05-26-2022, 02:20 PM
(05-18-2022, 09:59 AM)Stewy Wrote: Ok as a former Reds fan (Big Red machine days), and current Astros fan (not recent, I transitioned in the early 2000's before the recent success), it is quite clear to me that Management wants the team to lose on purpose to build the farm system. After the "almost success" of the mid-2000's with the "Killer B's" (Berkman, Bagwell, Biggio), they had depleted their farm system to be one of the worst in the league to try and get to and win a world series. When it was clear, their run was over, they traded away all their talent to reduce payroll in the early 2010's, hired a nobody useless manage and waited as long as possible to bring rookies up, instead of getting them to the ML level or traded away young talent for more prospects. 2011, 2012 and 2013 they averaged 108 losses per year and used those draft picks along with talent acquired via trade to replenish the farm system.
What the Reds are doing now reminds me EXACTLY of what the Astros did in the mid 2010's. Thus management HAS the guy they want in Bell. They want the Reds to suck to continue to build the farm system. With that said, the owner mocking the fans, is just callus and uncalled for. The Astros owner never did that. My guess is the owner plans to build the farm system, bring up young talent, have a little success with the young guys, but show huge amounts of potential.....and then sell the team. Drayton McLane sold the team right as they were finishing their third 100+ loss season. Jim Crane then came in, fired everyone, brought in his own guys and the rest is history.
Summary: The owner is prepping the organization to be sold and is replenishing the farm system to up value.
If the Red's were owned by a single ownership group I might believe this, but they are not. There are so many ownership pieces involved in the Red's it makes it difficult to sell. It would take a single ownership group that would come in and 3x plus overpay for all the ownership pieces of the Red's to agree to sell.
