This has to be a win for the Pads. 2 great prospects, a solid pitcher with a ton of upside who "could" be just as good as Latos in that park. Boxberger is an added bonus that could be a top notch closer, but doesn't really have a lot of real value being that he is a relief prospect. Guys like him are throw-ins in these type of trades, but often times end up being the most successful piece.
kevin C - 12 years ago
I would rather have Gio Gonzalez or Matt Garza if I were the Reds. Latos is nice, but was aided by his park. Will be interesting to see how he pitches in Cincy.
redmountain - 12 years ago
Though time will tell, there are several reasons I like this trade. First, Jim Bowden thinks the Reds got killed on this trade. And he is a successful GM where? Oh yeah, he messed up two teams, one of whom were the Reds. Second, the Reds needed the best starting pitcher available. The Padres had several offers that were similiar and selected this one as the one they liked the best. Last year, the Padres were touting Rizzo as the saviour of their franchise after they lost Adrian Gonzales. They are wrong if they think Alonso is anything close to anyone who is not a DH. Some would argue that with time he will become better defensively, but since he has been playing 1b since college, when was that going to happen. They say Latos lacks maturity, he is 24, of course he is not mature yet. Chris Carpenter still gets mad on the mound and he is mid 30s, I will take the competitivness. Boxberger has a history of arm problems, Volquez is getting worse and not better, and Grandal may actually turn out to be pretty good, but Mesoraco is better. The worry about what will happen with Votto is just that, a worry. The Reds have guys in the minors who may soften that blow.
Cliff - 12 years ago
I feel like this trade is a HUGE win for the Reds. As of recent, it seems as if 1st base prospects are a dime a dozen. The Reds will be able to find another 1st base prospect, when or if Joey Votto leaves in a couple of years. The Reds also have a solid catching prospect in Devin Mesaraco, therefore if Yasmani Grandal can be used as trade bait, that is what blocked prospects are for. Closers, are just glorified relievers. I personally do not believe Boxberger was going to be our next closer, so I view him being included in the trade as insignificant. Volquez is the interesting part of this equation. Currently, Volquez has no value in staying in the Reds organization. A change of scenery could really help him, ala moving from the Rangers to the Reds. Because of this I feel like the Padres got a great deal in getting possibly a future catcher, a current 1st basemen, and possibly a starter to replace Latos in their rotation. From the Reds point of view, they got rid of a guy who is not going to factor into their rotation, a 1st baseman that has no spot, a catcher that has no spot, an a run of the mill reliever for a guy who could really be their ACE! I worry slightly about durability with Latos, but this is the only guy the Reds have in their rotation with #1 credentials. Cueto is a solid #2, the Reds have no idea what they are going to get with Chapman as a starter, and the rest of their rotation are 3-5 guys. To sum this up, I feel like a #1 starter is so much more difficult to come by than the position players that the Reds gave up, and the #3-5 starter they included, that it seems to me like the Reds recieved the best value in this deal.
ferrets_bueller - 12 years ago
While I agree that the Pads won the trade, its not by the margin that some are making it out to be. Mainly because of two factors- Alonso and Latos. First, the comments against Alonso are correct- he has a fairly limited offensive upside, and does not have a real defensive position. If he ever hits more than 25 homers in a season, I'll be shocked. He's going to be a .280-.290 18-23 homer guy with no defensive skills. Not exactly a huge trade centerpiece...something many of us have been saying this all offseason- the Reds have been doing all they can to over-inflate his value and have been asking for significantly more than he is worth.
schnoz - 12 years ago
The reds are making a move to win now. They have one of the best run scoring offenses in the NL, one of the best defenses in the NL, and now they bolstered their pitching staff! They got their SP, and at the same time inproved their defense as they will not be forced to play alonso in LF. Who cares if they gave up some PROSPECTS, they are picking their battle and going for it. They have been hording prospects for years, but this is the year where the rest of the division is weakening and they are pouncing. The reds have all their best players locked up for relatively cheap, and everything is lining up to keep Votto in Cincinnati long term. The next 2 years, and hopefully 4 years will be fun!
