Alright Reds fans....here is some action for ya!
Over the past decade, Reds fans have been mired in a funk which comes with loving a mid-market team. You can be bad or average most years....and once in a while you could have a chance. Right now the Reds have a chance.
In those other years...usually some guy that's played well gets dealt away for "prospects"....which is a fancy word for "a guy you've never heard of that may turn into something down the road that we will eventually trade away for more prospects". In years like this....well, the Reds make a minor splash but nothing major. The lone exception was bringing in Ken Griffey Jr which was a right-place-right-time kind of thing where the Reds were able to nab him away from Seattle after a successful season. Their last sucessful season.
In a season marked by two very positive trades already....the Reds pulled off another one. The Reds dealt away OF Austin Kearns, SS Felipe Lopez and P Ryan Wagner to Washington [and former Reds' GM Jim Bowden] for RHP Gary Majewski [the dude who's picture is above], LHP Bill Bray, RHP Daryl Thompson, SS Royce Clayton and INF Brenden Harris. Harris will go to AAA Louisville and Thompson heads to Class A Sarasota.
Essentially, the Reds dealt for Majewski and Bray to clean out their bullpen. Neither pitcher is a big time stud [both feature ERAs just under 4.00] but both are workhorses that are better than anything the Reds currently have. And this comes just a week after the Reds sent a prospect to Seattle for Eddie Guardado [who saved the game last night]. The Reds have pretty much just overhauled their bullpen in a matter of a week.
They also get Royce Clayton....who is a major upgrade defensively for the Reds. And moving Kearns means that Ryan Freel may have a more permament position in the outfield.
The Reds were lost 8 of their last 9 games heading into the All Star break and several of those games were blown by the Reds bullpen [see: Brewers series]. In the last month, Cincy was 9-21...yet still are in the thick of the NL Central and NL Wildcard races.
GM Wayne Krivsky admitted that the Reds "payed a steep price." Well, sometimes you got to....and Wayne knows this. Over the past month or so...fans have lit up sports talk radio with different opinions and wants and needs for the team. Mainly bullpen help was a hot topic. And unlike the past regime...Krivsky and new owner Bob Castellini have not been afraid to make moves. They dealt away Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo in the spring....a move that worked great as Arroyo was the Reds' lone All Star. Also, the Reds swung a deal that brought Brandon Phillips to Cincinnati...another good move.
Hopefully this one works out too.
Bray and Clayton
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