The Outfield

by kennybaseball on Jun 23, 2010 12:30 AM EDT

The Outfield needs help

This year has been surprisingly successful for the Cincinnati Reds. The infield has been a force with Rolen, Votto, and Phillips hitting very well. So has the outfield but I don't think it will last. Jay Bruce still hasn't gotten back to how he was when he first came up a few years ago. Stubbs was demoted from the lead-off spot because of his inability to produce and Gomes is playing out of his mind and over his league. Jonny Gomes is a wonderful player but he is not the player he is playing like. If this was him just playing he would still be in Tampa Bay. Lets be honest, there is a reason why Tampa didn't re-sign him. Chris Heisey has been great as a back-up player and will continue to be a great back-up player once Votto moves to left field in a few years. However, if the Reds want to stay in this thing and continue to win epseiclly down the stretch in September they need more power. Yes, they are top 5 in home runs and RBI's but that isn't going to last,especially with the corner outfielders and their recent history. Lets just say records are not going to be set. They need help. I'm not talking about Gary Matthews Jr., but I am talking about Jermaine Dye. Jermaine Dye is coming off a year where he hit 27 HR with 81 RBI's at 35 years old. He is just waiting for the right contract and the right team. If the Reds can pony up 2 million for the second half of the year I think it can be a great sign. Believing he can hit 10-12 homers which is very believable that can give them a boost confidence wise. Walt usually makes a great trade around the All-Star break when his teams are in the hunt. lets see what he does this time.

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Dye is not likely to repeat past glories as he is in sharp decline (though the same could have been said about Rolen before this season).

Dye was awful at the plate in the second half of last season. He has been awful in the field for years now. He also seems to have an unrealistic view of his own value at this point in his career (according to what I’ve read about his salary/playing time demands). I think if the Reds were going to sign him, they’d have done it already. Who knows though, stranger things have happened.

by RedsMasochist on Jun 23, 2010 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

Jonny Gomes has a message for you and for Tampa Bay

by ThePensive on Jun 23, 2010 1:53 PM EDT reply actions

Gomes

i would argue that while Gomes is certainly on a hot streak, he’s not playing over his head.

This years line: .285/.339/.491
Career: .246/.331/.473

Are this years numbers an improvement? Certainly.

But he’s 29 years old (possibly his peak physically), he’s moved into a hitter friendly ballpark, and for the first time in his career he’s a regular instead of a platoon situation.

I’m not saying he’s going to be a perennial All-Star, but with the exception of his batting average, I don’t expect a very big slide from him as the year goes on.

And saying that he must not be good if Tampa Bay unloaded him is a fallacy. With that logic you can say that Brandon Phillips must not be good. Or Cliff Lee. Or Adam Dunn. Etc.

All that said, I would be stoked if the Reds got a another B/B+ outfielder, but with Stubbs playing great defensive CF, I’ll take that trade off for his C level bat. And remember that Heisey is a rookie, and has nowhere to go but up.

by Obi Juan Kenobez on Jun 23, 2010 7:40 PM EDT reply actions

I agree with Obi Juan on the Tampa logic.

I have seen only two years that Tampon Bay’s franchise has done anything but stink up the joint. Their success table is too small.

I think it’s unfair to peddle this outfield as a failure. All teams undergo transformations and changes. What we see in the outfield in 2010 will not be what we see there in 2012.
Can’t fix it until we see if it is broken.

I trust this organization. I trust this organization. I trust this organization. -- Justin

by johnu1 on Jun 23, 2010 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions