Well it appears doughnuts didn't do the trick to inspire World Series commentary, and a visit tomorrow to one of my favorite barbecue places, Porky's in China Grove, N.C., may not inspire either. Heck, a swing to Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville on Monday probably won't do the trick, either. What's left?

Reds trades. It's gold, Jerry. Gold, I say!

The following is merely for recreational purposes. There's no rumor or great insight, not even research into availability, contracts or positional needs of the opponents. Just idle guesswork and pure Hot Stove cookin'. Would you make any of these deals?

* P Homer Bailey and P Daryl Thompson to Texas for C Gerald Laird and OF Julio Borbon.

* 3b Edwin Encarnacion, INF Adam Rosales and P Matt Maloney to San Francisco for OF Fred Lewis, LHP Alex Hinshaw and SS Emmanuel Burris

* P Bronson Arroyo, P Josh Roenicke and P Robert Manuel to Atlanta for 3b Omar Infante, OF Jeff Francoeur, OF Gorkys Hernandez and P Charlie Morton

* Or . . . P Bronson Arroyo, UTL Ryan Freel and OF Drew Stubbs to the Mets for CF Carlos Beltran.

* 2b Brandon Phillips and P Dallas Buck to Milwaukee for 2b Rickie Weeks and LHP Manny Parra.

* And the whopper . . . OF Jay Bruce to Tampa Bay for P David Price?

Add your comments or come up with your own silly trade suggestions. That is, suggestions that make a modicum of common sense for both sides.

The Beltran proposal is interesting because there's some whispers that he and the Mets are not happy. He has three years and roughly $55.5 million left on his contract with salaries of $18.5 mil a year. However, $5 mil of that is deferred (a la Griffey) and the Reds would probably require the Mets to toss in some cash on the deal, as well.

Let's say the Mets paid the deferred monies for the three years. They are out from under a huge contract, the Reds essentially replace Griffey's salary slot with Beltran, who should benefit greatly by getting out of the jet streams that have long killed home run hitters in the LaGuardia area of the ballparks. Beltran, a switch-hitter, would be exactly the type of middle of the order guy the Reds desperately need.

Oct 24, 2008 - 09:22AM, Mary wrote:

Oct 24, 2008 - 09:06AM, Mr. Redlegs wrote:

 

The following is merely for recreational purposes. There's no rumor or great insight, not even research into availability, contracts or positional needs of the opponents. Just idle guesswork and pure Hot Stove cookin'. Would you make any of these deals?

 1.  * P Homer Bailey and P Daryl Thompson to Texas for C Gerald Laird and OF Julio Borbon.

 I like the idea of having depth in pitching and do not want to part with a lot of it.  Not sure where Borbon would fit it but I would like to see what Hannigan can do as #1 catcher.

2.  * 3b Edwin Encarnacion, INF Adam Rosales and P Matt Maloney to San Francisco for OF Fred Lewis, LHP Alex Hinshaw and SS Emmanuel Burris

 With this trade make Keppinger the starting third baseman? 

3.  * P Bronson Arroyo, P Josh Roenicke and P Robert Manuel to Atlanta for 3b Omar Infante, OF Jeff Francoeur, OF Gorkys Hernandez and P Charlie Morton

 

4.  * Or . . . P Bronson Arroyo, UTL Ryan Freel and OF Drew Stubbs to the Mets for CF Carlos Beltran.

 Wouldn't this tie up a lot of the payroll again even as the contracts of Griffey & Dunn come off the books?

5.  * 2b Brandon Phillips and P Dallas Buck to Milwaukee for 2b Rickie Weeks and LHP Manny Parra.

 

6.  * And the whopper . . . OF Jay Bruce to Tampa Bay for P David Price?

 

Add your comments or come up with your own silly trade suggestions. That is, suggestions that make a modicum of common sense for both sides.

 

WOW!  you have been busy speculating.  I know very little about most of the players you have a potential acquirees, so my yays and nays are somewhat arbitrary.  

Starting with no. 6  NO WAY!.  Price has all of 6 major league appearances and Bruce is what the OF should be built around. Price would be a great acquisition, but Bruce stays, and I doubt if you could get Price at this point at a reasonable price

 

The rest I am more ambivalent about, primarily as I know next to nothing about some of the parrties mentioned, nor about their contract status.  I have mixed feelings on the Beltran proposal--Beltran is 31 vs. Stubbs at 24; he's a lifetime .280 hitter, but his HR production has declined in the past 3 years (from 41 to 33 to 27) , but he is a mixed threat, as he can steal a base as well as hit one out.  The thing that really tips me against this idea is that his agent is Scott Beelzebub Boros.  I think #1 (with Homer Bailey) could be a good idea, as I think his head is too messed up to straighten out without a change of scenery (and I don't mean moving from Louisville to Cincinnati)-the question is, does he still have trade value?

Got to go to Game 2.  Tampa Fans seem to lack energy but thats understandable after buring up a bunch of energy on the sox.  Rays got a few calls their way last night.  Evens out game 1 I guess.  I sat a row behind Justin Upton and other player families.  It was funny seeing Upton getting carded and the beer guy not putting 2 and 2 together.  No fireworks but it was still cool being there and getting a win.

Mr R, I have no love for the Rickie Weeks deal.  I don't see too many interdivisional deals happening.  Weeks is no better than a couple prospects who are on the immediate horizon at 2B.  If you move Philips I'd like to see it address an area that is not deep like a true SS like Brignac.  Valaika and Frazier are not ML SS according to most experts but have ML bats.  Valaika could be ready for 2B in 2010 and Frazier at 3B or OF.  We need to shore up SS, C and one OF spot.  I'd love to see Price but he's not going anywhere.  Madden loves this kid.  They do have a ton of young pitchers that could be had for 2B help or an OF bat or future prospects to take the place of guys they are unwilling to pay.  I'd like to see us send them Alonso one of our bullpen prospects(not Fisher) for Brignac and a starting pitcher.

The Phillips trade proposal is really the framework of a deal some dude has been pitching at RedlegNation.com. Thought I'd toss it out there for some reax.

Beltran is an established All-Star player and legit middle-of-the-order bat. Drew Stubbs was in A-ball a year ago. Dude, you make that deal.

One of the things I tried to do in dreaming up these deals is that each one addressed a need.

Excess pitching brings a starting catcher a potential leadoff bat and starting center fielder. EE brings a starting left fielder, a situational lefty and a terrific young SS prospect. Arroyo brings a new starting 3b and a new RF. Phillips is traded at high value for a short-term fill-in awaiting Valaika while also getting a potential lefty starting pitcher. 

Bruce for Price was supposed to elicit outrage or emotion; it didn't even raise much of a complaint.