Offseason Ideas

[ChrisSabo17]

I was thinking.... With LF or 3B (Frazier to play one or another) and CF being obvious openings for a leadoff hitter what is there to do. I am not a Stubbs hater I think he has alot of tools that if develope he could be scary good, but it might be ime for him to move on or use him as a 4th outfielder and then Hiesy becomes expendable. Either way a package of Stubbs or Hiesy with Didi could get a player at the end of a contract to play a couple of years until Hamilton is ready. Players like Choo would be perfect. You would have to throw in a arm with that deal but Fowler or someone out there could hit leadoff and make our lineup scary. Feel free to throw ideas and or leadoff guys and the price tag to trade for them. It is pretty obvious the Reds will not be in the free agency mix.

Choo or Fowler
Frazier
J.Voto
BP
Bruuuuuce
Hiesy or Stubbs
Cozart
Hanigan

[stsparks72]

I was thinking.... With LF or 3B (Frazier to play one or another) and CF being obvious openings for a leadoff hitter what is there to do. I am not a Stubbs hater I think he has alot of tools that if develope he could be scary good, but it might be ime for him to move on or use him as a 4th outfielder and then Hiesy becomes expendable. Either way a package of Stubbs or Hiesy with Didi could get a player at the end of a contract to play a couple of years until Hamilton is ready. Players like Choo would be perfect. You would have to throw in a arm with that deal but Fowler or someone out there could hit leadoff and make our lineup scary. Feel free to throw ideas and or leadoff guys and the price tag to trade for them. It is pretty obvious the Reds will not be in the free agency mix.

Choo or Fowler
Frazier
J.Voto
BP
Bruuuuuce
Hiesy or Stubbs
Cozart
Hanigan

I agree with you there. I think resigning Ludwick or bringing in a big free agent to hit leadoff is unlikely to happen. The Reds just have too many arb eligible players to sign and those players who are signed are getting big raises in 2013. The only free agents I could see the Reds pursuing would be somebody like Shane Victorino or Juan Pierre. Both of those guys are affordable and in the case of Victorino he could be a stop gap while Billy Hamilton makes his way through the system. Here are a couple lineup scenario's that I could see happening.

Should the Reds sign Victorino
1 - Shane Victorino CF
2 - Zack Cozart SS
3 - Joey Votto 1B
4 - Brandon Phillips 2B
5 - Jay Bruce RF
6 - Todd Frazier 3B
7 - Chris Heisey LF
8 - Ryan Hanigan C

Should the Reds sign Pierre
1 - Juan Pierre LF
2 - Zack Cozart SS
3 - Joey Votto 1B
4 - Brandon Phillips 2B
5 - Jay Bruce RF
6 - Todd Frazier 3B
7 - Chris Heisey CF
8 - Ryan Hanigan C

Victorino is only 32 and even if he hits .265 that is still better production than the Reds have gotten out of the leadoff spot from anyone other than Phillips. I also think with Victorino the Reds won't lose much (if anything) in the way of defense out in CF. I would love to see the Reds sign Victorino to a 2 year deal with a 3rd year option (with a buyout). If anything, the Reds might be able get a couple decent years out of Shane and in the meantime if Hamilton is ready they can go ahead and put him in LF. Then the Reds have a lineup like this.

1 - Billy Hamilton LF
2 - Shane Victorino CF
3 - Joey Votto 1B
4 - Brandon Phillips 2B
5 - Jay Bruce RF
6 - Todd Frazier 3B
7 - Zack Cozart SS
8 - Ryan Hanigan C

Sure would be nice to have that kind of speed at the top of the order. Between Hamilton and Victorino somebody will be in scoring position a lot for Votto or Phillips.

[stsparks72]

What about the bullpen?

Broxton will likely not return, although I hope he does. The Reds might resign Madson, but no way would I offer him much more than a 1 year deal worth 500k coming off Tommy John surgery.

CL - Aroldis Chapman (left)
SET - J.J. Hoover (right)
RP - Sean Marshall (left)
RP - Alfredo Simon (right)
RP - Jose Arredondo (right)
LONG - Sam LeCure (right)

That leaves Logan Ondrusek and Nick Masset out of the mix unless the Reds go with 12 pitchers. Good to know that the Reds still have a little depth here should they offer arbitration to those who are eligible.

The starting rotation could be a little more interesting. Since Chapman is pretty much a lock at closer now, the Reds may still be looking for a lefthanded starter. Could Tony Cingrani be that option? If so, what does that mean for Mike Leake? All things considered, Leake is one of the best #5 starters in the NL. A lot of teams would love to have a player like Mike Leake as their #5 guy or even as their #4 guy. Could Leake or Cingrani be trade bait this offseason for a leadoff hitter?

[ChrisSabo17]

I had a thought, Do the Reds call up Cingrani last year as a showcase? Are they more willing to move him over Corcino? I really like Corcino. He is going to be a stud and I will be upset if they trade him. I also like Stephenson too. Cingrani is the 3rd guy in my opinion. He has a high ceiling but not a third pitch yet so he might be nothing more than a setup man. He might be a 18 game winner too. The risk is high though. Just thinking out loud.

