Reds reach for arms

I was feeling good about the trade last night. Now I don't like it. Wait, now I like it again. Here's the deal:

The Reds have been so bad the last 5 years that GM Wayne Krivsky is getting a pass on this just because he 'did something'. However, just because a move is ballsy doesn't mean that it is good.

But it is refreshing to see the Reds actually play for the season they are in - not two seasons down the road that never come.

The Reds have replacements in the OF (Denorfia and Freel) and Royce Clayton is a better defensive SS. The Reds are losing some power for higher averages (which they need). Where they lose speed in Lopez, they get it back in Denorfia/Feel so that is a wash. And now the bullpen is one of the best in the league.


Lopez and Kearns, very excited about moving to the nation's capital

The Reds are also getting rid of over 200 strike outs a year. On ESPN.com, they take a player's career stats and project what their numbers would be over full 162-game season. Kearns and Lopez project to strike out 148 and 143 time respectively over a full set of games. That is 291 trips to the plate for two regulars where the ball is not even put in play. That’s a bunch. With Dunn and Griffey piling up their own bloated stacks of Ks, the Reds had to clear a path for some contact hitters to get in the mix.

Still, I really can't remember a team trading two regulars (under 26 yrs old with cheap contracts) and a #1 draft pick for middle relief. It seems desperate. And it seems like if the Reds waited a little bit longer they could have gotten some relievers on the cheap.

Regardless, it is always easier to stomach a trade when the team goes out and wins a ball game, which the Reds did last night. So I guess if the Reds win the 8-9 games in a row, the move was genius.