Reds ready to win?
Today’s Reds Insider column from Enquirer writer John Fay quotes an anonymous Reds employee, who says the chances of Cincinnati landing Baltimore ace Erik Bedard at 75 percent.
The headline suggests Bedard could be “the missing piece.”
Fay thinks landing Bedard is the thing to do:
Should the Reds trade away so much of the future to try to win in 2008?
I think they have to.
I’m not so sure.
The Reds are missing more than just one piece.
Ok, maybe, maybe the Reds need only one piece if Ken Griffey, Jr. and Josh Hamilton stay healthy. Maybe the team only needs one piece if Bronson Arroyo reverts to his 2006 form (and 2006 WHIP of 1.18). His WHIP last season was 1.40.
Maybe the team only needs one piece if they can figure out who will pitch behind Bedard, Arroyo and Harang.
But right now, the team is talking about dealing Homer Bailey and Joey Votto, plus another prospect.
Votto hit four homers and OBP’d .360 in 24 games with the Reds last season, and those numbers are consistent with his minor league numbers.
It was only a few months ago that Bailey was being talked about as the next big thing. Now he’s expendable?
Bedard would make the Reds respectable. But he wouldn’t make them winners.
It sounds like Fay would settle for respectable. I can’t say I blame him. But I think he should set the bar a little higher.
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