THE BROO VIEW with Ken Broo

Good Morning!

So, Ken Griffey, Junior thinks the Reds may try to trade him this summer. Junior shouldn’t feel special. Just about everyone of his team mates could say the same thing. It reminds me of the old line the Pittsburgh Pirates delivered to a young Ralph Kiner, holding out for more money. We finished in last place with you, the line went, we can finish in last place without you.

Junior made his comments to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, a terrific baseball writer, who’ll join us on the show later today. What Junior said to Nightengale isn’t new. It’s just fresh copy on an old story. I can tell you personally, every spring for the last three, Griffey has answered my question to him this same way: I don’t know, he’d say when asked if he expected to be in Cincinnati the entire season. It’s not up to me.

I don’t know if its insecurity on his part, failure to feel love from you, me Bob Castellini or the guy who sells Junior his lottery tickets. Maybe it’s all of us. But I do know this, trading Ken Griffey, Junior or letting him ‘walk’ at the end of this season won’t fix this team. I’m happy they won two of three from the Cubs this week. I loved the way they played last night in New York. But this Reds team needs more than just launching one or two big contracts to get healthy again.

Here’s your starting line up.
Junior
Adam Dunn
David Ross
Javy Valentin
Paul Bako
Scott Hatteberg
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Corey Patterson
David Weathers
Jeremy Affeldt
Kent Mercker
Mike Lincoln
Josh Fogg

They all have something in common. They’re all free agents after this season. It’s the most free agents on any major league roster.

Together, those players tie up $43 million dollars of salary this season, much more if they all re-sign for 2009. Who off that list do you keep? Paul Bako? Who else?

The good news for the Reds latest in a long line of short term general managers…that’d be Walt Jocketty, is that dealing with everyone on that list, other than Junior and Dunn, will be real easy.

He’ll probably let ‘em all walk. That is, if he can’t dump them on some other team.

Remember the line: we finished last with you, we can finish last without you.

More than just trying to unload big dollar contracts, this team needs a culture change. Too many players have been around too much losing. There’s a comfort zone athletes fall into when losing become habitual. It’s a lot harder to change that culture in baseball than say football, where players exist on year to year deals. In baseball, there is guaranteed money. The Reds have to dole out over 46-million on guaranteed money next season…to just six of their players.

Look, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think they’re out of it yet. The Reds play in the worst division in baseball. Dunn hasn’t started to hit yet, but he will. The light didn’t go on for Arroyo until last night and Harang, Cueto and Volquez all appear to be the real deals. Chicago’s pitching is in shambles. St. Louis is playing way over its head. It could still happen. And if it does, and the Reds are contending in late July, then all of this is moot.

But if it doesn’t, Jocketty has an opportunity that neither of his immediate predecessors had: a chance to change the culture

People have asked me all week, ‘well, what do you think? Do they trade Junior. What about the White Sox, they wanted him a couple of years ago. Would he got to the Yankees Remember, Steinbrenner mistreated Griffey, Senior. What about the Mariners, they want to bring Junior home.

You know what? I don’t know. And if anyone in the media tells you today that they know, don’t believe them. Bob Castellini doesn’t know. Jocketty can’t pull the trigger right now. No deal involving the contracts the size of Dunn and Griffey gets done at this time of the year. The only thing Dusty Baker knows is that he likes veteran ballplayers. That’s why Jay Bruce is in Louisville and Corey Patterson and his ‘200’ batting average is here.

I don’t know what the Reds are going to do. But here’s what I’d do.

I’d keep Griffey. I know that runs counter to what a lot of people in my profession are saying. But I’d keep him and try to figure out a way to extend his deal, without having to pay him 16-million next season.

I don’t know how many tickets Griffey sells. Maybe a lot. Maybe not so many. But I know this. Our economy is in the dumper and gasoline will be five bucks a gallon a year from now and people aren’t going to be going to see a ballgame so quick, unless there’s a reason to go. Winning would be a reason. This team has had one winning season in the last eight plus. Are you really betting on that for 2009. You want to go young? Great. Young teams don’t win all that often. So you’ll need box office appeal. Griffey fits that. I’d sign him…and move him to first base.

I’d trade Dunn. I know that’d be a tough pill for Castellini to swallow. He genuinely likes the guy. But here’s how Jocketty sells it: Mister Castelllini, Bob…you’re off the hook for 60-million. Because that’s the kind of pay day Dunn is looking at after this season, about 60-mil over four years. My guess is, Castellini swallows that like Graeters.

With Dunn gone, move Joey Votto to left field. Jay Bruce, despite the ruse that we were handed in March about him being a corner outfielder…he’s not, he’s playing center in triple-a….despite that, Bruce is my center fielder. Right field? Bring up Chris Dickerson. You’re paying Patterson three and a half million for roughly the same numbers that Dickerson will probably put up. Put him in right field.

Homer Baily got smacked around Saturday night in Triple-A. But I'd bring him up. New season, new GM, fresh start. Bailey in the rotation, Matt Belisle out. Sorry Matt, we’ve seen it several times over the last three years. It’s not working.

Harang, Cueto, Volquez, Bailey…you can shop Arroyo. But unless he starts stringing together five or six nights like last night, I’m not sure you’ll get what you want from him.

That’s my idea of how it might go. You might think I’m out of my mind, that’s OK. You’re not the first. There’s a long line out the door on me.

But here’s what I absolutely flat out know: talking about the Reds, and how they should fix this, or change that, or make this better is a topic that we seem to discuss earlier and earlier every season. And I know I’m getting real tired doing that.