Live and Let Dye
Chris Sabo’s Goggles isn’t in the business of spreading rumors. Chris Sabo’s Goggles is in the business of perpetuating rumors, and in some cases, starting them. That being said, I thought I’d chime in on one rumor that just doesn’t want to go away:
Jermaine Dye for Homer Bailey
Jermaine Dye is a good/very good player, but he’s also almost 35-years-old. He has one more year on his contract with a $12 million option for 2010. Why trade away Adam Dunn last season if you’re just going to trade for a guy like Dye a few months later? Of course, Dye is an infinitely better fielder than Dunn (some might say he’s DYE-NO-MITE!), and his batting average is 50 points better, but Jermaine Dye makes $11 million/year because he hits homeruns.
That’s why the Reds want Jermaine Dye – to hit the homeruns they lost when they traded away Dunn.
The fact that Dye is a good fielder and has a good batting average is kind of like that lone onion ring at the bottom of the fast food bag. You paid for a large order of fries, but you’re not going to complain about the onion ring that snuck in there.
If I thought the Reds were a year or two away from being a serious contender in the National League, I’d say: make the deal! But I don’t think that, so they shouldn’t do it.
Don’t get me wrong, based on what I’ve seen from Homer Bailey (see: nothing), I’d trade the guy for Neifi Perez (please, please, please) and still feel like the Reds got the better end of the deal.
All of this talk might be for naught as it appears that negotiations between the Reds and the White Sox are at a standstill over “financial matters.”
You don’t say!
Are the Chicago White Sox really surprised that money is going to be an issue with the Reds? I mean, I’m pretty sure the message on the Reds’ front office answer machine says:
“Thank you for calling the Cincinnati Reds. If you are the General Manager of a Major League Baseball team, please remember that the Reds are a small-market team and operate on a small-market budget. If you’re inquiring about our interest in free agents with the last name Sabathia, Ramirez or Patterson, please hang up now. If you have interest in trading away the best players on your team in exchange for people with the last name of Fogg, in addition to paying the bulk of the aforementioned best player’s salary, please press ’2′ followed by the # sign.”
To be clear, I won’t be the slightest bit disappointed if the Reds end up getting Dye (assuming the parameters of the deal don’t change much from where they are now), I just don’t see it as a move that affects the chances of the Cincinnati Reds in 2009.
But if they could lock up Paul Bako to a long-term deal, then I’d love the Reds’ chances.
