Reds Trade Deadline Creates Mixed Thoughts

The trade deadline. It can be the most exciting time of the baseball season next to Opening Day. Well, it is for me anyway.  Or it can be the most gut-wrenching, irritating and fretful time.  Take your pick.

With all this “anticipation”, which could well lead to depression for some, the next two days will be full of fluff or full of joy.  Many thoughts will go through our heads.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…”

I’m sure there is now a healthy portion of the Reds fan base that feels this way especially since the Good Guys have rattled off ten wins in a row. Hard not to feel that way. Stay put. Don’t disrupt the current team chemistry.

And that’s something this Reds team obviously has.

The other day, a commenter stated that this Reds club looks like it is having fun. That’s part of it. There’s other factors. Veteran leadership plays a role. Personality…something this team does not lack. You have “character” guys regardless of how you want to define “character”. It could be the constant grins of Brandon Phillips. It could be the effervescent attitude of Todd Frazier. It could be the unassuming Joey Votto. It could be the quiet example of Scott Rolen. This list could go on for quite a while.

A disruption in that chemistry can prove to be fatal if the wrong guy is brought into the fold.

“This is when you look to improve your team.”

Yes it is. Or shall I say, it can be. You can even wait until after the July 31st deadline and still make an impact on your team. Of course, there’s another layer teams must work through.  (Insert your Willie Bloomquist joke here.)

There are areas of perceived need: lead-off, lefty bench bat, some may even say clean-up. The bigger question is (if you have one) where to put your eggs? Which area do you see as the one requiring the most upgrade?

We’ve heard primarily four names: Denard Span, Shane Victorino, Juan Pierre, and the one that hit the Twitterverse last evening, Shin-Soo Choo, an name I brought up a few days ago.  Personally, two are lead-off guys: Span and Choo…and Choo, despite his 2012 success, might not be a long-term solution for either the spot or for time in a Reds uni.  (Ready for the Billy Hamilton comments…)  Pierre can bat lead-off and I honestly don’t see the numbers for Victorino to claim that spot in the batting order.

“Other teams are making moves. Why isn’t Walt doing anything?”

Good question, and I can’t speak for Mr. Jocketty and the rest of his staff. I can only place my own conjecture on the matter. Some would agree. Other will disagree.

First things, first. There is an opinion that the Reds are “all-in” for just 2012. I respectfully disagree. Why the contracts and trades over the past three years? Why even bring in Aroldis Chapman? Why offer long-term deals to Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto? Why trade for Mat Latos? Why trade for Sean Marshall and give him an extension? Why give Joey Votto a monster deal? Why get BP in the fold for another five years?  But it does lead to the following.

The only negative to those signings is that the Reds may not be in a position to take on another big salary…unless big money goes the other way or the Reds get some bucks from the other team. And it would have to be a decent amount.  Again, my thought process.

The chances we see a “big deal” are slimmest at best. I do give there is a slim chance. The quiet surrounding the Reds brass is expected. That’s Walt Jocketty’s style.

The other big news stemming from Twitter last night was that the Giants were in on Hunter Pence. You can only ask “why?” The Giants are a team that is known for making trade deadline deals. Some have worked while others haven’t.  Two names, one for each way: Cody Ross. Carlos Beltran.  It’s a risk you take.

I’ll add one other thing here. Sometimes the deal you don’t make is the best one.

“Twitter can be brutal during this time of the season.”

How many freakin’ fake accounts are there? Far more than legit ones.

Earlier today, an account claiming to be Jon Heyman of CBS Sports “revealed” that the Reds had traded Billy Hamilton and Bronson Arroyo in exchange for Hunter Pence. I noticed that the last name was misspelled.

Buzzer!!! Twitter fail at it’s finest.

For the love…

I saw re-tweets…and then deletions. Hey, I’ve fallen for it in the past, too, so I refuse to judge.

Here’s what I want. I want the Good Guys to continue winning regardless of the makeup of the roster. I’ll take what we’re given, if anything. It may work. It may not. Either way, the past month has been a thrilling ride. And I want that to continue.

Is that too much to ask?