5 Ways to Fix the Reds

Excerpt from C Trent Rosencrans' blog...

Oh lordy, where to start... ESPN analyst Steve Phillips, the same guy who holds mock press conferences, shows exactly why he is a former general manager and not a current general manager. Phillips has been with the worldwide misleader since being canned as the Mets GM for overspending for washed-up veterans. Phillips sounds like a drunk fantasy team owner sending off e-mails and forgetting the cardinal rule of trade suggestions -- look at it from both sides.

Here's Phillips' 5-point plan to fix the Reds.

1. Trade Junior.

No problem here. If you can get the right deal, that's fine. Philips' suggestion -- trade him to the White Sox. He notes that it's been tried before. He even mentions Griffey's ability to veto a deal. How he couldn't put two and two togehter and remember that Junior vetoed a deal to the White Sox before and there's no reason to think he'd accept it again. But, in fantasy baseball, there are no 5-and-10 rights. Phillips is also under the impression that Griffey is still the team's center fielder. He's right about calling up Bruce when you deal Junior, but he's wrong about the position. Bruce is a right fielder that can play center.

2. Dunn deal.

Again, I have no problem with trading Dunn, but Phillips says do it for pitching. Who will replace Dunn's procution? And if you're San Frnacisco, do you really give Matt Cain for Dunn? If you're Toronto do you really give up Adam Lind and Dustin McGowan? Does he really think Cleveland would give up Cliff Lee and another player? Phillips says the Reds need to get rid of Dunn because he'll cost too much. Won't he cost the same to San Francisco, Toronto or Cleveland? Toronto's been burning by overpaying recently and San Francisco is building around Cain and Lincecum. Maybe you could have gotten that deal for Dunn to Cleveland before the season, but not now.

3. Bye-Bye Bronson

Trade Bronson? Sure. For anything? Sure. But who is going to take on his contract? It looked like an OK deal when done, but is still iffy. Perhaps going to the American League could help, but that's not exactly the same as going the other way, and let's not forget, Arroyo's already been there. They figured him out too.

4. Call Hank

Phillips wants Bob Castellini to call Hank Steinbrenner and work out a trade of Jared Burton and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes. You know why Phillips suggested Castellini skip the GMs? Because no GM is stupid enough to take that deal. Affeldt is signed to a one-year deal. Hughes is expected to be a fixture of the Yankees' rotation for the next decade. There's no way the Yankees trade Hughes for Burton and one year of Affeldt. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

5. Short cut

Wow, I've got to say, Phillips is close to a point here. Keppinger is a serviceable defensive shortstop, but his bat makes up for his lack of range. Gonzalez, when he gets healthy, could be a valuable defensive backup. He'd still be overpaid for that role, but you can't do anything about that now. You try to win. Keppinger is a winner. He suggests Ryan Freel for Scott Proctor. If I'm the Dodgers, I don't do that. The Dodgers need a utility guy, but they need one that has played shortstop. Freel has played the Super Sub role, but he hasn't played short in a game.