Desperate for trade rumor mongering: Is Denard Span the Reds primary target? (Probably not)

UPDATE: Span "isn't happening" according to Jon Heyman. But I started writing this before he said that. And this is all we've got right now.

The Pirates continue to do stuff, which may or may not be nudging Walt Jocketty to the edge of action.

Maybe Juan Pierre isn't the inevitability that I've only half-jokingly assumed he is. The Reds, probably wisely, balked at Shane Victorino.

Denard Span has more immediate and long-term value to the Reds. For that reason alone, he's an intriguing name. The problem is, he's hit about the same as Drew Stubbs for the past two seasons. To compare:

Drew Stubbs (2010): .255/.329/.444

Denard Span (2010): .264/.331/.348

Drew Stubbs: (2011): .243/.321/.364

Denard Span 2011): .264/.328/.359

With Span, you have to believe, at 28, he's a player much closer to his 2009 and 2012 than the previous two years. Stubbs has the edge on the basepaths and Span probably isn't significantly better in CF, if at all. It all nets out to a a noticeable upgrade in 2012 and possibly a marginal one down the road that the Reds will have to pay dearly for, given Span's past production and contract through 2015.