Reds Off-Season Thread

• jordo212000

  

  I still think they need to work out a deal that sends Votto to Toronto for Jose Bautista
• SportsAndLady

  

  IggyPride00;1065589 wrote:With the Prince Fielder contract yesterday does management start shopping Votto soon? There clearly is no way to keep him, and everyday he gets closer to free agency the deals will get smaller as far as what comes back in return.
  
  What is the vibe down there in Cincy now? Having lived through this situation with CC and Cliff Lee I am well aware that it is always in the back of the team and fans minds as the season approaches.

  That talk won't come up until next offseason/season. Cinci has a winning team this year, perhaps their best team in over a decade, and they certainly won't even think about dealing Votto until the season's up.
• stroups

  

  Reds close to signing former rockies pitcher jeff francis to a minor league deal.
• dave

  Walt is keeping Joey imo. He's not committing any long term money. Det is just one less big market they will be competing against. I still think it comes down to Cincy and Toronto.
  
  I'm glad they upgraded their emergency reliever from janish to Valdez.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Mesoraco and Billy Hamilton on MLB's top 100 prospects list
  
  Hamilton is #34, that seems wayyyy too generous lol
• swamisez

  

  Anyone going to any of the caravan stops?
• Azubuike24

  

  Reds signed Jeff Francis to a minor league deal.
• se-alum

  

  They're in Chillicothe today, would've like to have gone, but couldn't. Wanted to listen to it on the radio, ended up having a meeting. Damn work.
• thavoice

  swamisez;1066464 wrote:Anyone going to any of the caravan stops?

  They do a small, private gathering locally only for employees and advertisers for a station tha covers them. I went to it a couple of times and it was pretty cool because there is usually less than 100 people there. Been to the 'bigger' onces before and just dont like them as much as I probably am spoiled that this other one ya actually get to talk to the guys. Last year I actually carried on a convo with a front office type, forget his name, Marty, Meseraco and a little bit with BP. BP was a bit more uppity and more interested in the few ladies that were working there. Ryan Freel looked like he was miserable....and ya could almost read his mind when he was looking at the tub of beer on ice!
  
  
  but I digress.......
• Quint

  

  thavoice;1066810 wrote:They do a small, private gathering locally only for employees and advertisers for a station tha covers them. I went to it a couple of times and it was pretty cool because there is usually less than 100 people there. Been to the 'bigger' onces before and just dont like them as much as I probably am spoiled that this other one ya actually get to talk to the guys. Last year I actually carried on a convo with a front office type, forget his name, Marty, Meseraco and a little bit with BP. BP was a bit more uppity and more interested in the few ladies that were working there. Ryan Freel looked like he was miserable....and ya could almost read his mind when he was looking at the tub of beer on ice!
  
  
  but I digress.......

  My girlfriend works at WKKJ in Chillicothe. Brandon Phillips has tried to get her number on 2 separate occasions.
  
  Dusty Baker also dropped a great one-liner on her last year. When Dusty found out that my girlfriend's mom is Mexican, he said, "Oh. . . So ya get ya flava from ya mama!" He then carried on a conversation with her mom in Spanish. He also told about how he got lost in Chillicothe the day before, so he just went to some guy's backyard to ask for directions and ended up hanging out for a couple hours.
• thavoice

  Quint;1066847 wrote:My girlfriend works at WKKJ in Chillicothe. Brandon Phillips has tried to get her number on 2 separate occasions.
  
  Dusty Baker also dropped a great one-liner on her last year. When Dusty found out that my girlfriend's mom is Mexican, he said, "Oh. . . So ya get ya flava from ya mama!" He then carried on a conversation with her mom in Spanish. He also told about how he got lost in Chillicothe the day before, so he just went to some guy's backyard to ask for directions and ended up hanging out for a couple hours.

  Ha, good stuff. I was standing next to one of the girls working there and he made a couple of off color comments to her. Not bad, but still took me by surprise. Something along the lines of if he wanted a straw (think he got a mixed drink maybe) and he said she could stir it with her finger, or better yet just jump into the drink with him. Odd things like that....and she wasnt even that attractive! Probably gets off flirting with the help ya know!
  
  After got done talking to them we went back to the other part of the resturant. When they were leaving someone yelled "see ya here next year Brandon". As he walked out and right next to us he said "man i hope i dont have to come next year' and his buddy and he laughed.
• dave

  the caravan used to be good about 3 yrs ago, now its a clusterfuck just like redsfest.
• thavoice

  dave;1066896 wrote:the caravan used to be good about 3 yrs ago, now its a cluster**** just like redsfest.

  probably because of the interest...getting so big possibly?
• SportsAndLady

  

  Brandon Phillips walked into a bar in Athens a couple years back when I was there...dude at the door asked for his ID, he gave it to him, signed it, and said he can keep it. haha
• Ironman92

  

  Quint;1066847 wrote:My girlfriend works at WKKJ in Chillicothe. Brandon Phillips has tried to get her number on 2 separate occasions.
  
  Dusty Baker also dropped a great one-liner on her last year. When Dusty found out that my girlfriend's mom is Mexican, he said, "Oh. . . So ya get ya flava from ya mama!" He then carried on a conversation with her mom in Spanish. He also told about how he got lost in Chillicothe the day before, so he just went to some guy's backyard to ask for directions and ended up hanging out for a couple hours.

