what should be done with Alex Gonzalez?

[Will M]

Choice A: play him at SS on a regular basis hoping his bat comes around

Choice B: play Hairston or Janish at SS. Bench Gonzalez. Give him a spot start rarely & use him as a pinch hitter.

Choice C: ask him to go to AAA. give him until Valaika comes back to start hitting. make an agreement that if he doesn't start hitting by then the Reds will release him. there is an upside here for Gonzo. i don't see a lot of big league teams deperate for a .171 hitting SS. he is a free agent after 2009. if he wants to get playing time & a deal for 2010 he has to start hitting and a stint in AAA to get his stroke back could help.

Choice D: DFA him.

Right now trying to 'band aid' the SS position with Hairston & Janish seems like the best option for the Reds. Gonzo is neither the best fielder or hitter at SS on the roster and his woefull bat is a big problem for a team that struggles to score for big stretches.

[bucksfan2]

A+D

I give Gonzales until mid June in order to get his stroke back. He may not be the best defensive SS but he doesn't hurt the team there. If, and its a big if, he can stay healthy for a month straight I would hope he could get his swing back together.

The issue that becomes if Gonzo is DFA is JHJ will likely take most of the bats at SS. I don't think JHJ belongs in the every day lineup. I just don't think that he is reliable enough to play every day, and as this past series has shown he can be exposed by good game planning and pitching. If it is a foregone conclusion that Janish will be the every day SS and bat eighth then I am all for it. I just don't think Dusty will go that route, especially this early in the season.

[wheels]

DFA all the way. His bat is poison and his glove isn't worth it.

[jojo]

He should be traded to either the Cubs, Brewers or Cardinals.

[Sea Ray]

I vote B. The Reds were winning bigtime without him. Make him win the job back. Until he does that, consider him a utility INF.

[remdog]

He should be traded to either the Cubs, Brewers or Cardinals.

I like the thought process there.

Rem

[Raisor]

DFA all the way. His bat is poison and his glove isn't worth it.

Thank you and good luck in all your future endeavers.

[LvJ]

He had a decent 07, but his bat is not going to "come around". He's never had one.

He should be a defensive replacement only. Or, DFA all the way.

[Sea Ray]

Thank you and good luck in all your future endeavers.

Yep, Dusty can't let loyalty cost his team wins. This situation is a test of Dusty's managerial skills

[Chip R]

I vote B. The Reds were winning bigtime without him.

I remember they went 7-3 on that first road trip of the year with him at SS.

[mbgrayson]

Play him 5 days a week, and let Janish play the other games. Alex needs to rest some, yet needs to play regularly to get his stroke back.

FWIW, in 2007, at 30 years of age, he posted the following line: .272/.325/.468 for an OPS of .793. He hit 16 HRs that season, over 430 plate appearances. For a shortstop that is solid defensively, those are good numbers.

Of course, the question is whether two seasons later, now at 32, can he come anywhere close to that. So far, the answer is 'no'. I would give him some time though. He was heating up right before the last injury, and then he missed eleven days. (His average went from .069 on April 19th up to .186 when he was injured.)

He did not regain his hitting in San Diego, and is currently hitting .171/.225/.280 for an OPS of .505. This is well below average even for a shortstop, and obviously it can't be allowed to continue this way much longer. I would give him a month, playing 5 days a week. Then, if his average is still below the Mendozo line (.200), I would take whatever action needed, including DFA if there was no other option.

[remdog]

Personally, I'd sit Gonzo down at this point. However, the Reds have a conundrum; JHJ can't field, PJ can't hit (and his fielding isn't all that great) and Gonzo can't field or hit.

SS is a 'black hole' that should have been fixed in the past off-season. It wasn't and I don't want to raise a discussion about 'why'. These are the cards the Reds are playing with and they have to make the best of it.

JHJ is likely to get some playing time at other positions as injuries, slumps, days off occur. (Heck, with his personal history, JHJ has a good chance of being one of those guys with injuries! ) So, you're probably going to need Janish and/or Gonzo through the season. Hope that one of these guys gets it together and plays over his head for the next 4 months.

I really don't see anyone in the minors that is ready to ride to the rescue right now.

Rem

[RED VAN HOT]

Choice C

He can't regain his hitting without playing. Let him try to do it at AAA. Give him at least 30 games. If he does not hit, then the decision is clear. His defense does not merit retaining him unless he hits above .250. It also gives the Reds a chance to evaluate Janish offensively and/or Hairston defensively for the corresponding period. The experiment can't be less productive than continuing the current situation. The situation can be resolved by the All Star break.

[TRF]

rem, I believe the term is actually 'black hole of suck'.

just sayin'

[Will M]

Choice C

He can't regain his hitting without playing. Let him try to do it at AAA. Give him at least 30 games. If he does not hit, then the decision is clear. His defense does not merit retaining him unless he hits above .250. It also gives the Reds a chance to evaluate Janish offensively and/or Hairston defensively for the corresponding period. The experiment can't be less productive than continuing the current situation. The situation can be resolved by the All Star break.

that is my ideal choice as well.