Fire Sale?

Fans are calling for yet another one...but will that solve the problem?

2003

July 30, 2003: Traded Scott Williamson to the Boston Red Sox. Received Phil Dumatrait (minors). Traded Jose Guillen to the Oakland Athletics. Received Aaron Harang, Joe Valentine, and Jeff Bruksch (minors).

July 31, 2003: Traded Aaron Boone to the New York Yankees. Received Brandon Claussen, Charlie Manning (minors), and cash. Sent Gabe White to the New York Yankees as part of a conditional deal.

August 12, 2003: Traded Kent Mercker to the Atlanta Braves. Received a player to be named later. The Atlanta Braves sent Matt Belisle (August 14, 2003) to the Cincinnati Reds to complete the trade.

August 21, 2003: Traded Scott Sullivan to the Chicago White Sox. Received Tim Hummel and cash.

August 31, 2003: Traded Kelly Stinnett to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Eric Valent.

Of the above, Dumatrait, Harang, and Belisle remain in the organization. Harang is now the ace (in a slump), Belisle is a .500 pitcher in the rotation, and Dumatrait might see a Reds uniform this year. Maybe.

2004

July 30, 2004: Traded Todd Jones and Brad Correll (minors) to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Josh Hancock and Andy Machado.

August 9, 2004: Traded Cory Lidle to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received a player to be named later, Javon Moran (minors), and Joe Wilson (minors). The Philadelphia Phillies sent Elizardo Ramirez (August 11, 2004) to the Cincinnati Reds to complete the trade.

This wasn't a "fire sale" even though fans were calling for one. This was a "rebuilding year" in which Harang and Belisle and other young players got thrown into the pool to see if they could really swim.

Of the above, only Elizardo Ramirez and Anderson Machado have surfaced in a Reds uniform. One is hurt, and one probably won't be back unless the entire infield goes on the DL. Maybe not even then.

2005

July 23, 2005: Traded Joe Randa to the San Diego Padres. Received Justin Germano and Travis Chick.

Neither of these guys are still around. More below.

2006

June 15, 2006: Traded Brandon Roberts (minors) to the Minnesota Twins. Received Juan Castro.

July 6, 2006: Traded Travis Chick to the Seattle Mariners. Received Eddie Guardado and cash.

July 13, 2006: Traded Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez, and Ryan Wagner to the Washington Nationals. Received Gary Majewski, Royce Clayton, Bill Bray, Brendan Harris, and Daryl Thompson (minors).

July 31, 2006: Traded Zach Ward (minors) to the Minnesota Twins. Received Kyle Lohse. Traded Justin Germano to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Rheal Cormier.

August 7, 2006: Traded a player to be named later to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Ryan Franklin and cash. The Cincinnati Reds sent Zac Stott (minors) (August 9, 2006) to the Philadelphia Phillies to complete the trade.

Castro is here, being Castro: all defense, no offense. You get what you get with this guy. Lohse got into the rotation and then starting pitching batting practice every time out. Guardado has been hurt for most of his time with the Reds. Majewski just got back after spending most of his time in the same way. Bray is hurt. Only Daryl Thompson, the low minor leaguer, has been performing well and relatively healthy. The rest are gone, traded away or released because they just couldn't hack it.

So really, is a fire sale the answer? What will that accomplish? Won't we be right back where we are in 3-5 years, when most of the prospects either don't work out or, in the absence of progress, get traded away for veteran washouts when the Reds make a fluke run at the division?

Can a franchise realistically do this every 3-5 years and hope to maintain a fanbase, especially in a town as fiery as Cincy?

Why should it have to, really?

Doesn't this raise larger questions?

At what point will MLB realize that "small market" teams simply can't compete with "large market" teams? We're looking at evidence of a class system in the game -- one that does not afford much opportunity for small-budgeted teams. This is the kind of stuff that small market teams struggle with each year.

And what if those trades work out differently and the Reds hit the jackpot with a bunch more rising stars who quickly get expensive? The organization is still doing this in five years, but not a "fire sale" so much as a "salary dump."

Look at the Marlins, the Twins, the Athletics. Develop and bring up young, cheap talent, make a run or two, and when the talent gets too expensive, let 'em walk or trade them away for more young, cheap talent. Suck for a few years, then one year make another run, and repeat.

This model means there is no such thing as a "small market dynasty," when the large market teams -- your Braves, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, etc. -- can contend every single year.

Yeah, I'm making this a small market/large market issue, because it is.

Seriously, when was the last time a large market team had to have two fire sales in five years? Can we finally say, at long last, that the system doesn't work? That the NFL has the right idea?