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December 12, 2012
Transaction Analysis
The Diamondbacks Deal Bauer to Cleveland, and the Reds Get Choo
by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller
| American League | National League |
Traded OF-R Shin-Soo Choo, LHP Tony Sipp, and 1B-L Lars Anderson in exchange for RHP Trevor Bauer, CF-R Drew Stubbs, RHP Bryan Shaw and RHP Matt Albers. [12/11]
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The Reds have been faking the leadoff spot since Bip Roberts, The upgrade here is enormous. Putting runners in front of the Votto/Ludwick/Bruce trio will have a bigger effect on the Reds offense than any other upgrade I've seen this winter. This is exactly what a GM saddled with Dusty Baker as manager has to do, cover up his weaknesses by taking bad choices away from him.
Zack Cozart will benefit a great deal from hitting 8th. For one thing he'll have Ryan Hanigan on base in front of him a lot. ;)
"The Reds have been faking the leadoff spot since Bip Roberts" <-- this was my exact impression as well, until I went back and looked at the last decade and was reminded of a certain Ryan Freel who filled the role quite nicely from '04-'06 (~.370 OBP).
Regardless, it still somehow FEELS like two decades since the Reds have had a prototypical leadoff hitter, thanks no doubt to the chasms of out-producing suck that were Stubbs, Cozart, Willy Taveras, Orlando Cabrera, and Corey Patterson.
Freel had his moments, but he really didn't play any position well, and his reckless play in center almost killed him. That three year run was nice though.