Considering the only other team showing interest in Ludwick besides the Reds were the M's, perhaps this helps our chances?

Reds

Sorry, you mentioned them. I need more coffee -___-

Where did you see that? I ca nt find anything on Mariners Hamilton deal

From Geoff Baker (Seattle Times Mariners blog): "But I’m now told the talks between the two sides have been a lot more serious than anyone has let on and that they are actually “very close” to getting a deal done."

It's also interesting now, by the way, that this would mean the only team left in pursuit of Swisher is the Indians. Everyone else connected - Giants, O's, Mariners, and Red Sox - would have found someone else.

Ok

Ludwick will be terrible here. We don't want this guy on our team at all, esepcially past this season. Let's allow some other team to sign him.

The thing is, other than Ross and maybe Swisher, with whom we haven't even been mentioned in the same sentence, what else is there?

Nothing.

This year is a wash and it always was going to be that way.

Which is why the deferments look like a desperation move to hold on to the team... It's not as if the money saved is going to be used for a big name FA.

Ludwick will be terrible here.

I thought the idea was to improve the team not making it worse. Enough with mediore players already.

There's nothing out there other Hamilton as far as elite talent goes.

And he's a gigantic risk. Were people honestly expecting the team to look much different this year? Really?

Just because there are few good options, doesn't mean we need to sign a bad option, especially if he will clog up the OF next season. I think we should just pay up (in terms of prospects) for someone like Brantley or Fowler or Bonifacio.

Eh, I don't know, perhaps I just don't like looking at it that way, especially considering how great the rotation could be. The thing is the outfield and catching spots were atrocious last season. You get a couple of people to even be mediocre or slightly above average and I feel like you give the team a chance. And gosh, it's just extremely difficult to watch that much awfulness. I do think a Ross or Ludwick would constitute a major upgrade, even if they can't replicate 2012.

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Edited 12/6/2012 11:08 am ET by nvmets10

Again with the "mediocre" statement, as if we have plenty of mediocre guys in the outfield right now. Well no, the reality is we have NONE. THAT is the issue.

But you do need people in the outfield and we truly have almost nothing right now. No one person would "clog" anything for 2014 because, again, we have basically nothing and no up and coming prospects either. I'd much rather sign somebody than trade my prospects for players of that level though.

That seems to be a huge issue here. We don't really have nine guys to play baseball. All these guys jumping for joy because we resigned Wright failed to notice he ant play all three OF positions from third base