Jim Edmonds traded to Reds for OF Chris Dickerson

[MJLiverock]

Gross was a very overrated player by many on this board. He is simply just a worse hitting version of Kevin Mench and not much better of a defender. Gross's supposed platoon strength of playing vs. Rhers still only yields a .740 OPS in his career and he was/is flat out awful vs. LH pitching. The guy should always remain just a 4th or 5th outfielder and not part of a planned platoon unless some team really can't find a LHer who can get above a low .700 OPS vs. RHers only.

[MNBrew]

I liked Edmonds a lot, plain and simple, and it became pretty obvious he was liking the Brewers & Milwaukee, too. But I think this is a good move for a few reasons:

 

- improves OF depth for next year & possibly beyond,

- encouraging reports on his bat, defense, & speed, and

- assuming Gomez is brought back next year, this would be a good indication that Jody Gerut, his not-healing bruised heel, and his mostly terrible bat WON'T be back next year!

[monty57]

Good move. Edmonds had very little value to the Brewers. At most, he may have helped us get one more win this year over Cain/Gomez/Dickerson, and we were getting nothing beyond this year for him. Now we've got an inexpensive good glove / good OBP OF for the next four or five years. Even if he's only a backup OF, we basically gave up nothing and will receive value for a long time.

 

It will be interesting to see what they are going to do with Cain, Dickerson and Gomez next year. I'd probably rather see slugging RH corner OF Katin on the team than have Gomez as the 3rd string CF. I can't imagine Gomez has much trade value these days, so can we send him to AAA for 2011?

[hawing]

I agree with crewcrazy's comparison to Jack Parkman - to me, Edmonds gave off something of a mercenary vibe in joining the Brewers and muscling his way onto the roster. However, even my attitude on him began to soften the last couple of weeks.

 

That is how I felt about him as well, except for that softening part. One reason I never got behind the nickname part of it. I don't go along with nicknames for players I don't like. Positive or neutral nicknames anyway. I did and still do refer to Wes Helms as fatty.

Fair enough on the nickname thing. I would like to emphasize the "began to" part of my softening statement above. I appreciated that pinch-hit home run he had like two weeks ago, and what appeared to be his enthusiasm to play despite his struggles to run. But I'm certain I'll be back to derisively saying "Diego" when the Reds play Milwaukee next (assuming his Achilles tendons haven't ruptured by then), and back to shaking my fist at the radio, TV or field when he resumes his Brewer killer status.

 

Edit: Also, I never, ever warmed up to seeing him wear #15. #15 jerseys and shirts, in the 2000+ Brewers logo, should only say SHEETS.

[Hate those Rodents]

Looks like the Brewers got a better return for 2 months worth of an ailing and aging Edmonds than they did for JJ in the off season.

 

Can't ask for much more out of a trade like this.

Absolutely agree. I just would really like to know what pitchers Melvin turned down for him that were "no better than a 5th starter type". I guess I think they'd be better options than the 16 million we are paying Wolf and Davis to be 5th starters, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

Given the value placed on pitching I don't think he would have got us even a #5. Add in the fact that we have enough #5 starters and I don't see how that was either realistic or useful. We do need good starters but that wasn't going to come from Edmonds. We do need another outfielder for the future. Obviously he could get us that.

[Tbadder]

It does make me wonder if the Crew are going to jettison Gomez. I think it's okay to assume Cain makes the club next year. With Dickerson on board there's no need for Gomez. That's a double bonus I'd say--obtaining Dickerson and getting rid of Alex Sanchez...I mean Gomez.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Good move. Just wanted Cain to be able to play everyday in CF. That's enough for me.

[Invader3K]

Assuming Cain locks himself in as the starting CF for next year, and obviously Braun and Hart are in the corners...is it possible Gomez and Dickerson will be the two backup OFs? Righty/Lefty.

[reillymcshane]

Well, not much downside on this.

 

Dickerson looks like a serviceable player. A starter? Perhaps, but maybe more of a platoon player, all around backup. And cheap and controllable for a few years.

 

If Cain gets hurt, he's an option. Who knows about Gomez with his concussion (and ability to get on base). If Prince gets dealt and Gamel fails at 1B, you could move Hart to 1B and platoon Dickerson in RF.

 

If he ends up sucking, well, then you just let him go. The world won't end - it's not like Edmunds was a long term option for us as a backup OF. He did a nice job for us when healthy. But this team likely isn't winning anything this year. Get someone that might have some value to us in teh future.

[Hate those Rodents]

Given the value placed on pitching I don't think he would have got us even a #5. Add in the fact that we have enough #5 starters and I don't see how that was either realistic or useful. We do need good starters but that wasn't going to come from Edmonds. We do need another outfielder for the future. Obviously he could get us that.

I should have worded it better, but I meant for Hardy and not for Edmonds. I think this obtaining Dickerson is excellent value for Edmonds. But I'd like to know what #5 starter type Melvin turned down for JJ only to accept Gomez. Again, I bet it was someone better than the 16 million we are paying Wolf and Davis for this year. And it is funny, as RealGenius stated, that we got better value for a a month and a half of Edmonds than we did for two years of JJ. Sad.

 

 

[reillymcshane]

Here's a wacky thought:

 

Move Hart to 1B - I'll assume he'd be better than fielder than Fielder (just an assumption). His big frame would make a good target.

