Bronson Arroyo traded to Reds for Willy Mo Pena

[hellborn]

Anybody remember that the Yanks traded Pena to get Drew Henson??
Great move, Boss...at least you got a lot of press at the time.

[VTSoxFan]

Hey, if you love sabermetrics you love this trade

If you love baseball, chemistry and the fact that Arroyo has shown to not be rattled in big games...this is a horrible trade for the Red Sox

I guess this is the way I look at it. I watch baseball with my right brain mostly, not the left. I see people, not commodities. I see a guy who loved where he was, and signed away earning potential for a "guaranteed" position with the team for which he wanted to play for years.

Hell, they'll probably trade Wake next.

[runningshoes]

We can sit here and talk about this trade all we want, but the fact is Theo is know to have made some pretty smart moves in the past.

I seem to recall a world championship in our not too distant past.

[bluejaysfan]

Not a bad trade for both teams. The Reds desperately need some sort of pitching help and they got that. Pena will be insurance in case Nixon's health falters again.

[WackyMooseSoltersFan]

As, a Sox fan, I'm sad to see Bronson go, along with his easy-going attitude. At the same time, the Sox were dealing from a posisiton of surplus (SP) and someone needed to go. Plus, Pena is a young, up and coming power hitter. Although his average is lower than most Bostonians would like to see in their outfield, Fenway has a way of making hitters. Its a great trade and I wish Bronson the best in Cinnci.

[redlegsfan21]

Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RedSoxVT92]

I was sad to hear that Bronson left. But we already had a lot of starters. And Willy Mo Pena could grow in to a very good power hitter (24 homers in 2004 with 336 AB's 19 homers with 311 AB's in 05, and is only 24) We did need a good back up outfielder because we only have a old outfielder in gonzalez who gets injured all the time and adam stern. I like the speedy adam stern but Willy Mo Pena is better. And it will be better for Arroyo because he will most likley be a starter where if he was in boston he woulda been in the bullpen. Still sad to see a player who wants to play in boston be shipped out and Bronson Arroyo is a very good pitcher. So this was an okay trade for both the reds and the red sox.

[Mike D.]

I still think this is a matter of dealing from a position of strength to fill a hole...the Nixon/Mohr platoon could be solid, but it's a short-term solution at best. Pena gives them their right fielder for the future, with the return of Nixon being a bit unlikely when he becomes a free agent after the season.

[Ravenlord]

a very even trade...assuming Arroyo returns to his 05 form and has been working on his stamina.

and FWIW, Pena has a below average OPS+. however, unlike most guys his age and background, he's well aware he needs to work on his plate discipline and has done so all winter and spring...which actually produced some mostly good-natured ribbing from Johnny Bench this spring.

[hellborn]

As, a Sox fan, I'm sad to see Bronson go, along with his easy-going attitude. At the same time, the Sox were dealing from a posisiton of surplus (SP) and someone needed to go. Plus, Pena is a young, up and coming power hitter. Although his average is lower than most Bostonians would like to see in their outfield, Fenway has a way of making hitters. Its a great trade and I wish Bronson the best in Cinnci.

Bronson seemed like a great guy from meeting him at the NH Baseball Dinner a few years ago, but I think that I might prefer the more intense Schilling-type attitude in a Bosox pitcher. I almost wonder if Bronson's nature and outside interests (music in particular) work against his success as a ML pitcher.
Trade has a good chance of helping both teams, but I wonder if the Reds gave up on the wrong guy. Seems like organizations tend to forget how young certain guys still are when start getting ML playing time young and don't catch on as starters right away.

[DoubleX]

There's all this talk about Pena being the RFer of the Sox future - he might actually be the CFer of the future with Crisp moving to RF.

[EvanAparra]

I dont like this move. This is why players are trading loyalty for cash (johnny damon), because when they do somthing to help out the team like arroyo did, they turn around and trade you to the REDS. poor guy man. I am also a big fan of trot nixon and hope they dont replace him with Pena. Maybe lowell falters and they put youkilis at 3rd and pena at 1st....thats my ideal move...lets give trot a chance to have a huge pre -free agent year...GO TROT!!!

[efin98]

Arroyo owes his entire career to the Red Sox, that's indesputable.

However this trade is a gift to him. He can start fresh in a city that will undoubtably embrace him as the #1 starter for the next few years. He will thrive out there without the pressure of maintaining his superstar status.

Wily Mo fills a need that for the team this year and solves a problem that the team would have had next fall. He will likely thrive in Boston.

And think of it this way- he's another reason Manny Ramirez may want to stay in Boston.

[mef]

Running shoes- Theo has also made some real boners!!!I for one was not happy to see him come back

[Mike D.]

Running shoes- Theo has also made some real boners!!!I for one was not happy to see him come back

I'd say the good far outnumber the bad...would you disagree? If so, which do you consider his biggest "boners"?