Free agents galore

[JohnU]

The problem the Reds have is that to get a ring, they have to cut off one of their fingers.

Looking around the field:
1B, RF, SS -- no reason to upgrade.
2B -- if the Reds trade Phillips, they need a comparable defender a/o a much better hitter. At 2B, that's about 2 guys, tops. Reds can't afford one of them and probably won't trade for the other.
3B -- Nobody out there better than Frazier with a glove or long-ball capability. The upgrade isn't there. Nobody to be had. Maybe Headley from S.D. I am not convinced.
LF -- Walt evidently is a believer in hiring the handicapped, so don't expect that to change. Dave Sappelt was released by the Cubs. We could get him back. He's a right-handed version of a left-handed AAA hitter.
CF -- Put Hamilton there and suck it up. There's no way Skippy beats him out.
C -- If the Reds deal Hanigan, they had better get value, lots of it, in return. Not just some B-grade prospects who are in their mid-20s.

Bullpen-- This can be an asset or a disaster depending on how Price manages it. I have no suggestions. Getting middle relief is the biggest baseball lie ever, tries to convince the fans the team is upgrading when the reality was, they were looking for a starter and couldn't find one cheap. It's how guys like Parra and Gorzelanny stay in baseball.

Fact: Ain't no Jean Seguras out there to be found unless we trade Latos. Brewers had to deal Greinke to get their Segura.

If the Reds farm system isn't ready to compete, then we have to wait.

Another 20 years maybe.

As it stands, this 2014 Reds team is a crap shoot. They have no leadoff guy, no No. 2 hitter and now they may decide they don't even want a GG at second base. Brayan Pena is our backup catcher for some reason and the best pitcher in the league still hasn't earned a spot in the rotation.

But we have Skippy Shoe-maker.

"I found a driver, and that's a start."

 

[Redsfan1507]

I hate to say this, but the Reds may have another handicap- I don't think they have any juicers, at least among the hitters. Selig's "random" testing policy just doesn't find many PED users, especially among good "representatives" of the game with non-crippling contracts, even though the Feds don't seem to have a problem finding them regularly. I have doubts about Ludwick's relative PED cleanliness in '12, but it seems like guys that have that one, late career "boost" can't follow it up without getting injured. All the more reason to start using some speed on the bases and getting a few runners around. I hope Hamilton can do some of that.

 

[eburg5000]

It could be that the Reds missed their window of opportunity these last few years. I hope they can somehow fill these holes in the lineup. But that's just wishful thinking.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I've been saying that every team has a limited lifespan. No doubt signing Choo to a lame duck contract was a win this year move. 2010 was a year they should have went farther, 2011 appeared to be a year everyone relaxed on their multi year deal, 2012 was a playoff debacle, ( both '10 and '12 the Giants won with LHSP against arguably stronger teams ) and the Reds learned NOTHING through those experiences, and had a manager that who made a career out of learning nothing.

Every one of those years, the Reds added a bat, and improved the defense, pitching and still couldn't get it done. Baker should have been fired in 2011, and again after he made critical gaffes in each of the 3 home playoff games in 2012. You just can't sit on your thumbs year after year making the same mistakes and expect to always get another chance...

In baseball you never know about injuries and other teams obstacles. Deeper teams that don't rely on opposition blunders to win, overcome better. That sounds like the Cardinals, but our Reds do have a new manager now. They also lost one of the best OBP hitters in MLB. They've never had a better reason to try to manufacture runs than the upcoming year. Can a team learn new tricks ? Only if they are made to try. That was never going to happen with Dusty. Chances of that at least have improved already.

 

[WvuDieHard]

I would be surprised if the Reds, with this concoction of players, will be able to compete for the division. Look around the division, we are the lagers in upgrades. They should have never let Dustmop linger in this organization as long as they did when they had a chance to do something special for 2 years in a row only to watch a retarded toothpicking imbecile let it slip away.

 

[JohnU]

I need to see what goes to Goodyear. Reds have to be ready to deal somebody. Even I can tell this team doesn't have a 1-2 hitter.

