Deadline Deals that Dissolved

Yesterday, I took a peek at some of the deals that the Reds were rumored to be in on, but the string wasn’t pulled. Just for a little bit of fun, I thought I would review a couple of the players the Reds didn’t get and what the Reds may have been looking to go the other way. While I didn’t not go into the names attached to the rumors, I decided to go with the draft selection of the players involved. You’ll see what I mean.

The biggest of the names was that of Ubaldo Jimenez who is currently undergoing a physical in order to finalize a deal with the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe sent P Drew Pomeranz (who cannot go until next month due to MLB rules), P Alex White, P Joseph Gardner, and INF Matt McBride. Here’s where I started a “comparison”.

I know this may seem silly, but it was a neat little study. Pomeranz and Cleveland’s first round pick last season. White was the first rounder and Gardner was a third round selection in 2009. McBride was Cleveland’s second round pick back in 2006.

The Reds draft picks for those same rounds for the appropriate season were: Yasmani Grandal (1st-’10), Mike Leake (1st-’09), Donnie Joseph (3rd-’09), and Sean Watson (2nd-’06). Watson is no longer in the Reds system (he was released after the Reds signed Russ Springer last season, now in the Florida Marlins system), so you could go either way. If you go with the next lowest selection (3rd), that would be Chris Valaika. If you go up to the first round, that would be Drew Stubbs.

Given these shaky parameters, do you think Walt would have done the deal for Jimenez? If Stubbs was included, most likely , no. Valaika may be a different story. I think it may have been considered. What Rockies GM was asking of the Reds was high, but he did mange a nice return from Cleveland.

The other was that of the newest Atlanta Braves center fielder, Michael Bourn. While I like Bourn, I did not feel he was an absolute fit due a list I divulged yesterday. Here’s what the Astros got in return: Jordan Schafer (3rd-’05), P Brett Oberholtzer (8th-’08), P Paul Clemens (7th-’08), and P Juan Abreu (FA, 26 years old).

Here’s how the Reds selected for the first three: Zach Ward (now pitching in the Independent League), P Pedro Villareal, and INF Cody Puckett. Matching a player to Abreu wasn’t an easy task. Abreu was pitching at Triple-A Gwinnet when this deal was done. I went to Louisville Bats roster and found two Bats pitchers that were born in the same year as Abreu: Jeremy Horst and Daryl Thompson. In looking at Ward, if we go by what I did previously, the 4th round pick in 2005 was Sam LeCure. The 2nd rounder? Travis Wood.

I ask again, do you do this deal? Considering the list of objections I had yesterday, I doubt Walt pulls the trigger regardless of the the two of the four among Wood, LeCure, Horst or Thompson would be requested by Astros GM Ed Wade. I don;t see how Walt does it, but Bourn’s speed, defense and ability to hit leadoff are extremely compelling for a team that has the offensive need atop the order.

I know this may all seem a little silly, but the “investigation” was fun.

Let’s hope if Walt makes a move today, it will be one that the Reds can hang their collective hats on and believe that they are still a legit team for years down the road.