And Randa is 35.  No one not named BARRY succeeds for long after 35.  He wasn't worth a long term contract.  That's just stupid.  He might get a two year contract next year, revert to his .260 10HR and then become a bench player for the rest of his career.

Ted Williams was the exception AND he was a left handed hitter. The list of right handed hitters who get by yanking everything to left that ever become solid high level hitters is short indeed. In fact, you'll have to help me because I can think of ZERO.

And what are you smoking to think that athletes these days (particularly ones who make their money with smarts and good fundamentals LIKE RANDA as opposed to raw physical attributes) can't be productive into their late 30s???

please......

"So toast the Joker who never saw a ball he couldn't pop up or a double play he couldn't hit into. The Colonel salutes you"

Joe Randa was just what this team needed. He hit well in GABP, provided solid defense and played the game with solid fundamentals - something Pena, Dunn, Lopez etc..etc..etc......all need to learn about......

you could have paid him 2-3 million for 2-3 years and not have to go into next year uncertain about third base like this team has done for the last several years.........

I think you're confused though about the fishing. The donkey "future hall of famer" (ugh) dunn is the one who should pack up his pole and head back to houston.

Average 35 year old major leaguer-sign to long term deal.

Star 26 year old power hitter-let go to Houston for a couple of marginal Houston prospects.

Are you Chuck Lamar in disguise?

but yes, I'd ship out the donkey to houston in a new york minute.  

Signing a Randa for a couple more years - a guy who hit well in GABP and is perfect fit for club and who wanted to stay a Red is hardly a Chuck LaMar move..........

You know something that is ridiculous. Reds want to have this policy of not discussing contracts during the season yet they continue to bring in guys for one year deals. What's the point?

For every other team in the majors part of the purpose of a one year deal is to allow both parties a "trial/audition" type year with no long term committment. But when you find that it clicks for both parties how stupid is it to have a policy in place to not go ahead and add a couple years to contract when appropriate. Randa isn't the first time this has happened............

Sample size is important here.  I was going to put up Randa's numbers with out his numbers from Petco and GABP, but ESPN doesn't have those numbers for whatever reason.  I wouldn't be surpised to see his numbers are around 260/330/400.  Which isn't good for a starting anything.

Enjoy your Dunn now.  He is going to big swing strikeout his way out of baseball. Teams in general (not just the reds) won't want to pay 8 million+ for a guy like him.  And when he becomes a spot starter and platoon left handed bat he's not going to like baeball as much from the bench.  Starting up those restaurant sports bar chains will start sounding sweeter and sweeter.

However, dismissing this 20 points batting avg. for sake of comparison is much less a distortion than what you see when people rave about Dunn and make comparisons based on his BB-inflated OPS.

Labeling Dunn a Gorman Thomas, Rob Deer, Russ Branyan with more walks and a slightly better batting avg. is pretty close to accurate (don't forget Dunn is also benefitting from increased run scoring and offense in today's game vs. 20 years ago when comparing to a Deer or Thomas).

Dunn is nothing like the hitters you see people try to compare him to when they go primarily by an OPS or RC.

A BB to Dunn is NOTHING LIKE a BB to Joe Morgan, Ryan Freel or even Paul Householder in his prime. Yes Dunn's BBs are better than outs and worthy of note but he like other middle of the order "power/rbi" guys who don't steal bases should be appraised by his hitting/slugging not his free passes.......