Have Dickerson play RF vs righties and get a cheap, decent fielding RF who struggles against righties to platoon with him. Aim for a league average platoon system with better defense than Hart ever will provide.

Cain in CF.

Trade Fielder and Gamel for young pitching (and please, Parra too - let's swap headcases with someone - the change of scenery might help them all).

 

Just an idea. We need several starters next year, and Gamel might bring someone decent.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm not really too upset about getting Gomez for Hardy. Obviously it didn't work out, but there was always a chance. Hardy sucks anyway, so it's not that big of a deal. We don't need anymore #5 starters anyway. There's a chance Gomez won't even be on the team next year. If he is, he'll likely be the #5 outfielder.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Here's a wacky thought:

 

Move Hart to 1B - I'll assume he'd be better than fielder than Fielder (just an assumption). His big frame would make a good target.

Have Dickerson play RF vs righties and get a cheap, decent fielding RF who struggles against righties to platoon with him. Aim for a league average platoon system with better defense than Hart ever will provide.

Cain in CF.

Trade Fielder and Gamel for young pitching (and please, Parra too - let's swap headcases with someone - the change of scenery might help them all).

 

Just an idea. We need several starters next year, and Gamel might bring someone decent.

I'd rather trade McGehee and put Gamel at 3b in this situation.

[monty57]

Assuming Cain locks himself in as the starting CF for next year, and obviously Braun and Hart are in the corners...is it possible Gomez and Dickerson will be the two backup OFs? Righty/Lefty.

That's a definite possibility, but I'd rather have a good bat, backup corner OF rather than a third good glove / questionable bat CF's. Gomez really doesn't offer much from the bench, as by far his greatest asset is his defense. Off the bench, his lack of power and plate discipline don't play well. AAA would be the best place for Gomez, but I think we'll have to pay him around $1.5MM, so I don't know if the Brewers will be willing to pay that to him while he's playing in Nashville.

[GoudaBrew]

Fangraphs gives their take, here. The last paragraph (last sentence, really) sums it up for me on why this is an obvious no-brainer win for the Crew.

 

Overall, this wasn't that poor of a trade for either team, although

Cincinnati may have slightly overpaid for an outfielder who could see

serious regression while giving up a much younger outfielder who could

be useful in the future, maybe even now. They're clearly going all out

in the NL Central race, which they should, but I wonder if this move was

necessary for them, or if the asking price for Edmonds was really as

high as Dickerson. Milwaukee comes away with a big plus, acquiring a

solid outfielder just because they offered a Spring Training invite to

an older outfielder who hadn't played pro ball in over a year.

[RobDeer 45]

Ok a few thoughts. Diego gave us some good innings this year so I'm happy he was on the team. Glad we got some value for him. I like the move.

 

I too would like Hart at 1b! I wouldn't mind Gomez as a backup OF because of his good Def and great arm. He'd be a good fit for RF I would think. Of course I would not mind seeing him packaged in a deal either. I think this move gives us some flexability with our lineup and roster for next year so again, good move.

 

I still don't think we would have gotten much for JJ so let's not bash Doug. JJ hasn't done squat this year either.

[And That]

I don't think this costs Gomez his job. If nothing else, it might provide the opportunity for Carlos to go down to AAA next year and you know, earn his way on to the big club. He's only 4 months older than Lorenzo Cain. He still has time to put it together, even if its a small chance.

[topper09er]

Maybe someone can clarify, but wouldnt this require Edmonds to clear waivers? If so, why didnt the Reds just claim him on waivers? Is it because they knew we would pull him back so they left him unclaimed in the hopes that no team would so he could be traded?

[trwi7]

Anybody else laugh at Melvin calling Dickerson a contact hitter?

[crewcrazy]

Maybe someone can clarify, but wouldnt this require Edmonds to clear waivers? If so, why didnt the Reds just claim him on waivers? Is it because they knew we would pull him back so they left him unclaimed in the hopes that no team would so he could be traded?

When a player gets claimed on waivers this time of year, the team that put the player on waivers can either pull him back, work out a trade with the team that claimed him, or let the claiming team take on his contract for nothing in return. The Reds claimed him, and if the reports of Ryan Braun telling Dickerson there was a chance he'd be coming to Milwaukee a couple days ago, they probably claimed him a couple of days ago as well.

[Thurston Fluff]

The Brewers would have pulled him off waivers if someone claimed him then try to make a trade. If they didn't want to trad for him then the Brewers would decide if they wanted to let him go for free or not. My guess is they wouldn't since he obviously had trade value. He very well may have already cleared waivers before the trade took place. A lot of teams put players on waivers in August so trades go through easier.

[topper09er]

Thanks, but:

"A lot of teams put players on waivers in August so trades go through easier."

 

Isnt waivers the only way to trade players in August?

 

If a team makes a claim and the other team wants to let the player go for free does the claiming team have to take the player (and his constract)?

[trwi7]

If a team makes a claim and the other team wants to let the player go for free does the claiming team have to take the player (and his constract)?

 

Yes.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Pah! I called for Hart to be moved to first base after a Fielder trade way back in May! I was told his splits were awful and he should be platooning!

 

But anyways, enough patting myself on the back about a lucky guess that Hart would hit ok all year. (He's still got September to prove me wrong, FTW), but I would wholly endorse a Fielder for pitching, Hart to first move.