You don't have the answer I would choose: Both. While there's risk involved for the Reds because a pitcher's arm can be a fragile thing, we dealt from clear surplus and got someone who upgrades our staff. Contrary to the fears of some Padres fans, the Pads got quality players who who will likely have good major league careers. And it's very possible that Volquez, two years removed from TJ surgery and pitching in the friendly Petco, returns to form. So Both clubs "won".
mark - 12 years ago
The Padres got players with "potential" while the Reds got a proven big league pitcher. The Reds rotation just got a whole lot better fellas. GO REDS IN 2012!
Jerome - 12 years ago
"alonso is a future all star maybe even this coming year because he can flat out hit look at his stats they look pretty good"
Um for real? Alonso has played 26 games TOTAL at the ML level in 2 seasons. He isn't gonna be an all-star next year, sorry to burst your bubble. And his defense is mediocre AT BEST. Dude can hit, but can he do it consistently? To state someone will be an all-star in his 3rd ML season after playing 26 games total over the last 2 years is just plain ignorant.
Michael - 12 years ago
This is a complex trade, a lot of talent in both directions, yeah Grandal, Alonso and Boxberger possess a ton of raw talent, and Volquez has major league experience but Latos has proven he can be successful in the big leagues, I think there is no clear winner in this picture other than the players involved, Latos goes to a team that can compete now, with Bruce, Votto, etc behind him for now he at least has an opportunity to get some postseason experience and really put his name out there for big market clubs. Alonso and Grandal now have opportunities to fully explore their potential that they may not have gotten in Cincinnati, I have to believe Boxberger will have done well wherever he ended up and now Volquez has an opportunity for a fresh start and a new ballpark. I think both teams win in assessing their needs and playing to the game plans they are utilizing, Padres are building a dynasty for the future and Cincinnati is building a machine to make a playoff run now.
Let me just put it out there, I am neither a reds or padres fan, I am a Yankees fan and I was envious of both teams in this trade... Shawn to call Latos another Burnett? That's just an insult to a kid who has remarkable talent for his age. Dont ever wish that upon anyone, I'd even have taken Volquez at this point to replace Burnett, bottom line is, the reds are today's winners, the padres are the long term winners and the players definitely made out big time.
vince - 12 years ago
The Padres got the way better deal they made the padres an offer the reds couldnt refuse ...alonso is a future all star maybe even this coming year because he can flat out hit look at his stats they look pretty good...grandal has potential to be a future all star ...volquez isnt a bad back of the rotation starter and boxberger looks like he could be a good relief pitcher.... just because alonso and grandal are being blocked u dont give them away...they overpaid by a grandal or an alonso
alex - 12 years ago
and to everyone...no one got the better end of this deal yet...we will see when baseball starts up
alex - 12 years ago
latos is another aj burnett? latos actually has command of his pitches i don't know what the hell you're talking about. And besides he is only 24 and has the ability to be a very dominant pitcher at the front end of that rotation
Thefathers - 12 years ago
Pads got the better end of the deal PERIOD
greg - 12 years ago
Reds gave up 2 blocked guys, a guy who would never be a starter in cincinnati again, and a guy who could be a closer, but who knows for sure... definitely a ton of talent, but they still got the guy in return that could push them to the playoffs the next 2 years with votto still there... Good job by the Reds
Rodger - 12 years ago
Like all trades only time will tell.....the Reds got a proven pitcher....the Padres got one major leaguer who has been injury prone. Three other players who have not proven anything, yet.
People say Latos had a bad year? His era was a little higher...big deal...his numbers where solid...WHIP and ratio's where excellent...Reds would be thrilled if he repeated that.
