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It is not only the time of year for turkey and cranberry sauce and the season to be jolly, it is rumor time in the baseball world.
With free agents on the market and trades to be made to fill holes, there is more than Christmas presents on the minds of baseball general managers.
The season hardly ended before a rumor surfaced on the internet that the Cincinnati Reds were talking to the Tampa Bay Rays about trading first baseman Joey Votto for pitcher James Shields.
Said one veteran National League scout, hearing the rumor, Trade Votto? Are the Reds nuts? Hes their best player. By far.
Rumors about Votto perplex and exasperate Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, who said, I dont know where these things come from. Were not talking about trading Votto and were not interested in trading Votto.
In many aspects, that trade makes sense on both fronts. The pitch-rich Rays believe they can seriously make a run in 2012 and adding Votto would enhance those chances immensely.
The Reds are resigned to the fact that Votto will test free agency after his contract expires in 2013, when hell be making 17 million.
And the Reds could use a starter of Shields ability. He was 16-12 last year with a 2.88 ERA. He is affordable signed through 2014. Hell make 7 million in 2012, then 9 million, then 12 million.
With closer Francisco Cordero gone, the Reds have 12 million off the books and by trading Votto theyd move 9.5 million more.
And it would make room for Yonder Alonso to play first base.
On the other hand, it makes no sense for the Reds to deal Votto now a bargain for 2012 at 9.5 million in baseballs current inflated economy.
As the scout said, Votto is the teams best players, by far, and need him to make a run for 2012. Now if the Reds are not in contention at next years trade deadline, the team might be listening to offers before they have to pay him 17 million in 2013.
But there are other things the club might do and need to do.
With Cordero gone, the closer situation needs to be addressed and there are reports that the Reds are interested in Oakland closer Andrew Bailey. The Reds do have in-house options in Nick Masset (who endured a down season in 2010) or lefthander Bill Bray, who had a strong year as a set-up performer.
But Bailey, 27, is a proven closer. The 6-3, 240-pound right-hander has 75 saves in his three seasons since the As drafted him in the sixth round in 2006 out of Wagner College.
He has recorded 26, 25 and 24 saves in his three seasons with earned run averages of 1.84, 1.47 and 3.24. He made the American League All-Star team in 2009 and 2010, but didnt make it last year because he was injured most of the first half of last season.
To get Bailey, the Reds probably would have to deal an outfielder to Oakland, which is about to lose its entire starting outfield from last year due to free agency.
One name that surfaced was Alonso, who is a first baseman, not an outfielder, but is spending this winter learning the nuances of left field.
With Votto still with the Reds, the grand plan is for Alonso play left field next season unless he is traded.
Hearing the rumors, Alonso tweeted, Reds for Life, but he has no control over that. If the Reds want to trade him, he can change that tweet to As for Life, or whatever team.
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