Three way trade (TOR, LAA, CIN)

[Derwood]

Reviewing medicals on:

 

Jay Bruce to TOR

Michael Saunders to LAA

Prospects to CIN

[NOLA]

The Reds might be historically bad.

[Cubswin11]

The Reds might be historically bad.

They could, I think the Brewers could/should be worse though. The Reds starting pitching could end up being above average and they still have a top 10 hitter in baseball in the lineup. They will still be bad, but idk about historically bad. The rotation could be good enough to keep them from losing much more than 90ish games.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This trade amuses me if only for the optics that the Angels, a team with a truly historically empty farm system, are only being included to supply the necessary prospects.

[Sammy Sofa]

How many more ways can history be made with this trade?!?

[Derwood]

a Reds fan on Facebook said "why are people okay with this trade but freaked out about Frazier? They're basically the same player"

[NOLA]

Thirteen of the Cubs last 26 games are vs the Brewers and Reds.

[Cubswin11]

a Reds fan on Facebook said "why are people okay with this trade but freaked out about Frazier? They're basically the same player"

They aren't all that dissimilar of offensive players

[Derwood]

a Reds fan on Facebook said "why are people okay with this trade but freaked out about Frazier? They're basically the same player"

They aren't all that dissimilar of offensive players

 

well, last year Frazier was a 4.0 fWAR and Bruce was a 0.8 fWAR

[Gilby]

I know the expectation shouldn't be that we match last year's win total, but jeez I really don't see how we end up with less.

[UMFan83]

I don't know why they aren't trading Votto. He's 32 but still probably has the most value of anyone on last years Reds and because of his age isn't going to be on the next good Reds team

[toonsterwu]

I'm going to be mildly curious what the Angels gave up. Considering how bad their farm system is, to potentially get a regular and avoid that platoon ... it's hard to see a cost they gave up that could be considered too much, but it's not impossible. At worst, they gave up some lottery ticket assets for a lottery ticket hope at a regular in the bigs. All in all, considering how thin their system is, and their financial limitations (I think), this could be a pretty good deal for them.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't know why they aren't trading Votto. He's 32 but still probably has the most value of anyone on last years Reds and because of his age isn't going to be on the next good Reds team

 

There aren't a whole lot of teams at the intersection of 'can afford to pay Votto's contract' and 'need a 1B (especially one w/ Votto's contract)'. Look at the 1B depth chart: http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=1B

 

All those teams below 2 WAR are a combination of rebuilding teams, teams with no money to afford Votto, and teams where you can squint to see a fit but they have other 1B considerations that make trading for a 1B unlikely. Maybe as the season progresses if somebody goes down it'd be a better fit.

[Cubswin11]

Votto to the Astros seems like a good fit, they should have the ability to take on a good chunk of his contract and have the prospects

[NOLA]

Votto to the Astros seems like a good fit, they should have the ability to take on a good chunk of his contract and have the prospects

Pedro Alvarez is also a good fit there.

[Cubswin11]

Votto to the Astros seems like a good fit, they should have the ability to take on a good chunk of his contract and have the prospects

Pedro Alvarez is also a good fit there.

Don't they basically have him in Singleton?

[David]

trade fell through

[MWV]

Crasnick speculates that the holdup was Saunder's knee. I guess the Reds will have to find a different 3rd team to get a garbage return from this time.

[CubInOK]

I know the expectation shouldn't be that we match last year's win total, but jeez I really don't see how we end up with less.

How many games will we win against the division this year? 60?

[Tryptamine]

Votto to the Astros seems like a good fit, they should have the ability to take on a good chunk of his contract and have the prospects

Pedro Alvarez is also a good fit there.

 

AJ Reed should be up by July and that kid can absolutely rake.

[SRQCub]

Crasnick speculates that the holdup was Saunder's knee. I guess the Reds will have to find a different 3rd team to get a garbage return from this time.

 

Why can't the Reds and Jays just make the deal between them? The prospects coming from the Angels were not going to be good, anyway, and it's not as though the Jays don't have a couple of those guys lying around.

[Tim]

I'm just glad there's no Votto to StL rumor.

[Banedon]

I'm just glad there's no Votto to StL rumor.

 

[Thusly Boned]

I'm just glad there's no Votto to StL rumor.

 

By all accounts, Votto doesn't want to leave Cincy, for whatever reason, partially because he seems to be under the impression that last season was rock bottom and things will start trending up in 2016. He may come around, but it probably won't be anytime real soon.

 

And I can't see Mozeliak taking on the rest of Votto's contract. He's great now, but the end of that deal is probably going to be some serious dead weight. Plus there's the cost: most of the Cardinals' prospect depth is in the low minors, and Cincy would probably want MLB ready talent, so discussions would probably start with more than one of Reyes, Martinez, Piscotty, etc. And I would imagine that the talent cost for enticing a mid-market like the Reds to eat much of that contract would be eye watering.

 

I don't see a deal sending Votto to St. Louis that doesn't end up being a lateral move for the present and a net loss down the line.

 

Aside from that, it really seems like Cincy has been half-assing this rebuild. They don't seem to be as motivated to move assets as they should be, and the returns on the deals they have made have been less than impressive.

[sneakypower]

Thirteen of the Cubs last 26 games are vs the Brewers and Reds.

nice that we should still win a lot of those games we won't be trying all that hard to win