shawn douma - 12 years ago
Are you kidding me guys? Latos is garbage! Hes another aj burnett.. reds gave up way too much! Alonso is a stud.. volquez isnt much worse than latos and the other guys are icing on the cake. I think gio gonzalez would be worth that but i dont see it in latos. And now the padres can trade rizzo.. they are looking at garza already.. reds got ripped off.. better hope that latos bounces back
some good points - 12 years ago
Man I just mentioned that Randy had some good points then he makes the point about Latos THREE AL starts. 3 games means nothing. Every pitcher has bad stretches. That doesnt mean hed be an average AL pitcher. ERA is going to be higher in the AL regardless for one simple fact, the DH
YODA777 - 12 years ago
The Padres definately won this trade; however, the Reds may or may not have lost it, depending upon how well Latos does. If you look at this in a bigger context, the Padres traded from a position of strength as it relates to its system wide depth at pitcher. The Padres are loaded with MLB starting rotation prospects; therefore, to get back two pretty good position player prospects is a win for them. It may also be a win for the Reds in that those two position players the Padres received in the trade were blocked by better players, and they were able to convert that into a potential #1 SP. I think Grandal has the potential to be an All-Star catcher; however, I do not think it is a slam dunk yet that Alonso is the one who stays in SD and Rizzo is shipped out.
Randy - 12 years ago
Latos lost to Seattle twice last year giving up 4 runs in 6 and 3 in 6. He gave up 4 in 5 2/3 against Boston and 3 in 6 innings against KC.
Those were all his starts against AL teams where he would be an average pictcher. The Padres absolutely cleaned up on this trade! The Padres will probably make the playoffs before the Reds do.
Besides, there is a LOT of risk in trading great position player prospects and 4 total players for 1 pitcher. One injury and the Reds get nothing for unloading a boatload of young talent.
The Reds will come up on the short end of this deal big time.
some good points - 12 years ago
Latos isnt just a product of Petco, but Randy did make a good point. SD is fantastic at getting the best years out of pitchers. Latos numbers will rise in the new park but he is still a very good young arm. Anyone thats watched him pitch though knows that he gets rattled and the amount of homeruns that park gives up could lead to his undoing if he doesnt improve mentally.
Volquez however will benefit a lot from the park change and the padres defense. What everyone seems to be forgetting here is that unless the Padres contend this year Volquez will be traded too to for even more of a prospect stock pile. Rizzo may or may not get moved for a good haul, but with SDs track record Volquez should have a fine first half and either get traded at the deadline for a good haul or after the season.
The Reds got their ace, but SD certainly made out very well in this trade barring injury
alex - 12 years ago
clearly you know nothing about baseball...volquez is as good as latos when healthy?! what sport are you watching?
Randy - 12 years ago
This will go down as one of the worst trades in baseball history as the the Reds gave up several all-star players for another overrated pitcher out of San Diego.
The Reds are still going nowhere. Latos would be a mid-roation starting pitcher in the AL. He is nothing too special. Whereas, Grandal and probably Alonso have many all- star games ahead. Also, the Pads got a young pitcher likely to be a very successful late inning pitcher along with Volquez who is only 28 and when healthy is as good as Latos anyway.
Padres cleaned up on this deal and Jockety will be crying in a few years over what he gave up. Padres have a bright future and are well on their way to a very competitive decade ahead due to this trade. Byrnes deserves a huge amount of credit for finding the one fool out there (Jocketty) to unload a cashe of talent for an overrated picther.
alex - 12 years ago
good points chris...im a reds fan and i will say this...ken rosenthal makes a great point by saying that out of all the pitchers on the market the reds got the one with the most upside/potential. I don't think the Reds clearly won this trade. I like what we did, but at the same time we gave up a lot. The one player I really didn't want to give up in the whole deal was Yonder Alonso. If Votto leaves that's going to leave a huge void in which Alonso could of filled. No he's nowhere near the status of Joey Votto defensively, but offensively the guy can flat out hit. Grandal is a solid prospect, but he wouldn't of seen any time up in cincinnati due to devin mesoraco, who has more upside then grandal anyways. As far as boxberger goes, I believe he was going to be our future closer, but the fact they were willing to part with him shows that they will probably go and grab a closer on the free agent market. Last but not least Edinson Volquez is an interesting name. He has the abililty to be great, but his command is just something that I don't ever see changing. All in all, I like the trade for both teams. I think it helps the Padres in the very near future, and I think Cincinnati becomes the favorite in the NL central now
