When judging the Adam Dunn trade, don't forget the two players to be named.
The one player announced was Dallas Buck and the other two players have to be minor leaguers. However, those two players to be named are on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster, a source tells The Lot D.
The Reds wouldn't have done the deal without getting a Major League-ready pitcher. That means it's either Micah Owings, Max Scherzer or Jailen Peguero. If it's Owings or Scherzer, does that change your opinion of the deal?
Expect the other to be a position player, which would be catcher Wilkin Castillo or one of two first basemen, Javier Brito or Josh Whitesell.
When Wayne Krivsky was fired earlier this season, Reds owner Bob Castellini famously said "we're not going to lose anymore."
The Reds have gone 1-9 since trading Ken Griffey Jr. and on Monday
traded Adam Dunn, the Major League-leader in home runs, so the question
that seems only natural is, "when does the winning start?"
Castellini told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "We're doing the best we can to get better."
However, manager Dusty Baker feels like he's been armed with a
slingshot when asked how his team, already an unimpressive 52-67, will
compete. The Reds must win 11 of their remaining 43 games to avoid
losing 100 games for the second time in team history.
"David slew Goliath, you know. We just have to see. You guys ask me
questions, I don't really have any more answers to," Baker said.
When asked if the latest move -- Dunn for minor league pitcher Dallas
Baker and two players to be named who have already been decided upon
and are on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster, which include pitcher Micah
Owings and Max Scherzer -- put the Reds solidly in the role of David,
Baker responded: "I've been in the David role for a while if you
haven't see how many runs we've been scoring. You do what you can do.
That's my job."
Baker has recently complained about this team not being made up of
players he selected -- besides Corey Patterson, obviously, and
Francisco Cordero, whom he said he recruited -- he'll have what appears
to be a blank canvas this off-season.
With Dunn gone, there's one less free agent to make a decision about,
and 11 more for them to make a decision on. General manager Walt
Jocketty was in the Dominican Republic and not available for comment.
One of the Reds free agents, reliever David Weathers, expressed
optimism in Jocketty, who led the Cardinals to a World Series title in
2006.
In the last two weeks, the Reds have jettisoned two of the franchise's top 10 home run hitters.
"Maybe they're thinking in the future that we'll replace the home runs
with guys that are gap-to-gap hitters, are a little faster," Weather
said. "Walt has a plan and he doesn't do anything by the seat of his
pants. He does it with a lot of thought involved and he's going to
build this team."
On Sunday, the team designated catcher David Ross for assignment,
calling up minor leaguer Ryan Hanigan, who hit his first career home
run in a loss to the Astros.
The Reds haven't announced who will replace Dunn on the 25-man roster,
but it will likely be outfielder Chris Dickerson, who is hitting .287
with11 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Bats.
"Talk to Walt tonight to see who is best tonight. It'll be someone relatively young, someone out of AAA," Baker said.
Dickerson is on the team’s 40-man roster, but has never played in a big league game.
The Diamondbacks claimed Dunn on trade waivers and the two teams worked
out the deal over the last couple of days, culminating in a finished
deal on Monday morning.
"Most teams put everyone they have through trade waivers. It's sort of
like fishing, you throw bait in the water," said assistant general
manager Bob Miller. "You put everybody out and teams claim, some teams
block. Arizona was the team that had the worst record in the National
League that selected Dunn when we put them on waivers. Who knows if
they were blocking? We don't know what their motives were, but they had
interest in Dunn and in the last four days we had conversations and
early this morning we got it done."
Miller said "several" teams put claims on Dunn, but the Diamondbacks at
60-58 had the worst record of the teams that put a claim in on him.
The Reds receivers Buck, a 2006 third-round selection, and two other players, who will be announced at a later date.
Buck, a right-hander, led Oregon State to a College World Series title
despite arm troubles which caused his draft stock to slip. He tried to
pitch through arm troubles for a year-and-a-half before undergoing
"Tommy John" elbow surgery last season.
This season he was 1-4 with a 3.94 ERA for South Bend of the Class A
Midwest League before being promoted last week to High Class A Visalia
of the California League, where he made one start, allowing three
unearned runs in five innings.
"He's had 10 starts so far and looked good," said Miller. "He's got a
good sinkerball, he's a battler, to pitch that long with a torn
ligament, you know he’s a bulldog. We liked him in the draft, too, but
he had those arm issues."
Although Miller, Baker and others have said no decision had been made
about Dunn's future, this move means it likely won't be in Cincinnati.
Dunn could sign with the Reds as a free agent, but it's not likely. The
Reds may have received two draft picks in compensation had they offered
Dunn arbitration and he declined, but he could also have accepted and
the Reds would have had a one-year deal with Dunn and not been able to
move on to the next phase of the club's development.
Dunn said he received the call Monday morning. He is scheduled to bat
fourth and play right field on Tuesday for the Diamondbacks in Colorado.
"I'll get my feet wet out there," Dunn said of playing right. "I don't
care where I hit or where I play, I'm just excited to play."
