If you go back to what Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty said earlier this year,the payroll flexibility to add acquisitions would be firmly tied attendance. Well, Reds fans, if the Reds don't make any moves I suppose we only have ourselves to blame.
The Reds have the #19 payroll in the big leagues right now, and are sitting #23 in average attendance (22,850 per game). Even a slight boost of only 2,000 per game would jump them up to around 17th place.
It's hard to imagine this team going after a Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt unless the other team is picking up this year's tab, and Arizona and Houston reportedly don't want to add payroll.
Even if you're dealing with a team that will take payroll, like Toronto last year, you're going to pay through the nose in prospects. Remember that the Rolen deal included the best starting and relief pitching prospects the Reds had at the time, in addition to their starting 3rd baseman (OK, we all know E5 stunk, but still).
I criticized the deal then and now, not because I think they shouldn't have gotten Rolen, but because they threw good money (prospect value) after bad (E5's horrid two year contract). The Reds and Jocketty basically decided to go cheaper in the short term ('09) and offered Edwin a back-loaded 2 year deal. Toronto was paying for Rolen AND Encarnacion, and it cost the Reds both Zach Stewart AND Josh Roenicke. Think Roenicke could've helped this craptastic bullpen this year?
Anyhow, the point is that the Reds have the prospects to make just about any move they want, but unless there are more butts in seats in the second half there won't be any more money for payroll. That means that the potential trading partners are narrowed severely, and probably take out the best fits.
C'mon fans (myself included), let's try to make at least one extra game. Do it for Dan Haren.
I would totally be going to games if I didn't live so darn far away in Marysville. I will get to at least one this year though. I haven't been to a Reds game when they were in first place since 1990.
ReplyDeleteThe Reds have to buy some bullpen help. As long as they don't mortgage any future stars. The bullpen is killing them this year.
Dan Haren would be amazing in Reds uniform, but do we need him? With T. Wood pitching well and Maloney pitching well his last start, let the young guys go. So long A. Harang, Is Edison going to come back strong, can he be as strong as he was less than a year after tommy john? I agree we need bullpen help too, Cordero is lossing it fast, but he is our closer Reds fans, like it or not. When is Chapman going to be ready? I'd say look for a good righty bullpen guy, because Masset(Dominate at times)scares the shit out of me. I'm more nervous with left field, Gomes can't keep this up right? Whatever you do Reds, don't trade away the future, not this year. Btw, I will be sitting 3 rows behind home plate, thanks to the Berry Company, tomorrow night when J. Hammel of the Rockies shuts us down. Kid has been on fire. KW
ReplyDeleteThe Reds have no legit #1 starter in a playoff series, so I think they'd be exponentially better with a Haren or an Oswalt. Wood is probably a #4 starter in the league, maybe a 3. Maloney is probably not a big leaguer for most organizations. Leake is not going #1, neither is Arroyo (unless you have no choice). That leaves Cueto, and while he's been great, I still see a good #2 starter.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a shame to win the division and be one and done in the playoffs because your starting pitching didn't give you a chance.
We'll see on Volquez. I keep thinking back to Liriano last year. Maybe the PED's will put Volky in a better spot, but you can't count on that.
Chapman will absolutely help this bullpen. Vs. lefties or righties, he's got the stuff to make 7th or 8th innings disappear.
The bad thing, right now, is that there are a bunch of teams looking for relief help and there's very little out there.