2007 Cincinnati Reds

[redsrbetter]

UPDATED:

OK so the season may be over, but we have had a good ride this year. With Krivsky ability to evaluate talent and security to admit when he messed up, we have a FO capable of doing big things. I wish he could evaluate managing talent better, but thats not the case unfortunately.

Anyhow, this is what Krivsky has to work with this season.

C Ross (arbitration eligible) est. 1.5M
C LaRue 5.2M
C Valentin 1.25M
1B Hatteberg 1.5M
2B Phillips 400K
3B Encarnacion 350K
SS
IF Castro 925K
IF Olmedo 340K
IF Harris 300K
LF Dunn 10.5M
CF Griffey Jr 12.5M
RF Freel 2.65M
OF Denorfia 340K
OF Hopper 300K
OF Watson 350K
OF Wise 350K
SP Harang (arbitration eligible) est. 3M
SP Arroyo 3.8M
SP Milton 9M
SP Claussen 400K
SP Ramirez 350K
SP Kim 600K
RP Coffey 350K
RP Bray 320K
RP Majewski 400K
RP Belisle 400K
RP Shackelford 320K
RP Standridge 320K
RP Balfour 340K
RP Michalak 350K

TOTAL:
$57.755 M


Options
IF Aurilia - mutual 2M (buyout of 350K)
RP Cormier - team 3M (500K buyout)
SP Johnson - mutual 3.5M (500K buyout)
SP Wilson - team 3.75M (850K buyout)

TOTAL:
$70.005M


FA
Clayton
Franklin
Guardado
Hollandsworth
Lohse
Mays
Mercker
Schoeneweis
Weathers


As you can see, many players are getting a raise. Many players are at the tail end of a multi-year deal (expensive year). The price is already steep and it shows that Castellini has to be ready to open his wallet. No doubt Krivsky will slim this roster down quite a bit. But its time to start thinking about how he will do it.


There are a total of 34 players accounted for on this roster for him to pick and choose from. He will have to release quite of few of them and likely take the buyout on a few of the options. The options I see leaving are Johnson and Wilson. I would think those are sure bets and would shrink the total salary by 5.9M. That brings the grand total to 63.68M and 32 players. 7 more to go.


Harris, Olmedo, Watson and Hopper are safe bets to be off the active roster next season. That saves the team another 1.29M.

Then I would think he drops Michalak, Balfour, and Kim. Drop another 1.29M.

That brings us to 25 players and 61.1M.


So what are we looking at? We need a new SS and obviously a better rotation. Krivsky will have a lot on his plate this winter.

[redsfan28]

I wouldn't be surprised if Dunn is moved in the offseason, due to his work ethic. I would probably expect Jason LaRue to be moved for a jock strap. I would also assume that the options on Cormier and Wilson will not be picked up, but I could see Wilson re-signed to a minor league deal. I would love to see someone take on Milton, but I doubt that will happen.

I would also like the Reds to make a long term commitment to Aaron Harang instead of letting him go to arbitration.

[missionhockey21]

Are you adding in total contracts or something? From quick glance (and some estimates, so I am going over what it is), I only came up with 70 mil with the old brain calculator. Bloated payroll for the talent, but I don't think we are that high (thank god), but perhaps I am mis-understanding how you are calculating it.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I think those numbers are a bit high and the new TV deal will allow for money to be spent.

Castellini and Krivsky have no excuses in terms of improving the team.

[brewersfan19]

Is there still rumors at all of Griffey being traded? I think that you could get some quality pitching for him? Just a thought.

[missionhockey21]

No active rumors that I know of, but I imagine they'll try to this offseason. I really doubt though we could net quality pitching unless it was an older pitcher, with a big contract and performance that doesn't neccesarily represent his talent (I still believe that Griff went through the tough times that isn't a true showing of his skill set.)

[CincyRedsFan30]

I doubt they'll move him and I don't think there will be much of a market for him.

[brewersfan19]

I didnt think they would after the nice year you guys had. But I think if teams knew they could possibly get a chance at him, the other team might bite. His average seems to be going down yearly, but he still seems productive in the crunch. He may go 1-4 or 1-5, but that 1 hit seems to do damage though. that is what makes him marketable IMO. Anyways, thanks for the info.

[missionhockey21]

The Reds have had opportunities to trade him for something pretty nice, but either injuries or a stoppage of talks always seems to come in the way. Frankly, unless we found a deal where the receiving team would take his contract (100% of it), I wouldn't mind. But since I suspect the value wouldn't be all that hot, if we moved him to a corner OF spot, I would be fairly content with keeping him and letting him retire a Red.

In other words, unlike some might be willing to do, I am not in favor of dumping him just for the sake of it. He gives this team a national presence and all us fans a sense of historical impact to the game that we rarely get to see with any Reds player for quite some time, other than Larkin.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I think O'Brien came in the way too.

His inertia made me feel like the team was symbolically walking around with shackles with bags of sand on them around their ankles.

And brewersfan, what "nice" year are you talking about?

[missionhockey21]

What about last year? About 500 AB's of .940 something OPS. Should he had played more, better defense, and etc? Of course, but even you were hyped up on Griffey last year and if we saw that performance every season, Cincy would be having a love affair with The Kid again.

[brewersfan19]

I am talking about your Reds... They hung in the race for the wild card and division title a lot longer than I thought they ever could or would. That is all I was saying.. I was surprised by their performance this year and was actually rooting for the Reds more than the Astros. I just thought the Reds had a nice to surprising year... Better that most people thought they were going to produce.

[missionhockey21]

Err, scratch that last post of mine. I misunderstood the convo on four hours of sleep.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I'm a little confused.

I wasn't talking about Griffey, just O'Brien in general in terms of possible good trades involving him and other Reds players.

And the "nice" year comment brewersfan made referred to this year's team overall.

I think there was some confusion here.

[CincyRedsFan30]

I am talking about your Reds... They hung in the race for the wild card and division title a lot longer than I thought they ever could or would. That is all I was saying.. I was surprised by their performance this year and was actually rooting for the Reds more than the Astros. I just thought the Reds had a nice to surprising year... Better that most people thought they were going to produce.

I don't think it's been nice and I don't think they were surprising.

I predicted an (81-81) record at the beginning of the season, so if anything, they have been just a couple of games worse than I thought they'd be, though they could certainly still finish with that record.