 

[Redsfan1507]

A lot depends on Price, his staff, what type of offensive scheme he wants to employ, and the players ability to execute to the game plan. If Price can convince this team they have to manufacture 1-2 runs a game, instead of 1-2 homers a game, and Hamilton can get his OBP into the .350 range with a league leading amount of steals in the leadoff spot, even a guy like Schumaker could hit .275 and advance a runner to 3b that can take 2b on his own. Phillips has shown he can be very effective in the 2 hole. If the only true HR threat, Bruce, hits 4 behind Votto, they both will hurt the opposition. After those guys, it's a crapshoot that could be made more effective with a little better contact and understanding of the strikezone. They need to play D and pitch, and stay healthy enough not to expose their thin position depth. A LHSP or two will help.

This team as it sits now, can't compete for a division without help from underperforming Cardinals and possibly the Pirates. The Pirates are on tne cusp- they could be better or worse with only a slight change.

The Reds can probably compete for a wildcard as well as most other wildcard contenders. There just aren't that many NL teams that have impressive offenses. The Reds REAL problem is, they don't play in a pitchers park...and unless they add some more reliable power, they stand a good chance of having to rely more on manufacturing runs in ways they have little experience with, while getting out-homered. It's an uphill climb without a team of quality OBP / high contact rate players.

I know this is a yearly whine, but IMO, the Reds MUST have 2 things they didnt have last year to win much- LHSP ( they have 2 choices on the roster now), and a 2 hitter that can move a runner better than 1/4 of the time. They already have a cleanup hitter. Another bat in LF would help, but this is no more than a 5 man lineup regardless... And not many lineups have more.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

All is saved!!

The Reds just inked Manny Parra for 2 yrs/$5.5M.

Hmmmm......why does two years sound familiar?

 

[redsfan03]

Jared Burton, Nick Masset, Mike Lincoln, and Bill Bray are just a few names this reminds me of...

 

[JohnU]

My guess is Price had some input on the Parra contract. If not, then he should not have taken the job.

 

[eburg5000]

Parra had a solid season last year. Much better than I thought he would have when they signed him. I think it was a good signing and they didn't pay much by today's standard. I think Price helped him a lot.

It does seem like the Reds give a lot of 2 year deals. To not so good players though.

 

[JohnU]

2-year deals cut down on the paperwork by 50 percent, I think. It's also a nice measure of confidence to the player to know that he won't have to negotiate every 365 days.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The Reds do this all the time. They make up for the ability to get a couple of value months from a reclaimation project, by overpaying the guy for two years and giving him a role he isn't liky to succeed in. It's not just pitchers, they've done this with Hairston, Gomes, Hannahan, Ludwick too.

There are lots of instances where a 24 year old player gets a clue from a cognizant coach and puts it together, but I'd avoid believing too much in a mid career guy's light bulb coming on suddenly, and staying on for two more years. Parra, as a one batter LOOGY, with a manager that can tell left from right IS a lot less risky than throwing Dusty's dice with the same guy...I'm hoping this isnt the Reds big winter signing though.

I still think the Reds are a third place team without another hitter, and sending either Chapman, Cingrani or both to the rotation. I also think the only way they get another hitter is to trade a starting pitcher... Hopefully, a RHSP.

 

[JohnU]

I think whatever deal the Reds make will be one of those:

WHAT THE FUCK WERE WE THINKING?

deals, and it will be somebody we really didn't think we'd lose.

 

[WvuDieHard]

The front office on this club is a bunch of morons. Lets face it, any group of executives willing to let Dustmop "the Lounge Lizard" sleep in the dugout as long as he did are clearly inept and unable to acquire players with the talent and savvy necessary to better the club. Too many failures coming out of the front office to give me any confidence in the Reds ability to make a run at a Championship.

 

[JohnU]

I just know that having watched a couple of Reds seasons, sometimes it isn't talent that wins, but players who perform like they are talented. Sadly, over time, the lack of talent begins to show itself. Trends in baseball are difficult to ignore.

