Reds Offer Loretta a 2 year deal for $6 mil total

[missionhockey21]

2:39 a.m., from Amy Nelson

• Mark Loretta has been offered a two-year, $6 million contract from the Cincinnati Reds, according to a baseball source.

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Yes indeed, the 35 year old Loretta, the man of a .700 OPS was supposedly offered this deal. The only thing this could indicate is that the Reds are considering trading Phillips in a deal if true and we would be able to add another golden oldie. If we deal Phillips to get older (again), I am pretty much done with this team. If they have this kind of cash, why not just use it on a SP to begin with (rather than overspend on one of the bottom feeders, which they'll likely consider) or hell, spend it on Aurilia who can actually contribute to this offense. Are they just trying to set up hatred for Adam Dunn? With him and Ed E being the only realistic large contributors, since it's all riding on them now while we continue to fail to address our need for a power bat... it will just make it tat much easier to get rid of them.

This might seem like an overeaction, but have we heard about one plus bat we were interested in? Every starter we have been interested has been via a trade in which we would continue to deplete what is turning out to be a very bleak 07 look for the bats. I don't mind this deal if we're dropping cash like crazy... but so far our offense has netted us a reliever I would of loved to had signed 12 years ago, a SS who can't hit and if this falls through, a contact hitting 2B with no power and a low strikeout total (hmmm.... that sounds familiar from Wayne K.)

[CincyRedsFan30]

That's the hard thing.

It's tough to get a read on exactly how much money they have to spend.

If they have tons of money and want to get Loretta and THEN make trades/signings that give us a big bat and a starter, I can't complain, but if that's not the case, these moves are pretty dumb.

And WHAT is this team's obsession with veterans? It's getting a bit ridiculous at this point.

Do Krivsky and Narron only like vets? I'm sure Jerry is licking his chops seeing all these vets signed. It makes me think of Homer: "Mmmm, vets."

[missionhockey21]

We've gone through this market being quiet and the money we have spend, it's primarily been at players mentioned with little connection to other teams having interest (sans Weathers.) I personally think the cash isn't there and the bulk has been spent. (I am still pissed we let Guillen slip by like that for the cost he went at.)

To be honest, as much as Narron likes vets, I think Kriv is the one with the unhealthy fetish. Is it really too much to ask to at least be mentioned in connection with one under 30 FA player who would make an impact? Maybe not a Zito, but someone to give us hope.

[CincyRedsFan30]

If we are about out of cash and are using money on Loretta, Krivsky needs to have a wakeup call.

I still hold out some hope we have some money to throw around, based on a few reasons.

It's just that those under 30 players don't play the game the right way. You know that.

[missionhockey21]

That's true, but this is like a person saying they never get sick and making them sit in a room full of coughing pre-schoolers and forcing them to play with their toys.... eventuallly you have to figure their forces to change. We have so much vet presence that we could take number one draft pick in 2007 and have his nickname be known as "Pop" within two days top.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

i'm gonna call it now.... either freel/dunn is going to be traded or phillips/dunn. we cant keep all of these INF's.

Freel/Dunn for Gonzalez/ Linebrink/3B(ex indian)Kevin Kouzmanoff

[redsrbetter]

I bet Lorreta would be the RH bat to platoon with Hatteberg at 1B. But for 3 million a year, you would have to hope for something more than a backup. Couple that mistake with Narron having the ability to play him over the up and coming star Phillips and you have what would be a good signing become ridiculous.

Loretta is the type of player that I think teams should go after. I also put Hatteberg in that mold. Both can get on base and both can put the ball in play. But you just don't play them over a guy who is trying to establish himself and will become a star in this league. Which is exactly the way I think about edE and Phillips. They are the future of this team and will lead guys like Bruce and Votto into the team we want them to be.

Loretta as a 1B against LHP? Sounds good to me, but not at that price. And it would be far better to get someone that could play the OF as well if we were to trade Freel down the road.

[redsrbetter]

Narron denies it completely:

Per marc Lancaster:

Jerry Narron can be artful with his words when he chooses to be, taking a circular route to let you read between the lines. He didn't bother when asked a few minutes ago about the Reds' reported offer to Mark Loretta.

"We have NOT made an offer to Mark Loretta, I can tell you that," said Narron. "We talked to his agent, but we did not make any kind of offer."

Yes, but why are they talking to his agent about him though. There may not be an offer out there, but why even discuss it?

[Slyder]

Narron denies it completely:

Yes, but why are they talking to his agent about him though. There may not be an offer out there, but why even discuss it?