The Coop - 12 years ago
I agree Reds won this deal, They traded some players to get their ace and now thye have enough funds to lock up votto for a long term deal. Beware the red machine is getting a tune up and could be running on all cylinders in the next few years
Chris - 12 years ago
The Reds won this trade for several reasons. First, there was virtually no use for Yonder Alonso or Yasmani Grandal given that both players were blocked. Alonso is a future DH with a limited offensive upside, and Yasmani Grandal is very much an unproven commodity. Alonso is also relatively useless in the long run for San Diego, as they have an equally unproven, yet significantly better prospect in Anthony Rizzo (in terms of long term upside). Essentially, the Reds were shedding two players that they were trying to move in a trade, which they obviously did. That leaves two other players, Brad Boxberger, and Edinson Volquez. Volquez has shown no ability to return to his 2008 form. His control has significantly declined, and his mechanics are still really bad. Not only that, his pitching tendencies do not fit at all in Cincinnati, which makes him completely useless to the Reds, but he is also a major question mark as to whether he can ever be a decent starter again anyways. His defense independent statistics show that he is regressing following his Tommy John surgery. Brad Boxberger is by far the easiest of the players to replace, simply because he is a reliever. He struggled with injuries throughout his amateur career, and has never proven he can ever reach 100 innings, let alone 200. Besides that, his stuff is becoming increasingly easy to find in prospects. However, he is also the safest of the trade pieces, so he is the most likely to ensure that San Diego got something out of the trade. Essentially, the Reds got rid of a broken piece, a reliever, a blocked prospect, and Yasmani Grandal. From the Padres perspective, they are getting a good catching prospect, a guy who will likely act as a trade chip in another trade due to the fact that he is not the best first baseman in the organization, a reliever, and a guy who has the potential to be a decent third starter, but likely won't be on the team in five years due to a lack of production. Mat Latos is a very young pitcher who has shown that he can do three things that Cicinnati's pitching staff has been missing. Latos can strike out batters without walking nearly as many, he can induce groundballs (significant in GABP), and he can pitch well without relying on his defense (when he does have to rely on his defense, he has a great one behind him). While his rates did drop off a bit from 2010, they were still very very good, especially considering that he was 23 years old the entire 2011 campaign. The Reds traded for a guy who has proven he can pitch at a high level in the majors (something none of the players they traded to San Diego can claim), and is showing signs of improving, with the ceiling of an ace. They did this, obviously, before he reaches that expensive ace status. While I believed the Reds got robbed at first glance, analyzing the pieces involved led me to the conclusion that not only did they get the better end of the deal, but historically, the team that ends up with the proven commodity will likely win the deal when all is said and done. It is pretty clear to me who won this trade now, and that would be Cincinnati.
This has to be a win for the Pads. 2 great prospects, a solid pitcher with a ton of upside who "could" be just as good as Latos in that park. Boxberger is an added bonus that could be a top notch closer, but doesn't really have a lot of real value being that he is a relief prospect. Guys like him are throw-ins in these type of trades, but often times end up being the most successful piece.
I would rather have Gio Gonzalez or Matt Garza if I were the Reds. Latos is nice, but was aided by his park. Will be interesting to see how he pitches in Cincy.
Though time will tell, there are several reasons I like this trade. First, Jim Bowden thinks the Reds got killed on this trade. And he is a successful GM where? Oh yeah, he messed up two teams, one of whom were the Reds. Second, the Reds needed the best starting pitcher available. The Padres had several offers that were similiar and selected this one as the one they liked the best. Last year, the Padres were touting Rizzo as the saviour of their franchise after they lost Adrian Gonzales. They are wrong if they think Alonso is anything close to anyone who is not a DH. Some would argue that with time he will become better defensively, but since he has been playing 1b since college, when was that going to happen. They say Latos lacks maturity, he is 24, of course he is not mature yet. Chris Carpenter still gets mad on the mound and he is mid 30s, I will take the competitivness. Boxberger has a history of arm problems, Volquez is getting worse and not better, and Grandal may actually turn out to be pretty good, but Mesoraco is better. The worry about what will happen with Votto is just that, a worry. The Reds have guys in the minors who may soften that blow.
