One GM thinks Dunn could fit with the Dodgers

[redsrbetter]

Ken Rosenthal:

It's the time of the year to be creative, and one GM offers this trade concept: Outfielder Adam Dunn to the Dodgers for outfielder Juan Pierre and shortstop Chin-lung Hu, with the Dodgers contributing enough money to knock down Pierre's average salary through 2011 from $8.8 million to, say, $6 million. The Dodgers would benefit from Dunn's power, the savings on Pierre's contract and the two draft picks they would receive if Dunn left as a free agent. The Reds would get Pierre — who played for Dusty Baker with the Cubs — at a more reasonable price. They could play Pierre in center and move Jay Bruce to right field, with Hu becoming their shortstop of the future.

Link

Stay far away from Juan Pierre! His contract is mighty and we already have a Corey Patterson. Imagine having Patterson and Pierre in the same lineup. Hu is interesting, but I would expect much more from a deal for Dunn.

Would you guys do a Dunn for Kemp deal straight up? I think the Dodgers are loaded with outfielders right now and they may want to get rid of 2 outfielders, but they need one in return that can hit for some power.

I would stay away from Pierre and Jones. But Kemp and Ethier are both intriguing and I get the feeling that the Dodgers are down on both of these guys right now.
Also, I wonder what GM offered this up. Perhaps the Cubs braintrust? Or it had to at least be a GM from the NL Central. They just want to see the Reds get buried. This is a ridiculous thought. Pierre?

[redsrbetter]

Good points on this from a Dodgers fan:

- it's like this: trading 'potential' - unrealized - for productivity - 'proven'. A speculative gamble like market 'futures' may result in windfall or downfall. In baseball, tis: what 'is' for what 'might be'... or 'might never'.
The Dodgers could use an Adam Dunn or a like-player's pop, but not at the expense of a Pierre who offers via his game what little excitement this team of veritable paint-drying baseball spirit brings. An ethier is very expendable because he offers the least ability and potential of any of the current Dodgers OF's - write Delwyn Young's name in the lineup (as Torre has done more so of late) and at minimum there's 'no' dropoff in production from an ethier. That speaks to Young's game as well as ethier's - be it that Young is 'so' good or ethier is 'so' average, to the extent the reviewer believes.
Kemp is boom or bust/Heaven or He11...right now, he is in a purgatory of his own making. 'If' Kemp never becomes more than what he is today, is he a keeper? Not including the pitcher, would a team of 8 Kemp's make for winning baseball? My sentiment? No. So how great 'might' he become? No one knows. But the evidence is even now being written- with quite mixed results. If the Dodgers wish to wait - and what's another few decades among long-suffering Dodger fans - what brings tomorrow?
Personally, shy a Kemp becoming more than a Pedro Guererro or Raul Mondesi type via production (his ceiling, my opine), he's not close to an untouchable - far better players have been traded. If it were my choice I'd give him no more than another two years of play - but, if some other MLB team was willing to trade LA a 'proven' bat in the non-relic age category for a Kemp, I would jump at the deal...today, right now. There are 'no' untouchables, none. Martin, Kershaw, Kemp, Billingsley - any player is up for consideration.
I've proffered this before: in each player's prime, would you trade a Sandy Koufax for a Willie Mays? A Don Drysdale for a Willie McCovey? A Tommy Davis for a Juan Marichal? Back in the 1960's LA had two 'the next Willie Mays' types (hyped) under contract: OF's Willie Davis & Willie Crawford. As well, the Houston Astros had a future 'Willie Mays': OFr Cesar Cedeno. For various reasons none of those guys became a Mays (who would've imagined.) Skeptic will go out on a not so short limb here & say Kemp is not & will never be a Mays...a Jeff Leonard type more likely (former Dodger & Giant.)
So for a Dunn or Holiday or whomever who has already 'dunn it' in MLB, any trade would take more than the mere Dodger 'hype' of which a Kemp has received plenty - it would take at least two other Dodgers prospects to get Dunn or Holiday (Holiday being traded in division less likely while for Dunn who is at risk of being lost as a free agent a straight up deal for Kemp might fly for both teams. Still, I don't see the Dodgers trading Kemp right now. Pierre straight up for Dunn or other considerations? A possibility, but again I don't see it as likely.)
Too, a Holiday is a step up defensively from Dunn, who is perhaps a half-step step up from a Delwyn Young. If Dunn is in LF, Jones in CF & Kemp in RF, where does that leave Young and ethier? If Pierre stays where does Dunn play? Does Young become a Sweeney off the bench? Still too many OFs. The Dodgers may need to unload 2 OFs if they do add 1 - otherwise, despite a hoped for power addition, they are no better off. Yet, if Pierre goes, ethier still grabs pine - HEY! - come to think of it, skeptic could live with that!

