Another Ode To Capitalism

Has it already been a year since my first Ode to Capitalism? My, how time flies... It's like clockwork: I'm a year older, the Yankees have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and Alex Rodriguez still doesn't have a hit with RISP.

Dude's gonna get paid. I wish Scott Boras was my agent. And mark it down... he ain't leaving New York. Nobody's gonna pay him more than the Yanks can.

And while we're on the topic of glorious, glorious beisbol, how about some Reds conversation, huh? If it was up to me, I'd do the following...

• (1) pick up Dunn's option. Does this even need to be discussed? Under no circumstances do you let him walk and only get draft picks in return.
  
  
• (2) Try to work out a 2-year deal with Phillips before that dreaded arbitration comes. And I say 2 years because the last thing the Reds need to do is overpay a guy who may have just had a career year. I know he's young, and he looks great... but let's re-evaluate in a couple years before giving him the whole cash drawer.
  
  
• (3) Keep Mackanin. Why the heck not? He's not Bob Boone or Dave Miley or Jerry Narron. I can't see any available managers doing that much better of a job.
  
  
• (4) See if anyone will take Junior. Sacrelige? Sure. But he isn't the difference-maker he was brought here to be. Plus, what more does Jay Bruce have to prove in the minors? It'll be hard to prove he belongs with the big boys if there isn't a spot in the lineup for him.
  
  
• (5) See if anyone will take Freel. I've heard plenty of callers to the sportstalk shows say "I love Ryan Freel... he's just such a great player." Ummm... no. I love the hustle, and I love the highlight-reel defense, but he's not a great player. Not even close, actually. And I'm not sure if he has a brain. Hell, his baseball-reference.com page lists his most statistically similar active players as being Tike Redman and Quinton McCracken. Great? My left foot.
  
  
• (6) Do whatever it takes to acquire dependable starting pitching, save trading Phillips, Bailey, or Bruce. Yes, that means I'd give up Hamilton or Encarnacion or Votto if it meant getting a Rich Hill type talent in return. Giving up Hamilton would be a PR nightmare for the Focus on the Family fans, but if this is really about winning games more than it is about getting the warm fuzzies everytime Hammy swats a homer, the rotation can't have Tom Shearn, Kirk Saarloos, and Phil Dumatrait fighting it out for the 4th and 5th spots.