COZART...REDS MAY GET NOTHING FOR HIM

[kevin]

Cozarts contract is up, and all word out of Reds is they will not resign him and he will be on another team ready to start Spring Training in 7 months. The Reds are in dead last with or with out him and 15 games out of Wild Card picture with only 2 months left. Don't expect miracles on that changing much. ...The Reds should either trade him NOW before trade deadline and get whatever they can, OR resign him to another contract. Losing an All-Star shortstop and getting no players in return is just awful. Then there is Scooter Gennett who Reds do have under contract for a few years. They need to play him everyday somewhere. He is too good to be on the bench for this lousy team. Then there is Peraza who Reds are so worked up about they tried to trade Phillips and Cozart last Winter. There is also some other kid Reds had in mind for second or shortstop who I forget now because he is so far off the radar at this point. Maybe we see him when rosters expand in September.

So Reds should be trading Cozart to get somebody in return, or resigning him. Losing him as free agent getting nothing in return is stupid. Paying Phillips all season to play for Braves is stupid. Something terribly wrong with the Reds GM last few years. Dick Williams and Company aren't making much sense. If they had to pay Phillips, they should have played Phillips and right now be trading both Phillips and Cozart at trade deadline. On dollars and cents the Reds are spending dollars with no sense. That's not how you get out of last place.

After next season Mesoraco becomes a free agent. They need to move him at next years trade deadline. The Reds need to resign these guys or add by subtraction. It would be nice if they could get some prospects or something for them. I like the Wil Ferrell movie where a Basketball player Woody Harrelson gets traded for a washing machine. At least the team got something. Mesoraco if kept needs a huge Pay Cut, something players and agents think is unheard of. Cozart having the year of his life in his contract year will wand a huge salary as will his agent. Reds pretty much painted themselves into the corner on replacing Phillips and Cozart by trying to trade them so much that they paid Phillips all season to wear a Braves uniform, and he put up good numbers for Braves. ...If Cozart only has 2 months left as a Red, at least trade him and get something, even if it's a washing machine.

[CJD]

Relatively certain they'll trade him this week.

Main problem is most legitimate contenders don't need a shortstop.

[Yojimbo]

(07-24-2017, 07:37 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Relatively certain they'll trade him this week.

Main problem is most legitimate contenders don't need a shortstop.

I've seen this thought too. Why couldn't he play 2nd or 3rd for a team?

[CJD]

(07-24-2017, 10:05 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: I've seen this thought too. Why couldn't he play 2nd or 3rd for a team?

He probably could.

The problem is the Reds have never used him at those positions because, prior to this year, his bat was not good enough to play at third base and probably wasn't good enough to play at second base, especially with Phillips' vastly superior bat holding that spot down.

Shortstops and 2nd Basemen need the most range and athleticism among infielders. And Shortstops need more arm strength than 2nd basemen due to the throw over to first base being further from the left side of the infield.

This has, historically, given the shortstop the most leeway, among position players, to be worse offensively. You see it in prospects such as Alfredo Rodriguez, whose bat would not play at any other position than shortstop because of how bad he is at the plate.

For this same reason, shortstops with offensive potential often are over drafted, because it is so rare to find a player who can both hit well from the Shortstop position and also field the position well. Since 2004, the number 1 overall pick has been a pitcher 6 times, an outfielder twice, a catcher once and a shortstop 6 times.

I think Cozart is having an extreme outlier of a year and it seems the majors, as a whole, are waiting for him to descend back into his former self, which is also lowering his value.

I hope we can get something valuable in return for him this year. But I think expecting anything more than a fringe top 100 prospect would be foolish. I foresee a Todd Frazier-esque deal (one good prospect capable of starting within a few years (Peraza), one prospect who has attractive traits but, due to other deficiencies, is a long shot to become an everyday player (Schebler)) being the absolute ceiling of his potential, with the Chapman trade (one capable prospect with no real special traits (Rookie Davis) and a bunch of minor league fodder (Jagielo, Renda, Cotham)) being a more realistic haul.

[Yojimbo]

Gonna be hard to trade him now that his quad injury is back.

[kevin]

Rumor was Boston Red Sox were interested....but rumor now says with Cozy on the DL, that cuts down trade chances.

I would not mind seeing Reds resign Cozart. ....but odds are he leaves this winter and Reds get nothing but dumping more payroll.

ADD ON : Cozart and Feldman on DL stay, for now, meaning they are Reds in August and September. Not signed after that at this time.......Left Handed pitcher Cincrani traded for 2 Minor League players. A Utility outfield/ infield guy and a catcher Reds will send to Single A bottom of the totem poll. Cincgrano making a million to two million is a last place team last 3 years cutting some payroll....Cozart and Feldman may soon be more cutting payroll, no longer paid by Reds after September. .....Mesoraco in his last contract year next season. Reds would love to dump that huge payroll due to nothing but injuries, but I do not think any teams will want him at that price. THis does not mean they won't try to trade him for a bag of peanuts. Reds will cut payroll even more after the season. Adding By Subtraction. If they can finish last with them, they can finish last without them.

Price has done nothing to keep his job with 3 last place finishes...but if he is one of lowest paid managers in baseball, Reds may feel The Price Is Right.