I feel like this trade is a HUGE win for the Reds. As of recent, it seems as if 1st base prospects are a dime a dozen. The Reds will be able to find another 1st base prospect, when or if Joey Votto leaves in a couple of years. The Reds also have a solid catching prospect in Devin Mesaraco, therefore if Yasmani Grandal can be used as trade bait, that is what blocked prospects are for. Closers, are just glorified relievers. I personally do not believe Boxberger was going to be our next closer, so I view him being included in the trade as insignificant. Volquez is the interesting part of this equation. Currently, Volquez has no value in staying in the Reds organization. A change of scenery could really help him, ala moving from the Rangers to the Reds. Because of this I feel like the Padres got a great deal in getting possibly a future catcher, a current 1st basemen, and possibly a starter to replace Latos in their rotation. From the Reds point of view, they got rid of a guy who is not going to factor into their rotation, a 1st baseman that has no spot, a catcher that has no spot, an a run of the mill reliever for a guy who could really be their ACE! I worry slightly about durability with Latos, but this is the only guy the Reds have in their rotation with #1 credentials. Cueto is a solid #2, the Reds have no idea what they are going to get with Chapman as a starter, and the rest of their rotation are 3-5 guys. To sum this up, I feel like a #1 starter is so much more difficult to come by than the position players that the Reds gave up, and the #3-5 starter they included, that it seems to me like the Reds recieved the best value in this deal.
While I agree that the Pads won the trade, its not by the margin that some are making it out to be. Mainly because of two factors- Alonso and Latos. First, the comments against Alonso are correct- he has a fairly limited offensive upside, and does not have a real defensive position. If he ever hits more than 25 homers in a season, I'll be shocked. He's going to be a .280-.290 18-23 homer guy with no defensive skills. Not exactly a huge trade centerpiece...something many of us have been saying this all offseason- the Reds have been doing all they can to over-inflate his value and have been asking for significantly more than he is worth.
The reds are making a move to win now. They have one of the best run scoring offenses in the NL, one of the best defenses in the NL, and now they bolstered their pitching staff! They got their SP, and at the same time inproved their defense as they will not be forced to play alonso in LF. Who cares if they gave up some PROSPECTS, they are picking their battle and going for it. They have been hording prospects for years, but this is the year where the rest of the division is weakening and they are pouncing. The reds have all their best players locked up for relatively cheap, and everything is lining up to keep Votto in Cincinnati long term. The next 2 years, and hopefully 4 years will be fun!
You don't have the answer I would choose: Both. While there's risk involved for the Reds because a pitcher's arm can be a fragile thing, we dealt from clear surplus and got someone who upgrades our staff. Contrary to the fears of some Padres fans, the Pads got quality players who who will likely have good major league careers. And it's very possible that Volquez, two years removed from TJ surgery and pitching in the friendly Petco, returns to form. So Both clubs "won".
The Padres got players with "potential" while the Reds got a proven big league pitcher. The Reds rotation just got a whole lot better fellas. GO REDS IN 2012!
"alonso is a future all star maybe even this coming year because he can flat out hit look at his stats they look pretty good"
Um for real? Alonso has played 26 games TOTAL at the ML level in 2 seasons. He isn't gonna be an all-star next year, sorry to burst your bubble. And his defense is mediocre AT BEST. Dude can hit, but can he do it consistently? To state someone will be an all-star in his 3rd ML season after playing 26 games total over the last 2 years is just plain ignorant.
This is a complex trade, a lot of talent in both directions, yeah Grandal, Alonso and Boxberger possess a ton of raw talent, and Volquez has major league experience but Latos has proven he can be successful in the big leagues, I think there is no clear winner in this picture other than the players involved, Latos goes to a team that can compete now, with Bruce, Votto, etc behind him for now he at least has an opportunity to get some postseason experience and really put his name out there for big market clubs. Alonso and Grandal now have opportunities to fully explore their potential that they may not have gotten in Cincinnati, I have to believe Boxberger will have done well wherever he ended up and now Volquez has an opportunity for a fresh start and a new ballpark. I think both teams win in assessing their needs and playing to the game plans they are utilizing, Padres are building a dynasty for the future and Cincinnati is building a machine to make a playoff run now.
Let me just put it out there, I am neither a reds or padres fan, I am a Yankees fan and I was envious of both teams in this trade... Shawn to call Latos another Burnett? That's just an insult to a kid who has remarkable talent for his age. Dont ever wish that upon anyone, I'd even have taken Volquez at this point to replace Burnett, bottom line is, the reds are today's winners, the padres are the long term winners and the players definitely made out big time.
