Just go trade for Jay Bruce or Markakis

[mdbdotcom]

Matt signing with another team and us getting no pick was much preferred by me. It was the right move. The pick wasn't worth the bet. We lost.

We can still win one of two ways:

1 - Matt has a good year and we go to the playoffs

2 - Matt has a good year and we are out of it, so he is traded at the deadline for more than the value of a comp pick

Obviously, neither of those is a sure thing -- he could also get hurt and miss the whole season -- but the gamble isn't over.

[Jim'sKid26]

Sometimes it does though. Especially as the time passes. I do not think the Reds have his 12.5 in the 2016 budget. But you might be right. They may be asking for young cost controlled pitching. Which we don't have anymore.

Here's the quote:

?The Reds also have engaged in preliminary discussions on deals involving two-time All-Star right fielder Jay Bruce, according to major-league sources. And though club officials say the team is merely listening on players rather than shopping them, a trade of Bruce for more cost-effective talent would be a major step toward retooling with a lower payroll in 2015.

As Rosenthal notes, the Reds likely have to trim their payroll this offseason, which could balloon to $120 million by next season. For a smaller-market club that only has one wild-card loss in the last two seasons, it's hard to justify a figure that high.?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2275175-jay-bruce-trade-rumors-latest-buzz-speculation-surrounding-reds-of

Goes on to say they are well stocked with pitching and are looking for position prospects. Would Alvarez and Walker get it done?

[Number5]

The gamble is over as far as putting together this years team. I would preferred Joseph, a cheap C partner and an extra 15M to work with.

Wow. The off-season is over before the winter meetings.

[weams]

Matt signing with another team and us getting no pick was much preferred by me. It was the right move. The pick wasn't worth the bet. We lost.

That is a very fair statement. You were in a very, very, small minority.

[mdbdotcom]

The gamble is over as far as putting together this years team. I would preferred Joseph, a cheap C partner and an extra 15M to work with. The only positive is never again having Weams argue that no one has ever accepted the QO.

If new deals can be backloaded, Wieters being on the team may have little to no impact on the roster makeup.

[weams]

The only positive is never again having Weams argue that no one has ever accepted the QO.

I can never do that again. I was right for so very long.

[weams]

If new deals can be backloaded, Wieters being on the team may have little to no impact on the roster makeup.

Do players like back loaded contracts? If not, then you not only have to outbid your competition, but also outbid by a substantial bit.

[Can_of_corn]

You usually get an A in history. You were always going to be right up until you were wrong. You would never had predicted anyone accepting until they did.

He might have predicted O'Day taking one.

[weams]

He might have predicted O'Day taking one.

Not until someone else did first. Not until. A Scott Boras client was never going to be first, but maybe O'Day would have been. I was pretty certain that his union position would have caused an issue. I would not have predicted it.

[Aristotelian]

The majority of the board and the baseball world was predicting that Wieters would decline the QO. Myself included. Personally I think he is nuts. Still, there is at least a chance that he has a good year and we get a pick for him next year.

[sportsfan8703]

Lots of glaring negatives for me with Jay Bruce.

-Plays in the NL

-Plays in the smallest ballpark in the NL

-Makes a lot of money

-Will cost important pieces

That's all before we even get to what Jay Bruce is as a player. More than likely we're going to lose Davis. But that doesn't mean that we need to bring in a big name guy. Machado and Jones as MOO are better than 90% of the teams in baseball. What we really need to do is improve the OF corner spots. I think we can get by at 1B/DH with the MW/Clevenger/Joseph/Parades. Spend some money on the rotation and a LF/RF.

[mdbdotcom]

Do players like back loaded contracts? If not, then you not only have to outbid your competition, but also outbid by a substantial bit.

Lots of contracts are backloaded. How many cases do you know of where a player didn't sign because the deal was backloaded?

[weams]

Lots of contracts are backloaded. How many cases do you know of where a player didn't sign because the deal was backloaded?

I don't know of too many. Maybe I am just unaware. I thought that many of the real long contracts had declining values in the final years.

[mdbdotcom]

I don't know of too many. Maybe I am just unaware. I thought that many of the real long contracts had declining values in the final years.

When the player is getting really old.

[Il BuonO]

Lots of glaring negatives for me with Jay Bruce.

-Plays in the NL

-Plays in the smallest ballpark in the NL

-Makes a lot of money

-Will cost important pieces

That's all before we even get to what Jay Bruce is as a player. More than likely we're going to lose Davis. But that doesn't mean that we need to bring in a big name guy. Machado and Jones as MOO are better than 90% of the teams in baseball. What we really need to do is improve the OF corner spots. I think we can get by at 1B/DH with the MW/Clevenger/Joseph/Parades. Spend some money on the rotation and a LF/RF.

Lots of glaring weaknesses in your post.

-The Orioles play in a small ballpark.

-Since when is $12.5 million a "lot of money" for a baseball player? Ubaldo makes that much and there are people here who believe he was worth it last year.

-What important pieces could he cost? They can always say no.

Yes, they need to improve the COF spots. Guess what? Bruce would do that.

I can't take seriously any plan that makes allowances for Jimmy Paredes. Anywhere.