[redsrbetter]

They really seem to be up on Kemp's potential still, but realize not all would-be studs work out. We just need a right handed CF for the future in the worst kind of way. I am not loving the thought of trading Dunn much at all, but taking Kemp in return could be a look in the right direction.

[redsrbetter]

One Dodger fan just offered up DeWitt, Hu, and Pierre for Dunn.

My answer?

Sounds like a decent package but the Reds would not want anything to do with Pierre and his big contract for sure. We have to cancel him out altogether. I know the Dodgers have to get out from under these bad contracts (namely Pierre and A. Jones), but the Reds are not the direction to look for that. Especially when you are looking at a return like Dunn.
As for DeWitt, he is a solid young rookie that is just now trying to adjust to the big leagues. I don't hate him, and I especially like his potential but he is as far from being a fit for the Reds than anyone. Our 3B depth is the deepest part of our roster. Encarnacion, Frazier, Francisco, and Waring all have the potential to be our 3rd baseman of the future. Plus DeWitt is a left handed hitter and we are chalk full of those. We have to get right handed sticks.

[missionhockey21]

These offers would really make the Reds solid for the future.

I'll have a big side of pass with all of these. If that's the best the Reds could do, let him walk and get the picks or *gasp* sign him (even to trade him later where his value would be higher due to a certain future with a contract, assuming the contract isn't insane.)

[missionhockey21]

I'd be totally fine with a Kemp for Dunn offer, but I can't see that happening at all. I think the Reds already proposed a similar deal and basically had the equivalent of getting the phone hung up on them.

[redsrbetter]

See Kemp has the tools we like and Dunn doesn't. But Dunn has that 6th tool I have been referring to that many players do not have. Kemp also strikes out a lot like Dunn. Kemp will hit for a better average but not walk as much. They pretty much even themselves out. But Kemp bring those other tools that Dunn lacks. I would do it as well, but I agree that the Dodgers would be hesitant just because Dunn is a rent-a-player right now.

[Kingdom]

6th tool being a flat head screwdriver?

[redsrbetter]

Haha,

that would be incorrect young sir. 6th tool would be the ability to take a walk.

[Saber]

I think Jocketty should ask for Jones, Pierre, and Kent.

[missionhockey21]

Giving Dusty Baker Juan Pierre to use, with years left on his contract, is like giving a curious young toddler a handgun and brightly colored, simple set of instructions on how to load.

Corey Patterson is the case of bullets.

[Kingdom]

Haha,

that would be incorrect young sir. 6th tool would be the ability to take a walk.

That's all amazing and stuff but pretty useless when the man is left standing at first.

[redsrbetter]

That's all amazing and stuff but pretty useless when the man is left standing at first.

True if you don't have guys behind him to knock him in. But you could say the same about a pure contact hitter as well. He usually just ends up at 1B. I agree with the sentiment that getting a basehit is grounds to knock in a RISP and a walk can't do that for you. I have always hat a better favor toward the contact hitter over the guy who takes a walk. But I still love to see a guy who shows patience at the plate as well.

[redsrbetter]

Well Dunn sure showed us what he can do last night. Dude flat out had likely his best all-around game of his career. I loved every minute of it.

Got beaned twice, then smashed into Shoppach for the close play at home, he hit that 3 run bomb, had an outfield assist, and had two great catches running into walls in left field. What a day!

[redsrbetter]

Hideki Matsui just went on the DL. Yankees anyone? I like Jesus Montero to be a part of that. He is a power hitting catcher in the Yankees organization.