I said if Yonder hits in the minors like expected or better and looks to be ready by the end of next year then trading Votto is an option and possibly the best option. That would also take into consideration if Votto gets better from now until then and if he can play the OF. Hell Kotchman brought back Teixeira and I think Kotchman and Votto are pretty similar guys.

1 So if Votto sucks in LF
2 He stays at the same production he is now, or just marginally better
3 Yonder hits all year in the minors next year and proves he is ready of will be ready for Sept of ’09 or ST of ’10
4 And we get very good value for Votto on the trade market
Then Trading him would be a good option.

So would I deal him now? Hell No.

Though I would probably call into question 2 things about Votto and his future with the Reds.
Will he stay at 1st base and if not can he field in LF? I think he can be better than Dunn out there and from all accounts he takes his fielding trade very seriously and works hard to field his position at 1st. He also caught in the minors and played some 3rd base so I would imagine he is athletically enough inclined to out produce Dunn with the glove in LF. So I imagine this not being much of a problem at all.
The second would be can his bat hold up at a Corner OF spot? I think he will be capable of that. He will probably be just a little better than average out there with an OPS around .850 or so. I would like to see him show a little more pop for the rest of this season, but I think the adjustment for him will be pretty much made by next year and we will see what he truly is/will be.

I think its great looking at our system building depth! Hopefully it won’t stop for a long time and we feel that we spent 10 million-ish on guys this year so we don’t have to next year.

But Aaron struggled with the Yanks as mus as he did with the Reds. Yet another Red who never figured out that he couldn’t hit 50 homeruns.

…were extremely upset at losing Claussen. He was the closest thing they had to a hot prospect at the time.

I liked Boonie while we had him. But he was one of those players that melted under the bright lights. He didn’t hit all that well, but he had a good glove. At least until the Yanks got to the postseason. Then he started screwing up really easy plays. Including one that cost Andy Pettitte a shutout in the 2003 World Series.

He did have that nice 11th inning walkoff homer. But it was off Wakefield. Sometime Wake serves up meatballs, and Boone happened to be at the plate at the time. (It was really neat that his brother Brett was in the broadcast booth at the time.)

I do have to give Boone credit for admitting he was playing basketball in violation of his contract when he blew out his knee. Most people would lie and say they were working out or something. But he was honest, even though it cost him big bucks.