Simple enough, no? 

So we're spoiled a bit.  Grew up with historic production from a series of positions that never used to produce.  Got accustomed to disproportionate numbers from areas that just weren't put up by other teams.  Know what I'm talking about yet?

I'm talking about the Reds of yore, the Johnny Benches, Joe Morgans, Davey Concepcions, and Barry Larkins of our youths (or in Madville's case, of our 40's.)  For the non-observer, thats a Catcher, 2nd Basemen, and 35 years worth of defensive AND offensive stellar SS play from positions that have, in both the past and today, been utilized by teams as defensive filler and 2nd/7th/8th hole batters.  Want more proof?  Look at the current market for these types of players in the post-PED era.  The Reds certainly are.

Finding a useful SS or useful catcher is impossible these days, and the Reds have been clamoring for some for years now.  Checking every single metric will prove my point.  Last year, among MLB catchers with just 300 PAs, there were exactly 7 (7!) who posted OPS over .800.  The SS situation is much, much murkier.  Under the same set of qualifiers, only 5 SS posted OPS over .800.  5.  Out of 30.  That's terrible.

Not one of those (last year) is Jose Reyes, Met star, leadoff man, SS extraordinaire.  He, along with Beltran, Delgado, Santana, Larry, Moe, and Curly all were hurt last year, stripping he and they from a years worth of production.  I think we can, and should trade for him.  Hear me out.

The Mets built Mammoth Cave as their stadium, and even David Wright couldn't hit balls out of that place, and they need SP.  We have a pricey workhorse of a SP who is prone to giving up flyballs and dingers in our kiddie pool of a park who'd appreciate facing #2/3 starters and not seeing every pop up leave the yard.  They have an overpriced much maligned 2B who most of NY has tried to kidnap and ship off, and we have a 2B with an escalating salary, bad peripherals, and attitude that NY desires.  Top that off with the fact that Slyde started 29 games at 1B for them last year, and they'd likely appreciate Yonder Alonso as their answer to post-Delgado 1B duty.

In other words, I send Harang/Phillips/Alonso to the Mets and get Jose Reyes and  "take" Luis Castillo in return (he hit .300, OBP'd .390, bats 2nd and has 3 Gold Gloves and they want nothing to do with him!). Plug the two of them in the top of the order, sign Gomes and bat him cleanup, and we're in business now and moving forward.  You guys/Poodle can fill in the gaps with the cash considerations, as there are certainly a lot of $$ swapping hands (and we might have to include Cozart and a baby Met SP in there as well), but I don't find that out of the question at all.  Omar Minaya is a wheeler-dealer, and the fact that Krivdog just signed on with them means he's awfully familiar with some of our best assets (and his contracts!).  They need a shake up, we need a shake up, it's like a freshman year sorority mixer. 

Oh yeah, disapprove (disprove?) below.  And LeBron James will be in Rupp for the UK/UNC game to see me and Ashley Judd today.  Exciting!