Cincinnati Reds need to take the best offer for Billy Hamilton

With Jesse Winker ready to play every day it’s time for the Cincinnati Reds to trade Billy Hamilton.

The Cincinnati Reds have suitors for Billy Hamilton’s services.  So far, they haven’t accepted an offer to trade him.  Now is the time to accept the best offer.

The Reds discussed Hamilton with the San Francisco Giants early in the off-season.  When the Miami Marlins put Giancarlo Stanton on the market, the talks died down.  Now, Stanton is a New York Yankee.

Once the Giants lost out on Stanton, they went after Evan Longoria.  Adding the All-Star third baseman helped them out tremendously.  It also cost them top infield prospect Christian Arroyo, whom the Reds were interested in acquiring in the Hamilton deal.

Now the Reds would have to accept lesser prospects if they dealt with the Giants.  That doesn’t mean that they would have to accept less, just lesser prospects.  It may mean that the Reds collect a series of younger prospects not yet on the Giants’ forty man roster.

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The Giants are likely more interested in acquiring a center fielder now than they were earlier in the off-season.  In the Longoria deal, the Giants sent Denard Span to the Tampa Bay Rays.  That means the Giants don’t have a center fielder with any substantial MLB experience on their roster.

With the Giants potentially short on options, the Cincinnati Reds should listen to the other offers for the center fielder.

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Prior to this off-season the Reds had discussed Hamilton with multiple teams.  Last year, the Reds had discussions with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and the Texas Rangers.  The Rangers were the closest to getting Hamilton last off-season.

Those same teams are likely still interested.  The Dodgers changed their roster a little bit, but all three could use defensive help.  Of course, the Rangers were offering Delino DeShields, but he has surpassed Hamilton offensively since last season.

The Dodgers had Chris Taylor playing in center in the playoffs.  Moving Taylor to second would help the infield offensively and defensively.  That, however, would require adding a center fielder, such as Hamilton.

The Mets are a somewhat more awkward situation.  They are looking for a partner for Juan Lagares in center.  Neither Hamilton nor Lagares is a great offensive player, but playing them in the same outfield would be one of the best defensive outfields in recent memory.

Next: Reds add another minor league free agent

It would take very little for another team to make it worthwhile for the Reds to trade Hamilton.  They need to get off of the fence before it is too late.  Nothing is worse than wasting his value.