central.

Yes, I agree. I haven't even looked at the "Grade the Front Office" thread, because I'm not sure what it could possibly say that hasn't already been said in the other thirty "This Team Stinks" threads.

We saw sixty games from this team last year. Sixty games. That is the equivalent of two months worth of games. In a normal, 162 game season, those sixty games would get us through the months of April and May. Let's face it, in most seasons, if this team sat at 31-29 at the beginning of June, we'd be relatively happy. The offense was criticized mightily ... and yet it seemed to have been close to the top of the heap in major league baseball in on-base percentage. Our resident saber proponents on this board have preached for years that as long as on-base percentage is good, all the other numbers will eventually catch up. And that is exactly what was taking place in the last 20-25 games last year. I would have loved to have seen the 2020 team for a full 162-game schedule.

The offense on this team is not near as bad as folks have been telling us that it is. They had a horrible stretch of about 30 games. Pretty much, this is the same offense minus Freddy Galvis and his .220/.308/.404 numbers. Seriously, I am not going to lose sleep over losing Freddy Galvis. And I also think the Reds can replace Galvis' numbers among the likes of Alex Blandino, Kyle Farmer, and Dee Strange-Gordon.

[Kinsm]

Except it happens every year.

Just last year, Starling Marte, Mitch Moreland, and Tommy LaStella were sent packing with months left on their contract. (Marte did have a club option.) These were the three best bats on the market. All three were free agents at the end of the season.

In 2019, Castellanos himself was an example. So were Scooter Gennett, Corey Dickerson, Yasiel Puig, and Eric Sogard. These (and perhaps Franmil Reyes, were the best bats available/ acquired during the deadline.

You can go back further if you want to.

How were any of them them even remotely equivalent to Cast and his contract? Cast is not set to be a FA.

I'm not saying he can't be moved. But he's never going to be in a situation where he's going to be considered "an asset" and return a huge package. Not unless he's belting .400 come July that is.

[Kinsm]

On the off-note, super depressing that we have a thread discussing whether or not we can trade the team - and get anything in return, before the season has even begun.

[JFLegal]

Yes, I agree. I haven't even looked at the "Grade the Front Office" thread, because I'm not sure what it could possibly say that hasn't already been said in the other thirty "This Team Stinks" threads.

We saw sixty games from this team last year. Sixty games. That is the equivalent of two months worth of games. In a normal, 162 game season, those sixty games would get us through the months of April and May. Let's face it, in most seasons, if this team sat at 31-29 at the beginning of June, we'd be relatively happy. The offense was criticized mightily ... and yet it seemed to have been close to the top of the heap in major league baseball in on-base percentage. Our resident saber proponents on this board have preached for years that as long as on-base percentage is good, all the other numbers will eventually catch up. And that is exactly what was taking place in the last 20-25 games last year. I would have loved to have seen the 2020 team for a full 162-game schedule.

The offense on this team is not near as bad as folks have been telling us that it is. They had a horrible stretch of about 30 games. Pretty much, this is the same offense minus Freddy Galvis and his .220/.308/.404 numbers. Seriously, I am not going to lose sleep over losing Freddy Galvis. And I also think the Reds can replace Galvis' numbers among the likes of Alex Blandino, Kyle Farmer, and Dee Strange-Gordon.

a lot of spin there imo. the one thing the reds said publicly they were going to do this offseason was upgrade at shortstop. they failed massively. no one is talking about "replacing galvis' numbers." that's a strawman. the goal was to upgrade the position and the reds did not do that. and even though i'm by no means a galvis fan, he's better than the trio of farmer/blandino/strange-gordon for sure. the fact that strange-gordon is even in the discussion to be the reds' shortstop this season tells you everything you need to know.

the good news, imo, is garcia will be ready at some point this season, or by 2022 at the very latest. a lot of fans are overreacting based on how he played as a 22-year-old rookie who had never played above high-A ball, and it was a very small sample size as well.

[MoneyInTheBank]

I very much hope you are right.

