Slyde had an excellent idea to have an open thread for every player on the Reds roster, to discuss their 2006 season and what the Reds should do with them going forward. It seemed like Rich Aurilia would be a good player to start with, since he's been in the news lately, and since his future with the team is up in the air.
Aurilia had a great season in 2006. He put up a .300/.349/.518 line, with 23 home runs. It was by far his best season since his 37 home run 2001 campaign, and to say I was surprised by his offensive output would be an understatement.
Rich has a mutual option heading into 2007, one that the Reds will certainly exercise, but I'm doubting that Aurilia will reciprocate. My guess is that he'll be playing somewhere else in 2007.
I'm honestly not sure if this is as big of a problem as it sounds. Aurilia gets a lot of love from the commentators in Cincinnati for his veteran savvy, but the odds of him repeating his numbers from last year seem slim. He's 35 years old, and he's already had the wheels come off once in his career.
So here are a few questions to get the ball rolling for Aurilia:
- How valuable do you think Rich was to the team this season?
- Do you consider him to be underrated, overrated, or properly appreciated?
- What do you think Aurilia's market value should be?
Also, be sure to check out Red Hot Mama, who just posted a podcast featuring an interview with Rich.