The Padres got the way better deal they made the padres an offer the reds couldnt refuse ...alonso is a future all star maybe even this coming year because he can flat out hit look at his stats they look pretty good...grandal has potential to be a future all star ...volquez isnt a bad back of the rotation starter and boxberger looks like he could be a good relief pitcher.... just because alonso and grandal are being blocked u dont give them away...they overpaid by a grandal or an alonso
and to everyone...no one got the better end of this deal yet...we will see when baseball starts up
latos is another aj burnett? latos actually has command of his pitches i don't know what the hell you're talking about. And besides he is only 24 and has the ability to be a very dominant pitcher at the front end of that rotation
Pads got the better end of the deal PERIOD
Reds gave up 2 blocked guys, a guy who would never be a starter in cincinnati again, and a guy who could be a closer, but who knows for sure... definitely a ton of talent, but they still got the guy in return that could push them to the playoffs the next 2 years with votto still there... Good job by the Reds
Like all trades only time will tell.....the Reds got a proven pitcher....the Padres got one major leaguer who has been injury prone. Three other players who have not proven anything, yet.
People say Latos had a bad year? His era was a little higher...big deal...his numbers where solid...WHIP and ratio's where excellent...Reds would be thrilled if he repeated that.
Are you kidding me guys? Latos is garbage! Hes another aj burnett.. reds gave up way too much! Alonso is a stud.. volquez isnt much worse than latos and the other guys are icing on the cake. I think gio gonzalez would be worth that but i dont see it in latos. And now the padres can trade rizzo.. they are looking at garza already.. reds got ripped off.. better hope that latos bounces back
Man I just mentioned that Randy had some good points then he makes the point about Latos THREE AL starts. 3 games means nothing. Every pitcher has bad stretches. That doesnt mean hed be an average AL pitcher. ERA is going to be higher in the AL regardless for one simple fact, the DH
The Padres definately won this trade; however, the Reds may or may not have lost it, depending upon how well Latos does. If you look at this in a bigger context, the Padres traded from a position of strength as it relates to its system wide depth at pitcher. The Padres are loaded with MLB starting rotation prospects; therefore, to get back two pretty good position player prospects is a win for them. It may also be a win for the Reds in that those two position players the Padres received in the trade were blocked by better players, and they were able to convert that into a potential #1 SP. I think Grandal has the potential to be an All-Star catcher; however, I do not think it is a slam dunk yet that Alonso is the one who stays in SD and Rizzo is shipped out.
Latos lost to Seattle twice last year giving up 4 runs in 6 and 3 in 6. He gave up 4 in 5 2/3 against Boston and 3 in 6 innings against KC.
Those were all his starts against AL teams where he would be an average pictcher. The Padres absolutely cleaned up on this trade! The Padres will probably make the playoffs before the Reds do.
Besides, there is a LOT of risk in trading great position player prospects and 4 total players for 1 pitcher. One injury and the Reds get nothing for unloading a boatload of young talent.
The Reds will come up on the short end of this deal big time.
Latos isnt just a product of Petco, but Randy did make a good point. SD is fantastic at getting the best years out of pitchers. Latos numbers will rise in the new park but he is still a very good young arm. Anyone thats watched him pitch though knows that he gets rattled and the amount of homeruns that park gives up could lead to his undoing if he doesnt improve mentally.
Volquez however will benefit a lot from the park change and the padres defense. What everyone seems to be forgetting here is that unless the Padres contend this year Volquez will be traded too to for even more of a prospect stock pile. Rizzo may or may not get moved for a good haul, but with SDs track record Volquez should have a fine first half and either get traded at the deadline for a good haul or after the season.
The Reds got their ace, but SD certainly made out very well in this trade barring injury
clearly you know nothing about baseball...volquez is as good as latos when healthy?! what sport are you watching?
This will go down as one of the worst trades in baseball history as the the Reds gave up several all-star players for another overrated pitcher out of San Diego.