The Reds' next phase started two weeks ago when Griffey was traded and continued Monday with Dunn's departure.
"You don't know anything long term, you never know, it's like planting
a tree or making an investment -- you don't know if that investment is
going to grow or that tree is going to bear fruit until later," Baker
said.
All Reds fans know is that despite the vegetable czar's promises, Castellini hasn't delivered any bananas. Not even close.
"It was fairly sudden. I’d heard Walt and Mr. Castellini mention yesterday that Arizona had claimed Adam Dunn and there was no deal done and nothing was shaking. The next thing I know is it’s up."
"If we thought there was a deal, Walt would not have gone to the Dominican. They persued Adam, not us."
"He’s a free agent, he can still come back, you don’t know what can happen."
On who will replace Dunn on the roster: "Talk to Walt tonight to see who is best tonight. It’ll be someone relatively young, someone out of AAA."
"It’s tougher to lose a good guy than the 40 home run guy, it’s tough to replace his offense, it’s tougher to replace the man. I really liked Adam over the short time I was here. There’s baseball decisions and there are business decisions."
"You don’t know anyting long term, you never know, it’s like planting a tree or making an investment – you don’t know if that investment is going to grow or that tree is going to bear fruit until later. You just have to see."
"No, things haven’t been the same since Griff left. Any time you lose a player or add a player, it changes the personality of the team. It changes the dynamics of the team, and when you lose two major players, it really changes the dynmaics and personality of the team."
"David slew Goliath, you know. We just have to see. You guys ask me questions, I don’t really have any more answers to."
"I’ve been in the David role for a while if you haven’t see how many runs we’ve been scoring. You do what you can do. That’s my job."
"He was working, big time. I was helping him work on it, I was a left fielder myself. He was working on it big time. I commended him on it the other day, a couple of days ago. I commended him on how he was getting better jumps, he was in the ballgame every pitch, I saw him moving when he saw a breaking ball coming and going toward the line, or staying in left-center when there was a fastball away. I just commended him."
From assistant GM Bob Miller:
On Baker: "He would have been a first-rounder, but he had some arm difficulties, pitched through them, helped them through the World Series title. He tried to pitch through them the next year-and-a-half before having surgery. He’s had 10 starts so far and looked good."
More on Baker: "Good sinkerball, he’s a battler, to pitch that long with a torn ligament, you know he’s a bulldog. We liked him in the draft, too, but he had those arm issues."
On the players to be named: "The other two have already been determined. It's just the fact you have to go through procedures at this point."
On the wiaver process: "Most teams put everyone they have through trade waivers. It’s sort of like fishing, you throw bait in the water. That’s the best way I can explain it. You put everybody out and teams claim, some teams block. Arizona was the team that had the worst record in the National League that selected Dunn when we put them on waivers. Who knows if they were blocking? We don’t know what their motives were, but they had interest in Dunn and in the last four days we had conversations and early this morning we got it done. We had conversations late last night, was talking to Walt last night and talked to him this morning in Atlanta and talked to him in the Dominican."
"We’re not allowed to say who claimed him, but there were many clubs that did claim him."
On whether a decision had already been made on Dunn's future in Cincinnati: "No. We started talking trade, we got the players we wanted. As Dusty said, he’s a free agent after the season."
Dunn to Arizona for Dallas Buck, a right-handed pitcher out of Oregon State and two players to be named.
I didn't expect him back, but wasn't sure they'd get more than the two compensation picks that they'd get from him leaving. Apparently they think it's enough now.
* I will not be in Green Bay tonight, but it's the lone Bengals game I will miss this season. As for what to watch for tonight, I'll be interested in the third receiver (Houshmandzadeh's not going to play, Chad Johnson will play very little, if at all) -- which looks so far as a battle between Antonio Chatman and Marcus Maxwell.
There's also the battle for the third quarterback between Jeff Rowe and Jordan Palmer.
I don't know how much Ben Utecht will play, but Carson Palmer will probably only get about 8-10 snaps, so we're not going to get to see too much between the two.
I'm also curious about the defense in general. It's not going to be a great way to see how far they've come, but there will be a some difference.
* I'll be on ESPN today at 11:20 and 1:20, if you're interested. The first one will be more general and Chad Johnson, the second is going to be other stuff.
* Yeah, not sure I'm too upset about not seeing the Reds the last two weeks. It was kinda nice that the hotel in Georgetown didn't have FSN Ohio, so I didn't have to see the games.
* Anyone surprised by the NCAA's decision to not grant Ben Mauk another year was either kidding themselves or doesn't have much experience with the NCAA.
* I'm loving my man Josh Katzowitz's Katz on the Cats blog. Josh understands blogging and does a great job. I'm glad that outlet is out there.
* One of my best friends got to see the Hold Steady in Athens this weekend and I'm so jealous. The good news is there are rumors THS may tour with the Drive-By Truckers. That would be one incredible show.