Why not? Id rather talk to too many guys than not enough. Not every player will be willing to move for a variety of reasons. So not every person you talk to will want to come, also could it be that Loretta was a possible plan B if Gonzalez signed elsewhere? He could also fill the "utility role" for Aurilia granted less power but couldnt be worse for 3 mil than some of the outrageous contracts.

[Fishercat]

I really liked Mark Loretta in Boston. A quiet, hard working player who wasn't a stud like he was for a couple of years but a solid contributor. His end and beginning of the year sucked, but he was a capable MI other wise. I think I'd rather have Loretta/Phillips over Gonzo/Phillips (with Phillips at SS in the Loretta/Phillips arrangement), although I like Gonzo too...

[redsrbetter]

I would rather have Loretta over Gonzo as well. Fact of the matter is, Loretta can hit like I said earlier. Gonzo cannot stick. But its a little late for that thinking now. Slyder, you may be right and I like the idea of talking to as many players as possible. But since the Gonzo signing, where does Loretta fit?

The only imaginable spot for Loretta right now would be for the 1B platoon. That would be s decent fit, but I wouldn't throw out a contract that big for a platoon player. That is all I am saying.

[redsrbetter]

From Jerry Crasnick:

Why would the Reds offer Mark Loretta two years and $6 million when they already have a talented second baseman in Brandon Phillips? The Reds think Loretta can log enough at-bats as the right-handed first base complement to Scott Hatteberg to make the deal worthwhile. Loretta's first preference is to return to San Diego to play second, but the Padres are more interested in signing Ronnie Belliard or trading for Marcus Giles.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotsto...ory?id=2686831

[brewersfan19]

I like Loretta, but I am bias because he is an ex-Brewer. And I always liked him. I was sad to see him go. I know he is older than Phillips, but can't Phillips play SS also? Or not? I have forgotten who plays SS for the Reds currently so I could be off base here, just curious. Maybe that is what the Reds have in store. I don't know, I am just a lowly Brewer fan, lost in the Red's team forum. hahahahaha.

[Slyder]

I like Loretta, but I am bias because he is an ex-Brewer. And I always liked him. I was sad to see him go. I know he is older than Phillips, but can't Phillips play SS also? Or not? I have forgotten who plays SS for the Reds currently so I could be off base here, just curious. Maybe that is what the Reds have in store. I don't know, I am just a lowly Brewer fan, lost in the Red's team forum. hahahahaha.

The Reds signed Alex Gonzalez earlier in the offseason. He is right now suppose to be the "starting SS". I think this rumor was probably offered early on in FA along with Gonzalez and Gonzalez signed on the dotted line first. I wouldn't mind Loretta if theres a trade brewing for some pitching (IE Phillips for Linebrink). Can you trade guys after signing them? Someone brought up the idea that Gonzalez might be part of a trade.

[NFLman2033]

well here is a different perspective... not going to say I agree with the thinking, but it is something.

The Reds Sign Loretta to platoon with Hateberg, come in at 2B to give Phillips his days off, and as insurance.. right now Phillips has exactly 1 good season to his credit.. up until last year he was a guy who hadn't put it together.. so if he comes out this year and lays a big goose egg on us because last year was a fluke, we will now have insurance at 2B.. without having to put Freel out there everyday(because you know we cant put him out there everyday) SO Lorretta is a pre-emptive move in clase Phillips can't be our everyday 2nd basemen.. and he he can, we have a RH to go with Hatteberg at 1B.

Again like I said, not saying I agree, but this could be the logic... Either way.. this move to get Older has really been pissing me off.. Its like instead of building a team through the farm system(which we had been working for) we are now going to be a team to build on Free Agents.. which has been known to work, if you are Los Angeles or New York when you can have 100 million dollar payrolls.. but when you are in a smaller Market, it isn't exactly the greatest strategy.. I know we were promised by the owner that we would turn into a winning organization.. but at this rate I am begining to question if we are going to be able to do it with the Krivsky mentality.. and that eventually he will do more damage to this franchise than good before he is gone.. the success from small markest clubs has been the same.. they do it with great scouting to build the organization from the ground up.. with the Farm System.. out Farm System has been held up to this point.. but all the guys that we had, which we were promised to lead us are gone except Dunn.. we have been waiting for years.. and now it seems that unless we get miracle seasons out of guys like Alex Gonzalaz, we are going to be waiting even longer.. and its not like these guys are getting anything other than Older.. I won't really comment on what we Haven't done that we need to do.. because it isn't over yet.. but this organization had better start making better moves to even come close to impressing me this offseason