It's the end of the world....

Seriously? That's my first thought when I read this article. My next question: So, why did we trade Josh Hamilton? The Reds have signed Corey Patterson and Jerry Hairston, Jr. What, exactly, we're they thinking. We already have a huge cluster at CF. Ryan Freel, Norris Hopper and Jay Bruce are battling it out. Now we can throw Corey "I've never even remotely lived up to my potential" Patterson into the mix. If we were going to have a fourth player battling for the centerfield slot, it should be Josh Hamilton. Granted, I love Edinson Volquez.....I love him dearly. I long to see him filling a rotation spot come March 31st. I'm disappointed that Hamilton's in Texas, but I am enthralled at the prospect of Volquez pitching in a Reds uniform. I wonder if we can ship Patterson and Hairston to Texas and get Hamilton back.

But let's talk about Corey Patterson. When he came up with the Cubbies he was supposed to be the next big thing. He was the baseball equivalent of sliced bread. In fact, he's been the next Jerome Walton except Patterson never won a ROY award. His avergaes for a 162 game season.....258 AVG/ .298 OBP/ 82 R/ 18 HR/ 62 RBI/ 32 SB. The theory is he will provide a spark at the top of the lineup that none of the other potential CFs can give. Yup, that sub-.300 OBP is supposed to provide a spark. What I really want in a leadoff guy is for him to get on base fewer than three times out of every ten. His SB totals are nice. That's about all that can be said about him. His power isn't overwhelming. His run totals are pathetic for a guy that bats #1. He's not a liability in the OF. Well, his FP makes it appear that he isn't. However, if you watch him play, you'll see otherwise. He gets bad reads on balls. He doesn't lay out for balls. He's got a good arm, but he isn't fundamentally sound when it comes to knowing toward which base to throw the ball once he's fielded it off the bounce. I ranted recently about how much I wanted Jay Bruce to get a shot at CF. If he doesn't, it won't be the end of the world if Hopper or Freel end up there. It will be if somehow Patterson makes the team and "wins" the job. It must be nice to be a Dusty Baker guy, at least you always have a job. Just wait, if he has his way, the opening OF will be Corey Patterson in CF, Sammy Sosa in RF and Barry Bonds in LF.

As for Hairston.....just no, please no. He plays a little OF. He came up at 2B. So, where does he fit? How many OFs do we have? The answer: Too Many. Do we need him at 2B? Who do we have at 2B? Oh, that's right, our best all-around player, Brandon Phillips. On those rare days when Phillips needs a day off, Freel and Jeff Keppinger can fill in and do a far better job than Hairston. If Keppinger's at SS and Freel's at CF that day, throw Juan Castro or Jolbert Cabrera in at 2B. All in all, Hairston is simply unnecessary. Having Hairston on the MLB roster is about as smart as carrying three catchers.

Basically, this signing is a waste of money. Neither player is necessary, desirable, productive or an improvement over what the club already has. Sure, they were signed to minor league deals and could easily end up in Louisville. But wouldn't that money have been better spent bolstering the arms in the bullpen?