By the Soxman
As the MLB trade deadline hits today, GM Kenny Williams drew first blood from the Reds in trading Danny Richar and Nick Masset for future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. As a 10 and 5 player, Griffey had the option of declining the trade. However, his desire to get to the World Series, again play centerfield and hit in the U.S. Cellular Field launching pad, made it an easy decision.
Griffey, 38, is batting .245 this season with a .355 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 359 at-bats. Earlier this season, he hit his 600th home run. While his best years as a player are far behind him, he still represents a marked hitting upgrade over Paul Konerko, who is likely to lose the most playing time as a result of this move. Griffey has a career .379 on-base percentage and .549 slugging percentage. He’s injury-prone, which is why this move is somewhat of a surprise. Junior signed through the 2008 season, with a club option for 2009. Depending on how he performs, this could result in Jim Thome’s option being declined, or Paul Konerko being traded after the 2008 season.
The White Sox attempted to acquire him from the Reds at the trade deadline in 2005, but the trade reportedly was nixed by Reds ownership for financial reasons. The Sox confirmed Griffey will return to CF. The Sox are set at the corners with Carlos Quentin in left and Jermaine Dye in right. That means Nick Swisher will likely move to first, and reduce the playing time of first baseman Paul Konerko, who has struggled all season long, hitting .214, 9 HR, 35 RBI.
Griffey has not played center regularly since 2006 and has had a noticeable drop in the defensive domination that earned him several gold gloves in the 90’s. The Reds moved him to RF in 2006 because of his noticeable ability to handle the position. While Nick Masset is not really a big loss, the trade of Danny Richar has implications for the Sox future as both Orlando Cabrera and Juan Uribe are likely to depart after the 2008 season. Richar has a huge upside and was targeted to be the Sox second baseman of the future. He was penciled in as the Sox 2007 Opening Day second baseman before injuries took him out of contention. In 2007, Richar hit .230, 6 HR, 15 RBI, in just 187 Abs.
Masset had become increasingly unreliable as a reliever, posting a 12.00 ERA over his last seven appearances. On the season, he was 1-0, with a 4.63 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP.  He has a career ERA of 5.54. The Reds are also believed to be eating a significant portion of Griffey’s salary to make the deal happen.
