Better Dead Than Red
The Cincinnati Reds changed their management team over the winter, but they didn't change their ways. Having finally found a way to clear their logjam in the outfield by finding someone dumb enough to take Sean Casey off their hands, the Reds turned around and punted their good fortune this week.
I know that the Reds are desperate for pitching, but why would anyone in his right mind trade Wily Mo Pena to get Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo is a decent enough middle/back end of the staff guy, but not anyone to get all excited about. I wouldn't trade somelike like Pena to get Bronson Arroyo, Charles Bronson, and Then Came Bronson.
Pena is a 22-year-old who slugged .500 over the past two years. Young players who slug .500 at that age don't grow on trees. Baseball Prospectus lists among his ten most comparable players at his age Willie Stargell, Frank Howard, Jesse Barfield, and Kirk Gibson, while baseball-reference.com lists Harmon Killebrew, Rocky Colavito, Willie Horton, and Roger Maris. Arroyo's best comp is to grow up to be Ron Reed.
Just because Pena has a similar profile to those guys doesn't mean that he will develop into one of them. But if you were running a last place team, wouldn't you rather take that chance than trade it away for a guy that the Red Sox found two years ago on the scrap heap?
But it gets better. With Pena traded, the Reds moved Adam Dunn back to the outfield, making room at first for...are you ready for this? Scott Hatteberg. Perfect. With Hatteberg and Tony Womack, the Reds will have the weakest right side of the infield of any team in the majors. Including the Royals. The Sacramento Rivercats will have a better right side.
And to top it off, the remaining outfielders for the Reds are famed Iron Men Ken Griffey Jr. and Austin Kearns. Look for a Dunn/Ryan Freel/Chris Denorfia outfield by July.
Remember when the Reds were the Big Red Machine? They are now the Big Red Perpetual Motion Machine, designed with the hope that it will function in the face of all logic and physical laws. Good luck with that.
I know that the Reds are desperate for pitching, but why would anyone in his right mind trade Wily Mo Pena to get Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo is a decent enough middle/back end of the staff guy, but not anyone to get all excited about. I wouldn't trade somelike like Pena to get Bronson Arroyo, Charles Bronson, and Then Came Bronson.
Pena is a 22-year-old who slugged .500 over the past two years. Young players who slug .500 at that age don't grow on trees. Baseball Prospectus lists among his ten most comparable players at his age Willie Stargell, Frank Howard, Jesse Barfield, and Kirk Gibson, while baseball-reference.com lists Harmon Killebrew, Rocky Colavito, Willie Horton, and Roger Maris. Arroyo's best comp is to grow up to be Ron Reed.
Just because Pena has a similar profile to those guys doesn't mean that he will develop into one of them. But if you were running a last place team, wouldn't you rather take that chance than trade it away for a guy that the Red Sox found two years ago on the scrap heap?
But it gets better. With Pena traded, the Reds moved Adam Dunn back to the outfield, making room at first for...are you ready for this? Scott Hatteberg. Perfect. With Hatteberg and Tony Womack, the Reds will have the weakest right side of the infield of any team in the majors. Including the Royals. The Sacramento Rivercats will have a better right side.
And to top it off, the remaining outfielders for the Reds are famed Iron Men Ken Griffey Jr. and Austin Kearns. Look for a Dunn/Ryan Freel/Chris Denorfia outfield by July.
Remember when the Reds were the Big Red Machine? They are now the Big Red Perpetual Motion Machine, designed with the hope that it will function in the face of all logic and physical laws. Good luck with that.
posted by Jim at
3:12 PM
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