Yeah, that's a lame title, but I am helpless against the power of a corny rhyme.

Thaq Diesel, a new addition to The Cutting Edge explains his reaction to the Casey trade, his notions on the nature of fandom, and new candidates for the honor of His Favorite Player in Casey to Pittsburgh: The Sean Casey Trade.

Thaq says:

The team's outlook in 2006 looks a bit like last year's squad; I'm not saying a competitive team is impossible, but the pitching staff isn't much more improved than last year's. Thus I'll probably be rooting for players I like. Yet, when I think of the Reds this year, I ask myself who's left to really root for?

It's an interesting idea: even though the Reds may not be competitive this year, all y'all are still going to be fans. But if the team didn't even provide characters to like, would you stick around?

Trading Casey, even though he was dear to the city, wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the fan base. Like killing off a beloved character in a novel, it raises the emotional stakes. And now that we've all been shaken out of our comfortable little worlds and reminded of how much it can hurt, it's time for our team to take another plot turn and provide us a little emotional security.

So, does that mean I'm calling for a contract for Dunn? Now, that is a plot twist.