Reds Insider: Santos traded to O's

Friday, September 7, 2007

Santos traded to O's

The Reds traded right-hander Victor Santos to the Baltimore Orioles for cash.

Santos went 1-4 with a 5.14 ERA in 32 games with the Reds. He was 1-1 with a 1.11 ERA in eight games for Triple-A Louisville.

20 Comments:

at 7:29 PM

Anonymous said...

Get rid of Alex Gonzalez. Anyone notice we play so much better when he isn't in the lineup?

The guy is hitting .275, yes, but he must lead the team in unproductive outs. He isn't clutch, and strikes out way too often to be a 2 hitter (Nice one, Mackanin, you clown).

at 7:51 PM

John Fay said...

He's 2-for-2 tonight. He's hitting .370-something since he came back. I understand why people want Keppinger to play. But Gonzalez has done nothing to lose his job, except go home to take care of a sick child.

at 8:16 PM

Anonymous said...

John
Its not about what Gonzalez is doing lately. I, too, blogged last week that he must go and you responded by saying he was 3 for 4 or something like that and just scored the winning run that night. I sympathize with his situation and you say that he has done nothing to lose his job. Tell me what Keppinger has done to lose his job. The season stats do not lie. We all know who has performed better this year and should be playing. The problem is we have a surplus of productive offensive players so Gonzalez will be good trade bait and Wayne better see that.

Kevin

at 8:22 PM

Anonymous said...

The Reds have some very difficult decisions to make this off season. I agree with you John that Gonzalez has performed so much better offensively this season than expected I just can't see the Reds not bringing him back as their starting shortstop next season unless he can fetch a #3 calibur starting pitcher via a trade.

Still the Reds need to find a way to play all of the following players on a regular basis if they are on the team:

Dunn
Griffey
Hamilton
Bruce
---------
Votto
Hattesberg
Cantu
---------
Gonzalez
Keppinger
Encarnacion

All players on this list have performed very well this year (Bruce and Votto mostly in the minors but still worthy of every day consideration). In the groups I have you can have only 3 of the 4 outfielders play regularly. Only one of Hatteberg/Votto can play regularly. And only 2 of the 3 infielders can play regularly.

My question for you John is how do you see it all shaking out. I realize this is the $60,000 dollar question, but I'd love to hear your opinion as to what you think will happen.

Redbeard

at 8:31 PM

Anonymous said...

Just my opinion but I think the outfield of the future has Hamilton in right, Bruce in center, and either Coats or Stubbs or tbd in left.

Votto, Phillips, Keppinger, and Encarnacion make up the infield, and if we can find a catcher we have a decent starting 8.

Then there is the pitching issue...

at 8:49 PM

Anonymous said...

I want to get this off my chest because Pete and Wayne frustrate me. We need a set lineup next year and it is easy to make. Outfield of Dunn, Hamilton, Bruce. Infield of Votto, Philips, Keppinger, and EE. Catcher of Valentin and use Ross only when Javy is tired. Pitch Harang, Arroyo and try out Bailey, Cuento, Dumatrait, and Shearn from now through spring. Bullpen Bray, Weathers, McBeth, Burton, and Cout once he learns to throw a consistent strike. Cantu and Hopper off the bench. Trade Griffey and AGon and Freel for pitching and sign free agents with Milton's salary and whoever else gets off our books. This is the perfect scenario in a nutshell and it took me all of three minutes to consider. Pass it on to Wayne please.

Also please tell Bob to fire Wayne and hire his friend Jocketty. Then pass my idea on to Jocketty.

Kevin

at 8:52 PM

Anonymous said...

Forgot to add trade Hatteburg too. He is a great contact hitter but Votto and Cantu squeeze him out of a position. We should be able to get great pitching with Griffey, Freel, Gonzalez, and Hatteburg plus the money that is going off the books. I wish the free agent pitching market was stronger next yr.

Kevin

at 9:19 PM

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why everyone keeps mentioning Keppinger as a future answer for this team. I agree he has played some outstanding baseball, and has been fun to watch. It just seems to me if he was the real deal the Mets or Royals would have held on to him.

at 9:20 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

John, no one is criticizing Gonzalez for looking after his sick child. He is a career .240 hitter who strikes out far too often. He has had an excellent year when he has played, but what does it prove to have him playing now? Makes a lot more sense to me to see what Keppinger can do on a regular basis. He looks to be the ideal number two hitter and his defense has been sound. Besides that the Reds where winning consistently with him in the line up.

at 9:54 PM

Anonymous said...

8:19 Are you saying Philips is not the real deal bc Cleveland gave up on him? Dan Uggla was a rule 5 pick that the D Backs gave up on. How is that working for them? Keppinger is the real deal and a staple on this team. If I remember right he has close to as many at bats with the Reds as with the Mets and Royals combined. He may not be the second coming of Tony Gwynn (or maybe he will be who knows) but he is better then AGon and thats just a fact. He is good enough to start everyday for this team for years to come.

Kevin

at 10:21 PM

Anonymous said...

The fantasy leaguers are in force tonight...at least nobody is trying to move Phillips to short!Prior to this year, Gonzalez was generally regarded as the real deal at short...wasn't it McKeon who said he was one of the best SS he had ever seen? I wish everyone would get off his back...he was just being a good father! Hopefully, his son will get better and when he returns next season with a clear head...we just might have the best middle infield in the league! And one with considerable POP at that!!!

at 10:51 PM

Anonymous said...