Every organization in baseball has a young good fielding middle infield prospect that can't hit. It's just not a rare or valuable combination when your thinking in terms of long term value. I hope you are wrong and Garcia turns into Barry Larkin part 2, but when Garcia was a 22 year old hitting 194/206/194 Larkin was putting up a 283/320/403. The last slick fielding middle infield prospect that the reds had control of put up a 311/410/420 line in combined High A/AA ball as a 21 year old and was a full time player at 23, but nobody thinks of Billy Hamilton as a great success story in player development. I have pretty strong opinions that if Garcia sees 300 at bats in the major leagues this year it will be a disaster both for him and for the reds. He needs a year of feasting on minor league pitching.

Whether Garcia ultimately is an impact player in the big leagues is another debate entirely

My comment about Garcia was in regards to whether he has current value. The SS right next to Garcia on Fangraphs latest prospect list (Jazz Chisholm) was traded in 2019 straight up for Zac Gallen

[Griffey012]

If Akiyama proves his September was the real guy, he'll have a ton of value. If Castellanos plays to the back of his baseball card, he will too.

The only guys who'd be hard to move, IMO, are Votto and Moustakas. (And Hoffman.)

I still can't figure out why everyone is acting like Castellanos is an albatross of a contract. Moustakas sort of is but that is more of the resulting covid impacts to spending.

Hoffman is really easy to cut.

[Griffey012]

Whether Garcia ultimately is an impact player in the big leagues is another debate entirely

My comment about Garcia was in regards to whether he has current value. The SS right next to Garcia on Fangraphs latest prospect list (Jazz Chisholm) was traded in 2019 straight up for Zac Gallen

Zac Gallen is a really good pitcher.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/za...ats?position=P

[Bourgeois Zee]

How were any of them them even remotely equivalent to Cast and his contract? Cast is not set to be a FA.

I'm not saying he can't be moved. But he's never going to be in a situation where he's going to be considered "an asset" and return a huge package. Not unless he's belting .400 come July that is.

Marte and Castellanos himself would be two.

Again, if Castellanos hits at his customary number, his contract is a bargain. If that's the case, he would almost assuredly decline his option to enter free agency. (He's still relatively young, at 29, and would have half a decade of very good hitting numbers-- and one 60-game stretch of adequacy-- behind him.)

Put another way: if 2019 Castellanos had the same contract he does now, the Cubs still would have made that deal.

[MoneyInTheBank]

Zac Gallen is a really good pitcher.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/za...ats?position=P

Exactly. That speaks to Garcia's value

[Griffey012]

Exactly. That speaks to Garcia's value

Yup, just wanted to mention that because on name alone I am not sure Zac Gallen carries a lot of weight to the average fan.

[Kc61]

I think Castellanos would be a tough trade in most situations this deadline. Complicated.

If he does well, teams will want him, but may not want a 3-year salary commitment. And there’s no guarantee he opts out. He might slump or get injured after the trade or in playoffs and decide to stay and lock in his millions.

Because of all this uncertainty, teams will probably not offer a top package.

Lot of variables, if Reds aren’t contending maybe they take any deal to get rid of the salary. Maybe even contribute some money. On the other hand, if he’s doing very well Reds may be disappointed if he opts out.

[tripleaaaron]

I predict by the deadline Castellanos will be considered one of the bigger trade chips out there

If this is true I predict that we are 3-4 games under .500, within striking distance of the central and air on our hands rather than trade assets or acquire them. We then finish with 74 wins and have zero to show for it.

[MikeS21]

Honestly, with the exception of a handful of players, every player in the entire organization should be available in the right deal. There might be five players who I would consider “untouchable.

[dfs]

Honestly, with the exception of a handful of players, every player in the entire organization should be available in the right deal. There might be five players who I would consider “untouchable.

I would go a step further and say everybody in the organization should be available in the right deal.

[Kc61]

I still can't figure out why everyone is acting like Castellanos is an albatross of a contract. Moustakas sort of is but that is more of the resulting covid impacts to spending.

.

Because Cast’s contract is uncertain as to duration. And he makes that decision. In acquiring that contract a team cannot be certain if they are getting one year or three years. That uncertainty likely results in a discount.

Moustakas’ contract, while too expensive for some teams, is fixed in duration. You know what you are getting. Either you want it or not.

It’s a mistake to rely on Cast’s opt out as a benefit to the Reds. He will only leave if his performance is strong. Reds would be losing a player with high market value, getting only a comp pick in exchange.