[redsfan6794]

I had a thought, Do the Reds call up Cingrani last year as a showcase? Are they more willing to move him over Corcino? I really like Corcino. He is going to be a stud and I will be upset if they trade him. I also like Stephenson too. Cingrani is the 3rd guy in my opinion. He has a high ceiling but not a third pitch yet so he might be nothing more than a setup man. He might be a 18 game winner too. The risk is high though. Just thinking out loud.

Corcino has a tremendous upside BUT he needs to work on control a little more, He had more wild pitches than anyone on the AA staff last season.

I'd honestly like us to keep both Tony and Daniel. I would honestly like to see us trade Arroyo. I know he is coming off a great year, but isn't he due to make around 11mil this year if not more? That would give us a lot more options payroll wise in trying to find a leadoff hitter. That would also give Cingrani/Redmond/30 something free agent the 5th spot and give a little more time for Corcino to develop.

I also read on a John Fay live chat that it could be possible for a Kearns-Reds reunion, though I would like to see Victorino in a Reds uniform next season.

[ChrisSabo17]

Trading Aroyo is a good idea. That would free up a lot of money. I just don't think we can trade him and his salary. The reds would have to eat some of that salary and all the defered money. I do not understand the Kearns thing. I mean we have four outfielders and we want to add another in the leadoff spot. I don't see it.

[jlohm1]

I hope the Reds keep Arroyo.

and Kearns coming back would make no sense.

[stsparks72]

I hope the Reds keep Arroyo.

and Kearns coming back would make no sense.

Agreed on both. not sure why the Reds would want Kearns. Good chance they will lose 3 infielders this offseason (Rolen, Cairo, and Wilson). The Reds need infield depth way more than they need outfield depth.

[ChrisSabo17]

I could see the Reds sign Jose Lopez to play utility. The Reds need another SS though to play behind Cozart. I think Didi is done.. He will be delt in my opinion so we need a veteran guy to be Cozarts backup. Not sure who that is. No one is the FA pool looks good imo. Anyways freeing up Bronsons money and going out and getting Choo or Fowler makes alot of since! I hope they do it. Uncle Walt could also get the go ahead to do something huge this summer to get us over the top... I hope Bobby lets him anyways.

[jlohm1]

the Reds will probably go with young, cheaper options for the infield.

you think about it, we have Votto at 1B, Phillips at 2B, Cozart at SS, and Frazier at 3B. that's a really good IF. we just need some backups. maybe a decent backup third basemen, because if Votto get's hurt, then can move Frazier to 1B and let someone else play 3B.

i'm thinking the Reds won't offer Stubbs arbitration and let him walk. in GABP, we don't need the fastest CF, so maybe Juan Pierre can play CF. if not, he can play LF and let Heisey start CF. but if we re-sign Luddy then that won't work. the Reds have shown interest in re-signing Luddy, so we'll see.

[ChrisSabo17]

Stubbs will be tendered. What's the young prospect 2b. Can he play ss and 3b? I can't remeber his name but he was a Sept. Call up. Not Disk either the other middle IF.

[jlohm1]

I doubt Stubbs will be tendered because he has no trade value, a team may want to try him out for spring training/AAA but no team wants him the way he is now. I don't see why the Reds would offer him a contract or arbitration.

[ChrisSabo17]

I am not going to argue about Stubbs with you again. You don't like him and I think he is a solid cf that has upside. Let's leave it at that. Your a Stubbs hater, I agree that he strikesout a lot but he has upside that you can't give up on.

[jlohm1]

upside? he was called up in 2009 and is still showing no potential. lets look at his numbers last year: AVG: .213. OBP: .277. struck out 166 times and only walked 42 times.

2009 and 2010 were the only decent years he's had. and they were ok at best. nothing special at all.

a .277 OBP is laughable. especially when his backup (Heisey) hit .265 with a .315 OBP. your CF should also be a guy who is capable of scoring runs because their typically fast. but if you can't get on base, then it doesn't matter.

I think Stubbs is unfixable at this point. i think he's lost confidence in himself. if he goes somewhere else and turns his career around, I'll be happy for him. but it's not going to happen here. I can promise you that.

I'm sorry, but that stats show he doesn't have an upside anymore. he's been declining every year since we called him up. the only thing he's got going for him is his speed. that's it.

[ChrisSabo17]

Ok, Again not arguing! I wish you lived close to me though. I would win your $50 you would have to bet me for talking out your ***** on this, because the Reds will in fact tender him a contract. Every writer, and I know, you know more than every writer, Dusty Baker and Walt but they say he is a slam dunk to be tenered a contract. You need to loose your hard on for Stubbs. Its kinda freaking me out. You remind me of those ESPN commercials from some years back where the guy is talking sports and it is coming out of his *****. Just sayin..