The Reds are still going nowhere. Latos would be a mid-roation starting pitcher in the AL. He is nothing too special. Whereas, Grandal and probably Alonso have many all- star games ahead. Also, the Pads got a young pitcher likely to be a very successful late inning pitcher along with Volquez who is only 28 and when healthy is as good as Latos anyway.
Padres cleaned up on this deal and Jockety will be crying in a few years over what he gave up. Padres have a bright future and are well on their way to a very competitive decade ahead due to this trade. Byrnes deserves a huge amount of credit for finding the one fool out there (Jocketty) to unload a cashe of talent for an overrated picther.
good points chris...im a reds fan and i will say this...ken rosenthal makes a great point by saying that out of all the pitchers on the market the reds got the one with the most upside/potential. I don't think the Reds clearly won this trade. I like what we did, but at the same time we gave up a lot. The one player I really didn't want to give up in the whole deal was Yonder Alonso. If Votto leaves that's going to leave a huge void in which Alonso could of filled. No he's nowhere near the status of Joey Votto defensively, but offensively the guy can flat out hit. Grandal is a solid prospect, but he wouldn't of seen any time up in cincinnati due to devin mesoraco, who has more upside then grandal anyways. As far as boxberger goes, I believe he was going to be our future closer, but the fact they were willing to part with him shows that they will probably go and grab a closer on the free agent market. Last but not least Edinson Volquez is an interesting name. He has the abililty to be great, but his command is just something that I don't ever see changing. All in all, I like the trade for both teams. I think it helps the Padres in the very near future, and I think Cincinnati becomes the favorite in the NL central now
I agree Reds won this deal, They traded some players to get their ace and now thye have enough funds to lock up votto for a long term deal. Beware the red machine is getting a tune up and could be running on all cylinders in the next few years
The Reds won this trade for several reasons. First, there was virtually no use for Yonder Alonso or Yasmani Grandal given that both players were blocked. Alonso is a future DH with a limited offensive upside, and Yasmani Grandal is very much an unproven commodity. Alonso is also relatively useless in the long run for San Diego, as they have an equally unproven, yet significantly better prospect in Anthony Rizzo (in terms of long term upside). Essentially, the Reds were shedding two players that they were trying to move in a trade, which they obviously did. That leaves two other players, Brad Boxberger, and Edinson Volquez. Volquez has shown no ability to return to his 2008 form. His control has significantly declined, and his mechanics are still really bad. Not only that, his pitching tendencies do not fit at all in Cincinnati, which makes him completely useless to the Reds, but he is also a major question mark as to whether he can ever be a decent starter again anyways. His defense independent statistics show that he is regressing following his Tommy John surgery. Brad Boxberger is by far the easiest of the players to replace, simply because he is a reliever. He struggled with injuries throughout his amateur career, and has never proven he can ever reach 100 innings, let alone 200. Besides that, his stuff is becoming increasingly easy to find in prospects. However, he is also the safest of the trade pieces, so he is the most likely to ensure that San Diego got something out of the trade. Essentially, the Reds got rid of a broken piece, a reliever, a blocked prospect, and Yasmani Grandal. From the Padres perspective, they are getting a good catching prospect, a guy who will likely act as a trade chip in another trade due to the fact that he is not the best first baseman in the organization, a reliever, and a guy who has the potential to be a decent third starter, but likely won't be on the team in five years due to a lack of production. Mat Latos is a very young pitcher who has shown that he can do three things that Cicinnati's pitching staff has been missing. Latos can strike out batters without walking nearly as many, he can induce groundballs (significant in GABP), and he can pitch well without relying on his defense (when he does have to rely on his defense, he has a great one behind him). While his rates did drop off a bit from 2010, they were still very very good, especially considering that he was 23 years old the entire 2011 campaign. The Reds traded for a guy who has proven he can pitch at a high level in the majors (something none of the players they traded to San Diego can claim), and is showing signs of improving, with the ceiling of an ace. They did this, obviously, before he reaches that expensive ace status. While I believed the Reds got robbed at first glance, analyzing the pieces involved led me to the conclusion that not only did they get the better end of the deal, but historically, the team that ends up with the proven commodity will likely win the deal when all is said and done. It is pretty clear to me who won this trade now, and that would be Cincinnati.