Reds Keep On Making Deals

        

It is a nice sign for the Reds that they are making deals like this.  In past seasons, usually we are the ones dropping salaries, not picking them up.

Trade deadline deals are toss-ups, as we know.  The trade that sent us Eddie Guardado from Seattle has worked out really, really well.  The trade that sent us Gary Mejewski and Bill Bray hasn't.  At least not yet.

So, today, the Reds made two more moves....both to help the pitching staff. 

REDS-PHILLIES DEAL:  The Reds dealt away RHP Justin Germano [AAA] for LHP Rheal Cormier.  Cormier is 2-2 with a 1.59 ERA.

He will be called on mostly as a reliever in the bullpen.  The kind of guy that can come in and be a stopper against a left handed pitcher.  He also is a good long reliever, who has a rubber arm of sorts and won't mind being in there several days straight.  To make the deal work, the Reds agreed to a one-year contract extention for 2007 [worth $2.5M] and a club option for 2008.

Germano started on Saturday in a loss to the Brewers.  He was sent down after that game. 

                          

REDS-TWINS DEAL:  This one is a bit harder to swallow.  The Reds dealt away RHP Zach Ward [A] to Minnesota for RHP Kyle Lohse. 

Lohse can be used as a spot starter, or might see some rotation time.  He wasn't having a good season at all in Minnesota, going just 2-5 with a 7.07 ERA.  Last year, in 30 starts, Lohse went 9-13 with a 4.18 ERA.  Earlier this season, he was dropped from the Twins' rotation and was even sent to the minors for a spell.

What makes it hard is that Zach Ward was 7-0 for Class A Dayton...with a 2.29 ERA and was one of their top prospects in the entire organization.