Don't expect a major offseason spending spree from the reigning NL Central champs, but the Reds are boosting payroll for the 2011 season. Cincinnati opened the 2010 season with a $76MM payroll and GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon to expect the team to spend more next year.
"It's going to increase a little bit," Jocketty said.
The Reds are expected to pick up the options for Jonny Gomes ($1.75MM) and Bronson Arroyo ($11MM), but they're expected to decline their half of the $4MM option for Orlando Cabrera. The club also has interest in re-signing Ramon Hernandez and Arthur Rhodes and will see key players such as Jay Bruce and Joey Votto head to arbitration.
Carl Crawford would fit on the Reds, who could use a leadoff hitter, but it appears that they'll stick with Gomes and within their budget.
I’m wondering if they try to make a deal for Greinke?? Is this where the slight increase would come from?? Wishful thinking!!
Trade prospects and Cueto/Leake for Greinke, and trade prospects for Brett Gardner *since we all know Crawford will be in pinstripes*. Off season complete.
I can tell you right now the Reds won’t be giving up both Cueto and Leake any time soon. maybe one of them but not both.
Votto is going to get (at least) an $8 M raise and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is as much as $10 M. He put up an MVP year and he’s currently paid $576,000. He could be awarded the entire amount saved by losing Harang, Cabrera & Lincoln.
Then they need to replace Harang, Cabera & Lincoln on the roster. That’s a minimum of $1.2 M as the league minimum is $400 k / year in 2010.
Wow I have lots to disagree with on this post.
1. Votto could maybe get 8 or 9 million in arbitration. I am betting more on 6 or 7 million if the Reds don’t first sign him to a multi year deal at lower rates than that maybe starting at 5 million for 11′, 7.5 million ’12, and maybe 10 million in 13′ and so on.
2. The don’t need to replace Harrang , Cabrera, or Lincoln on the roster cause Lincoln did crap for this team and I could have produced better than he did this past season. Harrang definately does not need replacing cause well we already have 8 potential starting pitchers going for 5 spots next season. Cabrera could be replaced by either a cheaper free agent to fill a hole or a combintation of Cozart and Janish. Heck Janish almost beat out Cabrera’s numbers this past season.
3. I predict the Reds will make at least 1 or 2 multi year deals to some of the Arbitration guys to save some money. If that happens we probably have a little more money to go out and get a SS or LF that produce better.
4. The bullpen is fine at least for next season. I still kinda hope the leave Chapman there to team up with Cordero for a solid 8th and 9th inning shutdown. With Masset working the 7th and we still have Burton and Bray and a few others from the minors that pitched pretty well even if we don’t keep Rhodes.
FYI, he meant replace them as in someone has to be on the team in place of Harang. You have to field 25 guys, so best case you replace Haraong with a guy making the league min.
No way does Votto get that kind of raise. Even Tim Linecum didn’t get $10M.
Votto likely will max out around $5-7M in 2011. Though a long-term extension is possible.
Lincecum asked for $13M….but Giants countered with $8M for his first arby case. They settled on $8M with $13M the next season.
heck, Albert Pujols asked for $10.5M and was countered with $7M his first time. Yes that was a few years ago, but $10M for a 1B in his first arby case is not happening, not even if Votto wins the MVP (which IMO he should).
Even $7M would kind of suprise me….though he’s worth it.
Ryan Howard won his $10M arby case (versus $7M offered)….but he won the Rookie of the Year, won the MVP, and led the league in HRs. Votto may only have 1 of those to his name.
Also, in my calcs, I accounted for all 25 guys on the roster, filling in the league min (actually used $500K to simply things) for the non-arby guys.
Let me just say this: It’s only one man’s opinion (not really) that a deal could very easily be made for Zack Greinke. The Reds are great at deferring players money! In theory Geinke wears a Reds unifom for lets say Maloney,Yonder and Wood. The Reds then give Greinke a club option for who knows what ammount and as a stipulation Greinke would have to defer some of that money. But it’s like I said in my first post, wishful thinking. Don’t count the Reds out on anything at this stage of Jocketty’s tenure. Bob trusts him. Especially with his money!! See St. Louis!! McGwire and Edmonds were not cheap when they played together. Bottom line is that no matter what happens I still believe the Reds will contend for a while and fill seats as a result, thus making payroll bigger than it is now!! Hopefully!! Thanks for reading!!
Maloney, Yonder, and Wood would get an immediate hangup if that’s what’s offered for Greinke.
These GReinke offers are so bad it’s scary. And why would Greinke sign an extension to defer money? He’s already signed for 3 more years.
The fact that you think those three would get a hangup is laughable!! Yonder if you recall (which apparently you don’t) was the 7th overall pick, he’s no slouch. Wood had a great season and there is no indication that a repeat seson couldn’t happen. Maloney…well the jury is still out on him however he has impressed when he’s pitched in the majors. Sure you could tweak the people involved, KC would be stupid not to see who they could get. But no way do the Reds get a hangup!
