Didn't know how to begin this post. Really.
What can you say about trading Will Benson. So, forgive me if this post has some eye-rolling and tongue-in-cheek language in it, but let's dig in.
Will Benson to Reds, Justin Boyd and a PTBNL to the Guardians
- Trading Benson is no surprise.
- Like Nolan Jones, Benson has had a long development path and has shown over his career a penchant for striking out and not hitting for much average. And he hits left-handed and we have plenty of those outfielders in our system.
- We still have 6 outfielders on the 40-man. Palacios is a plug-and-play guy if injuries occur. He won't kill you and Francona and the coaching staff knows him.
- Trading for Justin Boyd is no surprise for the Guardians
- He is a contact-first guy, with good OB skills, some basestealing speed and some positional versatility
- He is an overdraft based on his talent level, being valued higher by teams like the Guardians. First eye-rolling emoji
- Getting a PTBNL is a plus
- If this guy is a high-risk, high-reward Dominican or guy who played in the AZL last year and who we have plenty of control with he would be a perfect compliment to Boyd who is a low-ceiling, high-floor guy.
- It makes me salivate to see the PTBNL we get in the Owen Miller trade (second eye-rolling emoji) because I see Miller as a better major leaguer going forward than Benson. The return for Benson is the return we should have gotten for Miller, IMHO, and we should have gotten a second, controllable prospect in the Jones trade because Brito is such a lottery ticket and one who is clogging our 40-man right now.
What is a surprise is:
- That the Reds traded for another questionable outfield prospect. Still, the last time they got a young outfielder who didn't make it in Cleveland (Tyler Naquin) it did turn out pretty well for them. Still, they have a lot of veterans who can play the OF. If they are seriously thinking about Benson starting in center field for them this year their expectations for a winning season have to be minimal, I would think.
- The Guardians, even though they still have 6 outfielders on their 40-man, made the trades for Miller, Jones and Benson before they knew how ST was going to turn out and made trades that won't help them for years, when their window is wide open now. It is a gamble that you should make only if you are getting a very good return back.
What this could mean is:
- We are clearng a roster spot for
- a backup catcher (not likely at this point as we don't have to have a roster spot until like March 28th).
- a lefty reliever (more likely). Trading Benson in anticipation of this likely nets you more than what you would get if you had to DFA him.
- a trade for Brian Reynolds (questionable likelihood)
- the return of Bryan Shaw (I love what he has done for this team over the years but I hope this trade has nothing to do with bringing him back)
- We just found a chance to get good value for a player we didn't think we would need this year and took it.
- We have either turned the corner on doing these minor trades correctly or we will, once again, get swindled on another one of these minor trades (3rd eye-rolling emoji)
You know (insert cliche(s) of choice here:
- Teams like who they like and we like contact hitters more than anyone else, even if they are redundant to who we just drafted. It helps f the guy was an overdraft, too (smirking emoji)
- You can't truly judge a trade for years
- You gotta give something to get something
- If you come to the fork in the road take it
- It ain't over until its over
- When the going gets tough the tough get going.
Have a good night and tomorrow is a new day.
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