Steve Phillips Reds Turnaround List

Steve Phillips over at ESPN the Mag, has a list of 5 things the Reds need to do to get back in contention.  Its alot of stuff we have been saying all year, but some of the players that he believes we could get in return are remarkable.  And coming from a former GM i think he might not be to far off on the value of these, which gives alot of possibilities.  Heres his list:

1. TRADE JUNIOR Yes, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the few reasons to visit Great American Ball Park, but it's time to make the tough decisions. Griffey is signed only through this year, with a club option for 2009. As a 10-and-five player, he can veto any deal, but Chicago is a popular destination, so call White Sox GM Ken Williams, who's tried to get Griffey in the past, and ask for Josh Fields or Carlos Quentin. The Sox have a shot, and Griffey would be huge in Chi-Town. Then call up top prospect Jay Bruce, and put him in center for the next 10 years.

2. DUNN DEAL Use Adam Dunn's power as a chip to get pitchers. The Reds have a limited budget and an even smaller ballpark, so they must deal for arms and develop them. Dunn is in the last year of his deal, so maximize the return by giving an interested team a 72-hour window to negotiate an extension. Go to the Giants, who need offense to replace Barry Bonds, and ask for Matt Cain. Go to Toronto and request a package that includes Adam Lind and Dustin McGowan or Shawn Marcum. Call Cleveland, which is desperate for bats, and ask for Cliff Lee and one of these three: OF Franklin Gutiérrez and lefties Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey.

3. BYE, BYE BRONSON In 2006, Bronson Arroyo was a great acquisition by Krivsky, but at age 31, and after throwing 656µ innings the previous three years, he's not the same pitcher. Get what you can, and get out from under his contract, because financial flexibility is critical for a small-market franchise. There are plenty of teams dying for starting pitching: Texas, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and Baltimore come to mind. After trading Arroyo, bring up Homer Bailey, and give him the ball every fifth day. Scouts think he can be special; let's see if they're right.

4. CALL HANK Have owner Bob Castellini ring Hank Steinbrenner and tell him you've got a way to move Joba Chamberlain into the Yankees' rotation. Offer Jared Burton, who's whiffing hitters in bunches, and Jeremy Affeldt for Phil Hughes. Sell Burton as Chamberlain's eighth-inning replacement and Affeldt as the situational lefty the Yanks lack. Throw in Arroyo if they want. Make it an owners deal. Castellini and Hank will love it; GM Brian Cashman will hate it. The bottom line is that Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Vólquez and Hughes would give Cincy four very different looks.

5. SHORT CUT The Reds have a tough decision when Álex González returns from his left-knee injury in a few weeks, because Jeff Keppinger has proved he can play shortstop every day. What to do? Trade utility man Ryan Freel to the Dodgers for Scott Proctor. LA can use a supersub, and Proctor can pitch the eighth inning if Burton is traded. Then Keppinger stays put and González becomes a defensive specialist—one with a lot of value if another club loses its starting shortstop.

I absolutely love the deal to get us Phil Hughes. Giving up an eighth inning setup man and a situational lefty to get a promising young rotation arm would be incredible. Think about this rotation for a second:

1. Harang

2. Volquez

3. Cueto

4. Hughes

5. Bailey

Thinking about that gives me goose bumps!

the only thing that i do not like is that this soulds like moves that a team in full-out rebuild mode would do....I thought we were going for it this year?  i mean realy, how long and how many times can the Reds rebuild and not compete.  I agree that we need to get what we can for Griffey and Dunn at soem point because we have the yourng bats for fill the gaps and trading them would add a TON of money to sign top notch free agents...I guess i think Stevie has the right idea, but me, as a reds fan is tired of thinking about the "future"

Votto doesn't have power?  His HRs may not go 480 ft, but they count just the same... and Votto is actually a RUN PRODUCER- unlike Dunn...

Still, Phillips is an idiot... For instance, I wouldn't trade Burton or Freel... I'd give up Gonzales yesterday if I could... and no one wants Bronson right now

I am so sick of the George Grandes of the world telling me that we "have to keep Dunn."

"How are you going to replace 40 HRs and 100 RBI???"

You don't have to.  An average left fielder is an upgrade on Adam Dunn.  His defense is just disgusting.  You have to realize that he usually cost the team a double a game on a fly ball that he doesn't get to, sometimes even more. 

How many times have you seen a high fly ball to left-center field that drops in and you think, "man I thought that was an out off the bat."  Yeah, it was an out if you have a decent athlete playing left field.  He has the weakest arm I ahve ever seen for a man his size. 

Add to that the fact that he can't move runners over, he can't hit with men on base, and nearly all of his HRs come in blowouts, and Adam Dunn is easily replacable.

Trade Dunn for a pitching prospect.  Norris Hopper in left field is an upgrade from Dunn.  Better defense, higher average, more speed, less strikeouts, etc...

So what if he can't hit "450 ft" HRs... He knows how to play baseball.