FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

Reds News

We signed Jason LaRue to a two year deal, apparently after attempts to trade him failed. He's getting $9.1M for two years, which some fans are screaming about, but is probably the going rate for a serviceable starting catcher today. Scream about that if you want. (Let's remember that Valentin has yet to prove he can produce at his '05 level over the long haul. And hey...who gets hit by a pitch better than Jason LaRue...I'm waiting.....)

Update: JD likes it at Red Reporter.

We also have Chris Hammond back. Under the MoneyBall Theory that you don't necessarily drop major coin on your bullpen, Hammond is not a bad acquisition. As the Dayton Daily News notes, he's had four very good years in a row.

Finally, Ramon Ortiz and Joe Valentine (Billy Beane Bamboozles) are gone.