Gonzo, Dunn and Hatteburg should all be traded. Gonzo is an excellent player who would probably yield a decent prospect. Keppinger may not be the long-term answer, but the Reds are so desperate for pitching you have to move some talented position players. Keppinger can handle the position. Dunn would also yield a good young pitching prospect, but the Reds will have to pick up his option to move him. Dunn is a defensive liability who would be a great DH for some hitting hungry AL club. Bruce is ready to start next spring. Hatteburg would probably yield a decent pitching prospect and Votto makes him expendable. Moving the fences back about 50 feet in the right and left field corners would also lower the existing pitchers ERA by a buck or two. This is not rocket science.

at 10:52 PM

wardog said...

Do Not Rush The Kids...

Dont hang your hat on Hamilton until he has been around another season, pitchers learn to handle batters.

Cantu has to play every day so hattiberg has to go.

Gonzalez did not solidify this position so he too must go.

at 11:17 PM

Anonymous said...

Gary is right. Gonzalez is one of the best SS in baseball. Keppinger is average at best defensively. And yeah, he's hitting the ball well.

But consider this blast from 10 years into the Reds past:

In 1997, the Reds acquired a 24-year-old utility player from the Royals named Chris Stynes. He got called up and in 49 games hit .348 with 6 HRs, 28 RBIs and 11 SBs. He was deemed the second coming of Pete Rose. The next year he hit .254 for the Reds with nearly identical power numbers over 123 games instead of 49. Six years later he's out of baseball with a career average 162-game season of .275 with 10 HRs, 10 SBs and 52 RBIs.

The similarities are freaky. Keppinger is a 27-year-old acquired via trade with the Royals who had a little big league experience like Stynes. He gets called up. In 45 games, he's hitting .356 with 4 HRs and 25 RBIs.

Will Keppinger come back to earth and finish as a mediocre utility player?

Maybe he'll hit .315 for his career with little power numbers.

Maybe he'll win a batting title and be "be good enough to start on this team for years to come."

Maybe he'll average .275, 10 homers and 50 RBIs.

But maybe he'll hit .250 with no power and be out of baseball by the time he turns 32.

Let's not annoint him as the starting shortstop and unload a great defensive shortstop off 49 games.

at 9:47 AM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

"Let's not annoint him as the starting shortstop and unload a great defensive shortstop off 49 games". That is exactly why he should be playing SS every day the rest of this season.

at 11:29 AM

Anonymous said...

When I look at some of these comments, it's hard to imagine that Cincy was once a baseball town. Some guy spends 3 minutes making up a roster for next year and seriously wants you to "pass it on..."; it seems everyone wants to shelve a PROVEN SS for a career minor leaguer who happens to be a hot hitter right now in a utility role (what was the last name of that Bo kid who came up with the Cards a couple of years back? The fact that I can't remember his name proves my point); others think all the Reds have to do is pick up the phone and announce Griffey and Dunn are available and all we want is pitching in return (in case nobody has noticed, 90% of MLB teams are looking for pitching!!). If wishes were wings...

at 12:36 PM

Anonymous said...

Is 70 games that much different than 49? It's still not even half a season.

at 1:21 PM

Anonymous said...

I have watched or listened to 95% of the games this year so I know who I want playing and who I want gone. It took me three mintues to write it all out and yes I do seriously want it passed on.
Keppinger has been able to handle the SS position defensively and will be counted on to bat at least .315 based on his major and minor league stats. AGon's career average is around .250.
I am almost amazed that I have to defend this decision. Are some of you sure that it is the Reds that you have been watching and not reruns of some Marlins games from a few years back? Heck Gonzalez never hit back then either so all he has "proven" to me is that he will hit more homeruns than Keppinger.

When you say, "it seems everyone wants to shelve a PROVEN SS for a career minor leaguer who happens to be a hot hitter right now in a utility role" that is called spinning. I could respond with "it seems you want to shelve a .320+ hitter who has proven he can handle SS defensively for a DECLINING SS who will never be mistaken for a hot hitter, who will never hit .300, and leads this team in errors by far."
Im done defending Keppinger. If people can not see now that he should play then they never will.

As for trading Griffey for pitching, that is very possible. All it takes is two teams and there are teams out there with a surplus of pitching in need of a bat (i.e. Angels). Pitchers get traded every year and next year will not be any different.

Kevin

at 2:20 PM

Dan H said...

Gary 214- I believe you're refering to Bo Hart.

at 12:02 PM

Anonymous said...

Thanks Dan, that's the one! I likened his case to Kepp's, in that he came up and set the league on fire..but now where is he? I like Kepp, I really do. He seems to be a hitting machine, and I see him as (hopefully) an Aurilia-type for the Reds...sans the power. My problem with giving him the SS job on a regular basis is we have yet to see what he does on a regular basis. Let's face it, .315 in minors does not compute to .315 in the majors. Big league pitchers learn to adjust to a hitter...hell, look at Brandon Larson...no wait!!! We can't! He fizzled!!

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Friday, September 7, 2007

Santos traded to O's

20 Comments: