Comments on: Reds Trade Freel to Orioles http://www.red-hot-mama.com/2008/12/09/reds-trade-freel-to-orioles/ It sounds like porn, but it's all about baseball. Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:59:22 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: KC2HMZ http://www.red-hot-mama.com/2008/12/09/reds-trade-freel-to-orioles/comment-page-1/#comment-14560 KC2HMZ Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:36:49 +0000 http://www.red-hot-mama.com/?p=2604#comment-14560 Wow. Don't mince words, RHM, tell us what you [i]really[/i] think! :) I suspect that the club's thinking here was to upgrade the position (catcher), which was needed and which I think they've done. I too will miss Ryan Freel. I admired his style of play and his work ethic. However, Freel, fan favorite that he was, simply couldn't stay on the field. The team paid him a total of $5,325,000 over the past two seasons to play in only 123 games. Between erasing Freel's salary from the payroll (he would have been due a base salary of $4 million in 2009) and the fact that the Orioles will pay part of Hernandez' salary, the Reds upgraded a position that dearly needed upgrading. I also think they did it in a way that makes more economic sense than signing a free agent catcher. They could have been stuck with a big contract for a Josh Bard or I-Rod. Or they could've gone cheap and wound up with a Michael Barrett/Brad Ausmus level player, guys who would be backup catchers on a good team and wouldn't have been much of an improvement over Paul Bako. Wow. Don’t mince words, RHM, tell us what you [i]really[/i] think! :)

I suspect that the club’s thinking here was to upgrade the position (catcher), which was needed and which I think they’ve done.

I too will miss Ryan Freel. I admired his style of play and his work ethic.

However, Freel, fan favorite that he was, simply couldn’t stay on the field. The team paid him a total of $5,325,000 over the past two seasons to play in only 123 games.

Between erasing Freel’s salary from the payroll (he would have been due a base salary of $4 million in 2009) and the fact that the Orioles will pay part of Hernandez’ salary, the Reds upgraded a position that dearly needed upgrading.

I also think they did it in a way that makes more economic sense than signing a free agent catcher. They could have been stuck with a big contract for a Josh Bard or I-Rod. Or they could’ve gone cheap and wound up with a Michael Barrett/Brad Ausmus level player, guys who would be backup catchers on a good team and wouldn’t have been much of an improvement over Paul Bako.

]]> By: Red Hot Mama http://www.red-hot-mama.com/2008/12/09/reds-trade-freel-to-orioles/comment-page-1/#comment-14551 Red Hot Mama Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:31:52 +0000 http://www.red-hot-mama.com/?p=2604#comment-14551 Hi, TNM, Thanks; it's nice to have you here. You know, I thought I was feeling better about this, and then someone brought it up at lunch today and I was all worked up again. Though I may be able to communicate my disapproval ("I don't see how it helps the team to spend $8m on a catcher at the expense of a fan favorite") in a little more civilized fashion. Hi, TNM,
Thanks; it’s nice to have you here. You know, I thought I was feeling better about this, and then someone brought it up at lunch today and I was all worked up again.

Though I may be able to communicate my disapproval (”I don’t see how it helps the team to spend $8m on a catcher at the expense of a fan favorite”) in a little more civilized fashion.

]]> By: TheNaturalMevs http://www.red-hot-mama.com/2008/12/09/reds-trade-freel-to-orioles/comment-page-1/#comment-14548 TheNaturalMevs Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:10:33 +0000 http://www.red-hot-mama.com/?p=2604#comment-14548 I'll miss Freel. Well said. He was a warrior. I’ll miss Freel. Well said.

He was a warrior.

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