Arroyo to the Reds for Pena

[The Loveable Losers]

RotoWire Update:
Arroyo was traded to the Reds along with cash for Wily Mo Pena, the Reds' official site reports.

Recommedation:
Pena will likely serve as a platoon partner for Trot Nixon in right field, and might also pick up a handful of starts at DH whenever David Ortiz plays first base. It does hurt his fantasy value some in terms of projected playing time.

Great trade for both teams...terrible trade for the value of both players.

[jnormy]

Any thoughts from anyone about who's gonna be joining Griffey and Kearns in the Reds' OF? Curious move by Cincy, considering how few OFs they currently have on the roster, and how injury-prone their only two veteran OFs have been.

[kid sox]

Great trade for both teams...terrible trade for the value of both players.

I'll have to disagree with the above statement, it seems to me that Arroyo's value gets a pretty good bump since he was slated to start the season in Boston's bullpen.

[typoneg]

Good for arroyo owners bad for pena and his owners. Now a talent like pena has to wonder the bench yet again behind a no talent scrub like trot nixon.

[kid sox]

Good for arroyo owners bad for pena and his owners. Now a talent like pena has to wonder the bench yet again behind a no talent scrub like trot nixon.

Unless the Sox plan to play Pena at 1B. My understanding is that Mike Lowell has looked terrible at the plate....he has a slow bat. If Pena plays first, that would allow Youkilis to return to his normal position at third.

[The Loveable Losers]

I'll have to disagree with the above statement, it seems to me that Arroyo's value gets a pretty good bump since he was slated to start the season in Boston's bullpen.

Just wait till he starts pitching in Great American Ballpark before you decide his value has gone up.

[doober]

Wow, this is a shocker!!! Could be a dumb question and I know EE plays 3b, but could his outstanding play have any effect on trading out Wily MO? Or could the Reds feel Kearns is finally ready for an awesome season we've all been waiting on?

[The Loveable Losers]

My take on what happened from the Reds perspective (a team I get to follow in the local papers) is that they were desperate to get a SP. They knew Boston was shopping pretty much all of them and they went and scouted Arroyo. Bronson had an outstanding outing when the Cin scout was there and they overpayed to get him thinking he was the answer. The only question that Arroyo is the answer to though is "Which SP will the Reds go out and sign/trade for so that he can get taken deep repeatedly in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark?". See also: Eric Milton.

On the plus side for the Reds he's probably going to be their #2 starter behind Harang. That's more an indictment of the rest of their staff though than an endorsement of Arroyo.

[edge27]

So Reds fans....whats the buzz as to what this means for Freel and Denorfia???

[The Loveable Losers]

Before the Pena deal Freel was probably not going to start at 2b (details: http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/c ... deweb.html - free reg. required but the gist is that Narron considers him too valuable as a Util guy to start at a set position). This may help him some but Narron definitely made it clear he wants Freel's flexibility. I don't know about Denorfia's play time but he's a huge favorite of Narron (http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/c ... mccoy.html - basically he likes his scrappy play).

2b is going to be even harder for Freel to see PT with Kata's signing (http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/c ... dsweb.html - article lists Matt Kata, Tony Womack, Ryan Freel, Frank Menechino and Rich Aurilia all as candidates for PT at 2b).

To make matters worse for Freel, the Reds would like Rich Aurilia's bat in the lineup as well (http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/c ... dsweb.html). Unfortunately, he plays all 4 IF slots and if Womack gets time at 2b and with the talk of moving Dunn to the OF again AND with 3b/ss being taken up by Encarnacion/Lopez it really does look like Freel is a man without a position. I would assume that Narron really is going to go forward with Freel being a super-sub. He'll see his ab's...no doubt about that. He's a fan favorite as well as a favorite of Narron. But Narron wants him to fill in everywhere but start consistantly nowhere.