What’s with all the talk about trading for pitching? You want pitchers to do two things for you.. get you through the season as unscathed as possible, and give your team a chance to win during the playoffs. The Reds only played three games in the playoffs, but with the exception of Volquez their pitching was great. What were they obviously missing, however? Offense.
Argue all you want that they had the top offense in the NL, but it was waaaaaaaaaay too inconsistent all season (I don’t have the numbers, but they either led the majors or were close in getting shutout). MLBTR is right… Crawford would be absolutely perfect for this team. He brings them the #1 thing they’re missing on offense: a legit leadoff hitter… a guy that hits and runs consistently well at the top of the lineup. The budget analysis is a moot point, either way Castellini is going to have open the wallet a bit.
I feel an “Ace” is what this team could use. The bats went dead in the playoffs not the regular season. They were the best hitting and feilding team in the NL. Does this awnser your question??
I feel an “Ace” is what this team could use. The bats went dead in the playoffs not the regular season. They were the best hitting and feilding team in the NL. Does this awnser your question??
Um, Crawford does NOT bring the Reds a leadoff hitter.
Crawford is NOT a leadoff hitter. He’s a #2 or #3 hitter. A career OBP of .337?! Even this year it was only .356!
He’s a horrible leadoff hitter, which is why he didn’t hit leadoff in Tampa.
Yes, he’d be better than what the Reds currently have….but you don’t pay that much for a guy to hit out position. If they want a leadoff guy, look for a trade.
Or heck, hit Stubbs leadoff. Will be a better leadoff hitter in 2011 than Crawford IMO.
Going into next year with the same pitching staff is not that bad, but you still don’t have a #1 at the top of the rotation. A #1 is someone that gives you a good start every time out. Not every 2-3 starts. (see reds rotation this year) I think the Reds will try and move Phillips this winter. That would open the door for a Crawford at the top of the order. Yonder and Maloney might get Greinke but I don’t see them trading Wood.
I think trading Phillips is somethig they should consider as well. Making $11M in 2011…then a $12M option in 2012. Will likely test the market after that.
If the Twins let Hudson walk….they could be a fit for Phillips. Mariners need help on offense. Could let Lopez go and move Figgins back to 3B.
Or….could swap Phillips for Figgins, cash, and a mid-spec? Figgins sucked this year…but HE is a legit leadoff hitter when on (unlike Crawford). Not happening, but if you could steal a young pitcher and get the Mariners to pay half the salary owed to Figgins from now through 2013, maybe it’s doable.
Would save you money in 2011 (Figgins makes less than Phillips in 2011) allowing you to look at more expensive pitching options.
Then again…..Phillips and Wedge probably aren’t the best match for each other lol.
And for the love of all things holy. Yonder and Maloney will NOT get you Grienke. Heck, Yonder and Leake won’t likely get you Greinke. Greinke is one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball.
Hudson only played 100 games. No way we git rid of Phillips and pickup O-Dog. Figgins…..not a bad idea! He would certainly need to produce like he did in Anaheim to make the money worth it. LOL!
Who said pick up Hudson?
I said IF the Twins didn’t bring back Hudson, they may have interest in Phillips.
Agree on the money thing with Figgins. Hence why the Mariners would have to throw in some cash along with Figgy.
But in even a “bad” year this year, Figgins OBP was .340…..his career OBP is .359. Only once in his career has Crawford put up an OBP better than .359 (.364 in 2009).
Figgins is a better leadoff hitter than Crawford, even in his worst years. Bringing him up was more to show why Crawford is not a great leadoff fit in Cincy….or anywhere.
Misread that!! My bad!! LOL!!
Trade Phillips, save money, sign Crawford. Leadoff and LF solved. Send Yonder and Maloney (not Wood) to KC for Greinke. Great off season.
Crawford is not a leadoff hitter. Why do people keep saying this?
His OBP is pretty lackluster for a leadoff guy, especially for the money.
Pretty simple. If the Reds were going to go after a pitcher like Greinke, they wouldn’t be keeping Arroyo. They’ll go into next season pretty much the same, though they’ll probably pick another journeyman SS. I doubt they even trade Alonso. Not until they have some idea about Votto’s long-term future.
Well, Votto’s around for 3 more years as he can’t be a free agent til after the 2013 season at the earliest.
Alonso will run out of minor league options before then as he has a ML contract.
So either they move Alonso to LF or trade him (or trade Votto, which I can’t see happening).
Pretty simple. If the Reds were going to go after a pitcher like Greinke, they wouldn’t be keeping Arroyo. They’ll go into next season pretty much the same, though they’ll probably pick another journeyman SS. I doubt they even trade Alonso. Not until they have some idea about Votto’s long-term future.
Phillips may be moved since his salary jumps to around 11 mil next year,But I do not see the Reds trading any of their top 6 SP….They will resign Arroyo since he is inning eater and solid 15 game winner……But as always trades are nice but you got to find someone to trade with you who wants what you want to get rid of
I can see them trading one of their top 6 SPs….that is, if it’s for another SP (ie, Greinke or Garza). But agree, don’t see them moving pitching to get a bat….it that’s what you meant?