Zack Cozart

[zodious]

The Reds have a big decision to make tomorrow. One player, Three possible outcomes.\

1) Reds don't offer him a qualifying offer of $17.4 mil for one year, and he is a free agent, no strings.

2) Reds do make that $17.4 mil offer and he agrees.

3) Reds do make the $17.4 mil offer and he balks at it and tests free agency anyway.
a) if he balks at it, and signs a deal worth $50mil+, reds get a pick after the first round.
b) if less, a lesser pick.

But what are the Reds and Cozart trying to ultimately do? Both like the other, but does Cincy want a $17.4 mil player on a team that is clearly not going to win next year, and is aging quick, and is very injury prone. If offered, does Cozart truly think he become a large signed Free Agent? What is the Market for the player that was outlined?

So my gut says reds don't offer and try and get him as a much cheaper free agent, but ultimately fail, and in the end, receive nothing.

[Slyder]

The Reds have a big decision to make tomorrow. One player, Three possible outcomes.\

1) Reds don't offer him a qualifying offer of $17.4 mil for one year, and he is a free agent, no strings.

2) Reds do make that $17.4 mil offer and he agrees.

3) Reds do make the $17.4 mil offer and he balks at it and tests free agency anyway.
a) if he balks at it, and signs a deal worth $50mil+, reds get a pick after the first round.
b) if less, a lesser pick.

But what are the Reds and Cozart trying to ultimately do? Both like the other, but does Cincy want a $17.4 mil player on a team that is clearly not going to win next year, and is aging quick, and is very injury prone. If offered, does Cozart truly think he become a large signed Free Agent? What is the Market for the player that was outlined?

So my gut says reds don't offer and try and get him as a much cheaper free agent, but ultimately fail, and in the end, receive nothing.

Reds would be crazy to offer him a qualifying offer. No one is going to want him on FA if the Reds do.

[BuckFoston]

This is a really interesting situation that I probably wouldn't have followed if you didn't post this, so thanks.

Interesting take on an article I just read about this -

When the Reds didn’t trade Cozart during the 2017 season, they let an asset spoil. It’s like a grocery store letting milk go bad or an airline not discounting tickets on a half empty plane. It doesn’t make sense.

This a chance to correct that error. Signing Cozart returns the Reds to where they were when the 2017 began. They will have one of the best short term trade pieces for the middle infield on an affordable contract.

This time, though, they can correct their mistakes of last year.

Cincinnati Reds need to bring back Zack Cozart in 2018

Heyman also reported this morning on Twitter that it sounds like the Reds won't extend the qualifying offer to him.

[HollywoodLeo]

I hate it when journalists and armchair GMs chastise a team for not trading someone before free agency, as if trading someone isn't a two way street and they should take the first offer that comes to the table and sell him to the lowest bidder...because they certainly wouldn't get raked through the coals that way.

I mean, it's certainly the less than ideal result using our 20/20 hindsight but it still takes another team to agree to a trade and they still shouldn't just give him away.

It's not like they can just walk up to Brian Cashman's door and drop Cosart off in a paper sack and abscond with two of their better prospects under his nose.

[zodious]

Reds have been exploring their options all day, but it is ultimately looked like they will NOT be extending an offer.