  
  Maybe before each game Dusty can go to this guy's backyard and fill out the lineup in a reasonable manner
• dave

  2 yr deal with Arredondo just reached. Another move only going the length of Joey's current contract.
• IggyPride00

  

  Buster Olney put up about a 3 minute video about how he thinks the Dodgers will be the biggest suitor for Votto, and how the Reds were actually the biggest loser because of the Prince contract.
  
  Apparently they had been after him for 2 months, and had they landed him would have been out of the running for a 1st baseman.
  
  With a new owner on the way and a huge TV deal set to kick in, they will be plush with cash and looking to finally land a first baseman. Scouts seem to think Votto is the type of player that will age well, and that he is going to land a humongous contract.
  
  As a Tribe fan I can tell you that it is imperative for the Reds to get off to a quick start, because if they don't, all the sudden the issue of Votto/Phillips and their contracts will become the narrative. Kind of like in 2008 when we thought coming off the 07ALCS we were on the cusp of a World Series. We started slow and then all the sudden the CC and Lee contracts became the story, and the season unraveled.
• SportsAndLady

  

  IggyPride00;1067118 wrote:Buster Olney put up about a 3 minute video about how he thinks the Dodgers will be the biggest suitor for Votto, and how the Reds were actually the biggest loser because of the Prince contract.
  
  Apparently they had been after him for 2 months, and had they landed him would have been out of the running for a 1st baseman.
  
  With a new owner on the way and a huge TV deal set to kick in, they will be plush with cash and looking to finally land a first baseman. Scouts seem to think Votto is the type of player that will age well, and that he is going to land a humongous contract.
  
  As a Tribe fan I can tell you that it is imperative for the Reds to get off to a quick start, because if they don't, all the sudden the issue of Votto/Phillips and their contracts will become the narrative. Kind of like in 2008 when we thought coming off the 07ALCS we were on the cusp of a World Series. We started slow and then all the sudden the CC and Lee contracts became the story, and the season unraveled.

  Ok
• Azubuike24

  

  http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120126&content_id=26474240&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
  
  Looks like they may have been reading the speculation...interesting.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Azubuike24;1067171 wrote:http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120126&content_id=26474240&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
  
  Looks like they may have been reading the speculation...interesting.

  I mean it's nice to see, I guess....but it's just not going to happen. Castellini won't shell out 200 million for Votto.
  
  Hell, who knows what the # will be in 2013...probably be closer to 300 mill lol
• Azubuike24

  

  Who knows. Depends a lot on Joey. I'm sure Bob knows what he can afford and how bad he wants to keep him. His figure likely won't budge much...just like Milwaukee with Prince. However, we knew Prince was gone before the year. The fact that he wouldn't even discuss the issue basically meant that he knows the Brewers can't pay him and he's shooting for greener pastures.
  
  I don't know Votto personally, but outside of going to Toronto, is it that inconceivable that he would sign, say a 10-year, 180M dollar deal to stay with the Reds? Clearly that would be about a 20% discount from between Prince and Albert...but still. Very few teams will be able to sign him, so knowing this day will come, he's pretty much got every option in-front of him.
  
  I guess I'm pessimistically optimistic. The Reds have constantly "surprised" all of us this off-season...why not continue with the momentum?
• SportsAndLady

  

  Azubuike24;1067195 wrote:Who knows. Depends a lot on Joey. I'm sure Bob knows what he can afford and how bad he wants to keep him. His figure likely won't budge much...just like Milwaukee with Prince. However, we knew Prince was gone before the year. The fact that he wouldn't even discuss the issue basically meant that he knows the Brewers can't pay him and he's shooting for greener pastures.
  
  I don't know Votto personally, but outside of going to Toronto, is it that inconceivable that he would sign, say a 10-year, 180M dollar deal to stay with the Reds? Clearly that would be about a 20% discount from between Prince and Albert...but still. Very few teams will be able to sign him, so knowing this day will come, he's pretty much got every option in-front of him.
  
  I guess I'm pessimistically optimistic. The Reds have constantly "surprised" all of us this off-season...why not continue with the momentum?

  True, and good points.
  
  But if MLB history is showing us anything, it's that he will leave.
• swamisez

  

  Reds want to keep him for sure, figure he will get offered a deal that adds another 6 years at 18 million per.
  
  Someone will pay more, but if he doesn't have a dynamite year this year that value is sure to fall.
• Midstate01

  

  Oswalt signed with the cards
• Azubuike24

  

  Carpenter
  Wainwright
  Oswalt
  Garcia
  Lohse
  
  Hate to say it, but even without Albert, the Cards are the favorites in the Central. I do think the Reds have more upside, and the Cards have a lot of patched together pieces. Wainwright coming off an injury, Oswalt, Beltran and Furcal are all injury-prone. Can Berkman match last year? Will Holliday adjust to being "the guy?" Feet to the fire now for John Jay and Allen Craig as everyday players. Same with David Freese, who will have heavy expectations after last year's postseason. Their bullpen is still patchwork, but they rallied amazingly last season. All of this, plus, a new manager with no experience. We'll see. Should be a two-horse race...