[Stardust]

TERRIBLE move!

If the Reds had simply traded Encarnacion for Rolen straight up, I would have been fine with it. But that wasn't the whole trade. The Reds actually gave up two young pitchers in the deal as well, Josh Roenicke and Zack Stewart.

I still wouldn't be upset if they had just added one of the two young pitchers, just not both. Roenicke had been pitching on the big-league level for the Reds for the last few weeks and had done a pretty good job. Stewart is a fireballer with a 97 mph fastball who was tearing through the Reds' minor league system this year. There is no way they should have included both of these guys.

Yeah, Rolen is a definite upgrade at third for the 2010 season (after which he's a free agent). But the bullpen lost one of its likely assets for next year, and Stewart looks like he might have been a very valuable arm as well. I just think they seemed way too desperate to add a 34-year-old player to the mix.

By the way, I actually like the Hairston deal. He made too much money for a bench player, and the Reds farm system needed another young catcher. Good trade there.

Hariston should not have been a bench player