In seperate interviews today with Jocketty and Castellini both said that the shopping for the offseason is over, with at least one big hole left to be filled. The payroll is at the budget limit, and unless Obama can miraculously revive this economy before baseball season and the Reds sell out their stadium with season tickets, that budget ain't changing. With no other major free agent signings, and this budget supposedly in place since the fall, it makes me wonder if they really had any intentions of going after that left fielder at all? They did take on a little salary in Hernandez, but I don't think that was more than what they were expecting to take on for the catcher they wanted (and let me reiterate that I still think that was a bad trade: we picked up an overpaid mediocre catcher. I reserve the right to take back my comment should he have a career year and be that hitter we were looking for all along). Taveras also cost a little money, but again, they knew they were going to have to spend that money all along, and should have been planning on that as well.
Walt Jocketty
22 January 2009
28 December 2008
Ok, so there really is no truth at all to the title. Walt Jocketty has even denied any interest in offering Sosa a contract. But a recent story this week ( http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3793001) made me think about all the "what-ifs." It's been no secret that the Reds have wanted to add a right handed bat in the outfield to the starting lineup this off season, preferably a power bat to replace Adam Dunn. Pat Burrell was the first name on the list, but it looks like he would be too expensive and in my opinion too much like Dunn. The strikeouts are lower, the average is higher, the defense is about the same, and the walks are lower: so it's not a carbon copy. But there was a reason the team traded Dunn, simply because that's not the kind of bat (or defense) we need. The deal with the White Sox for Jermaine Dye fell through, presumably because of the money. What other options are out there?
Posted by Matthew Deitner | No comments yet
