Milton Done, Dunn Rumors Heating Up, And Other News

Eric Milton will have season ending Tommy John surgery on Friday. After this season, his contract with the reds will expire, and will almost certainly not be picked up. Milton has been a huge disappointment ever since the reds signed him in 2004. He was just not a good fit in Great American Ballpark, as he was a fly ball pitcher. I wish Milton the best of luck in his recovery, and hope that he can find another team to pitch for next season.

The Adam Dunn rumors are really starting to heat up.Here is an article on si.com:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/06/11/monday.scoop/index.html

The Reds are ready to take offers on Adam Dunn, whose terrific power should draw decent interest despite the significant flaws in his game.

Lots of big names could be bandied about this trading season -- Jermaine Dye, Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano, Troy Glaus, Scott Rolen, Mark Teixeira and perhaps even Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera are among the stars who are candidates to be moved -- but Dunn's is one name that's already out there as available, league sources told SI.com.

Dunn is what you might call the leadoff man in what could be a thrilling time for trades.

Power is about the most sought-after skill right now, and Dunn has it an abundance. However, Dunn comes with a couple drawbacks, including the major question of where to play him. He's a poor and indifferent outfielder, and a few teams are now considering whether to try to acquire Dunn as a first baseman, though one scout warned, "He's terrible there. I wouldn't use him at first base."

Added one general manager, "I see him as more of an American League player and a DH."

All three Southern California teams could have interest in Dunn, as could anyone else seeking power. Dunn, who's making $10.5 million this season and has an option for $13 million next year (or a $500,000 buyout), is batting .250 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs. While his power is elite, Dunn hasn't hit in the clutch. He's batting only .212 with runners in scoring position and .208 with runners on base.

Trading Dunn makes sense for the Reds, especially if they can get solid pitching in return -- they have allowed the most runs in the National League this season. They are one of baseball's most underachieving teams, and a bit of a shakeup could do them good, anyway.

Another link here on foxsports.com:

The Reds are drawing significant trade interest in left fielder Adam Dunn, and if they're going to move the slugger, it would behoove them to do it as quickly as possible.

Dunn's contract stipulates that his $13 million club option for next season would be voided by a trade, making him a free agent at the end of the season. Thus, the sooner the Reds acted, the better the package they would receive.

The Dodgers are interested in Dunn, sources say, but seemingly have no place to put him; Dunn is below-average in left field, and neither he nor the Dodgers' current left fielder, Luis Gonzalez, would be adequate in right.

The Padres like Dunn, but have had no recent discussions with the Reds. The Twins are looking for a designated hitter, but Dunn, earning $10.5 million, is beyond their price range. The Angels have shown past interest in Dunn, but manager Mike Scioscia generally prefers more well-rounded players.

Dunn, 27, is an all-or-nothing hitter who has struck out 83 times in 220 at-bats this season, but posted an .869 on-base/slugging percentage, ninth among National League outfielders.

He clearly is better suited for the AL, where he could serve as a designated hitter; one rival executive wonders how a player who was a top high-school quarterback is now a "40" thrower on the scouts' 20 to 80 scale.

The Dodgers, ninth in the NL in runs per game, clearly are frustrated with their offense. Manager Grady Little has dropped center fielder Juan Pierre to eighth in the batting order, and the team promoted first baseman James Loney and outfielder Matt Kemp over the weekend.

Loney will spell Nomar Garciaparra and perhaps Gonzalez, and Kemp figures to be a fill-in for Pierre, who thus far has been a $44 million free-agent bust. One executive, however, says general manager Ned Colletti is itching to "pull a Kenny Williams" and make a pro-active move. His No. 1 choice, Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, is not available.

One possibility would be to include Gonzalez along with young players in a deal for Dunn, but Gonzalez has been one of the Dodgers' hottest hitters of late as well as a strong clubhouse presence. Dunn has played 108 career games at first, but he would be blocked at that position by Garciaparra and Loney.

It looks clear now that the team that look to be showing the most interest in Dunn are the Padres, dodgers, and maybe Angels. The Twins and many other teams will most likely join the race later. I think that Dunn has to, and will be traded before the trade deadline. A would like to get a MLB ready SP or RP back, and an outfielder. a trade with the Dodgers, the team that appears to be showing the most interest in Dunn, may look something like this:
REDS GET: Jonathon Broxton and Matt Kemp

DODGERS GET: Adam Dunn

I would love for this trade to happen, but I don't know if the dodgers are willing to part with Broxton. We'll see how it turns out.

In other news, Bill Bray has been recalled from his rehab assignment because of left shoulder inflammation. This is nothing too serious, but you have to wonder how much longer it is going to take Bill Bray to get back from his injury.

Eddie Guardado pitched tonight for the reds AAA team, the Louisville Bats against the Rochester Red Wings. Eddie pitched a scoreless 8th innings, walking the first batter, but then getting a double play and a strikeout. It would be very nice to get him back to the MLB soon, to take over the closer role so David Weathers can go back to being a very good setup man, which we need. Here is how the bullpen would look if Guardado comes back and becomes the closer:

C: Eddie Guardado

S: David Weathers

S: Mike Stanton

M: Jon Cuonlangus

M: Gary Majewski

M: Jared Burton

L: Victor Santos

This bullpen does not look too bad.

Tomorrow night at 7:10 Eastern the reds face the angels to begin a 3 game series at great American Ballpark. Until then, go reds.