Based on two bad starts? I didn’t see the game, (Fucking DVR) but I looked at gameday and Harang’s velocity seemed alright. I admidt that his 60 pitch relief appearnace followed by a start on 3 days rest was a poor decision, but i don’t think that alone ruined him.

I would like to make a bet that Dunn will sign. It’ll be Big Bob’s move. The guy has a man-crush on Dunn. If he doesn’t get resigned we will get decent value for him in a trade. The BoSox could use the lefty bat while missing Papi.

I hope they can keep Dunn, find a fill in for CF, or RF, depending on who is more defensivly capable, I still believe in EdE, Kepp can hold down short. I am ok with a defensive oriented Dave Ross, in the short term. Most teams don’t get great offensive production from their catcher. Plus Stubbs, and a few others are in the Minors, and Stubbs has the talent to just dominate the minor league and move up real fast. I am not betting that Stubbs will be ML ready by 2009, but it could happen.

there just aren’t a whole lot of desposable pieces that other teams will want. If it is evident that Dunn won’t stay, he and maybe Griffey are the only ones. Who wants Freel’s contract, and even if a team takes Freel he won’t yeild much. Valentine is a glorified nothing. Catchers like Ross and Bako are a dime a dozen, Patterson has negitive value, I feel like they would have to package him with a worthwhile player, to get rid of him.

that all teams (save the Redsux) have holes on their roster. Even the Cubs have holes in their roster. For god’s sake Jim Edmonds and Reed Johnson get consistent playing time in their outfield. Do you really think Ryan Dempster has finally "got it"? The big difference is their core players are in their prime while our players are still in the developing stage of their careers.

If Dunner leaves, we pay out Jr, and we let our assorted scrub free-agents (Fogg, Affeldt, Patterson, et al) walk the Reds will have roughly 26 million left after raises to fill a couple of the holes. We already have two starting quality (albeit limited/flawed players) SS in Keppinger and Gonzales under contract for next season, so that is unlikely to be altered. EE is an average 3b, nothing more, nothing less at this point. Although his age and possibility for improvement (and the presence of the SS "loser") makes his mediocrity much more palatable; again nothing must be addressed.

You tacitly agreed that the pitching staff is set-up well for the near future so the holes that must be addressed on this team next season boil down to two outfielders and a catcher. Can 26 million bring in three great players at these positions? Probably not. But it gives WJ a lot of options in how he chooses to reshape the team.

Not to mention the only vets with any trade value are Arroyo, Harang, BP, and Cordero. Trading Arroyo makes a lot of sense, but the other three? How does trading a teams most dependable pitcher, their Gold Glove and offensively productive (if somewhat over-rated) second baseman, and the anchor to a promising young bullpen (of the future) help said team? It seems to create even more pressing holes in the team.

Just take a deep breath and remember that this is baseball. Teams routinely lose back to back games. Teams routinely string together days of sparse offensive production and then have days where everything they hit falls in or gets out. It’s a long season and over-reactions like these are bad for your health and sanity!

nice minor league numbers, lacks stuff, and has number 4 or 5 talent at best. He probably will get more Major League time than he deserves because he is a lefty.

he would fill in nicly as the number 3 behind Harang and EV.