Transaction Analysis

Reds trade for Seth Etherton

Etherton, who was called up by the Angels in mid-season last year, automatically assumes a spot in a Reds rotation decimated by the payroll-slashing trades of Ron Villone, Steve Parris, and to a lesser extent, Denny Neagle.  Etherton went 5-1 with Anaheim last season, although his ERA was up at 5.52.  But honestly, what other options do the Reds have?  They got someone young who won't be arbitration-eligible for a few years and with a little major league service time.  If he can adjust effectively to the NL, he could win 12 games as a back-end starter; they can't expect much else for the money they want to spend.

Triple Steal rating: Double

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TripleSteal Rating Scale:
Grand Slam - A can't miss move; automatically makes the team considerably better.
Home Run - A great move; will help the team now and down the road.
Triple - A good move; plugs a temporary hole or will help in the future.
Double - An average move; team will get what they paid for.
Single - A head-scratcher; could help, but we definitely don't see how.
Out - A panic move; tells fans "hey, we're trying..."
Double Play - A disaster; will make fans angry just thinking about it.