Frazier, Cozart and The Left Fielder are going to contribute what they contributed in the past, mostly. What I do hope is that a new philosophy will add a point or two to their average, which might mean one more win a month.

15 wins gets you a wild card, maybe.
16 wins gets you a divisional title.

I don't know that this team is capable of 6 more wins a year.
I don't know that they aren't. We just have different people to blame in the dugout if they don't.

But finding a left fielder should not be connected to the Hubble telescope. Find somebody who can hit the fucking baseball, sign the guy and put him in left fucking field. Why is that so damned difficult?

 

[Redsfan1507]

There is still 3 months to Spring Training, and I assume the later a guy isn't signed, the cheaper he gets. I do believe Todd Frazier can hit .250 / 20HR, acceptable for a 3b or LF. I would assume Ludwick's ceiling is similar...fine, unless you need a cleanup hitter, which IMO Jay Bruce already is. The Reds already have 2 lefty pitchers that can start- and if Broxton is healthy, at least 3 guys that could close.

They aren't that far off...if Hamilton can be the next Vince Coleman- and that isn't much of a stretch.

I hope since Dusty's demise, a better perspective on what they already have will be turned into better results, and if the Reds add a one year plug in- like so many teams added lady year- Byrd is an example- they probably have enough to make a run.

 

[JohnU]

Seems odd but the difference between winning the division and finishing 3rd this past year was 1 win a month, which includes the 6 in a row the team lost at the end of the year, as well as the sweep in April to the Parrots and losing 2 of 3 at home to the Mariners. All that and we saw what we considered was a failure.

I think a guy who can bring some lightning in a jar might work but he may be somebody we already have. That guy just didn't emerge last year, unlike 2010 with Gomes and 2012 with Frazier and Luddy.

The interesting thing will be to see if the guys who gave the Cards and Parrots that spark will show up again. The Parrots can't continue to play on emotion.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Yep. They ALL count, and allowing dead last teams tp be you with less than a handful of runs on an entire series early or late is a disappearing act common among should-beens.

Dunno exactly what happened, but the Reds started imploding about 3 weeks before the season was over, and "coasted" to the least possible playoff spot, and true up form, lasted only 1 game. The offense looked disinterested, about the same time BP'a rant on Rosenthal, and article calling Castellini a liar and bitching about Votto's contract, Ludwick blamed the teams flat line on fans without energy, and everyone kept asking why Hamilton wasn't playing more. We didnt see it, but the team was in transition...perhaps Luddy and BP were falling back to who they really were all along, Dusty didnt give a damn, Cueto might have had bravado, but clearly wasn't ready for prime time.

There is good news- fans DID show energy- when Hamiltob was in the game- for Ludwick, not so much. Bailey looks ready to join Latos at the top of the rotation, Chapman looks like a nuclear weapon looking for an impact role befitting his power. Leake had a shockingly effective season, leaving Cueto as possibly the best bonus SP in MLB. Mesoraco and Frazier and Cozart and Hamilton appear to have no impediments to playing time progress this year, and with Dusty went his "thalt shalt not steal" philosophy. Bruce had a very cleanup hitter worthy year. Votto will be Votto. Cingrani looks as ready as he will be.

Biggest question marks are how Prices offensive philosophy differs from Dusty's( I hope considerably), how the lineup will respond (they do have enough talent to benefit from a manager that DOES give a shit )- specifically how BP's attitude is and how Votto will deal with expectations that appear to be unrealistic, and how the emerging players (Cozart, Meso, Frazier, Cingrani) develop. Ludwick remains a late career gamble, that the farm may not be ready to condensate for yet.

There is still time for a deal, but the payroll suggests this is a team that has to develop from within, and to learn to take advantage when opportunity is there, unlike Dusty, who was never urgent with another year on his deal. They have to be healthy, the pitching abd D has to remain good, and they have to beat 90 loss teams.

 

[WvuDieHard]

DIONER NAVARRO signs a Two-year, $8 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. WTF are you kidding me? That is insane.