Things are changing, friends. Brad Salmon's in the hiz-owse!

Here's the line-ups, thanks C. Trent:

Ryan Freel CF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Josh Hamilton RF
Jeff Conine 1B
Alex Gonzalez SS
Adam Dunn LF
Edwin Encarnación 3B
David Ross C
Matt Belisle P

Duffy CF
Wilson SS
Sanchez 2B
Bay LF
LaRoche 1B
Doumit RF
Bautista 3B
Paulini C
Gorzelanny P

w00t! There's news!!

From C. Trent:

The Cincinnati Reds today acquired RHP Marcus McBeth as part of yesterday's deal that sent OF Chris Denorfia to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for 2 players to be named later and cash considerations.

McBeth, 26, is scheduled to report to the Reds' Class AAA affiliate in Louisville tomorrow. He is the 48th player acquired by executive vice president and general manager Wayne Krivsky since he was hired on February 8, 2006.

McBeth had been the closer at Class AAA Sacramento all season (8g, 1-0-5, 1.80, 10ip, 7h, 3r, 2er, 2hr, 1hbp, 3bb, 6k, .200oba). Last year, he combined to finish 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 59 appearances at Class A Stockton, Class AA Midland and Sacramento and ranked fifth among all minor leaguers with 32 saves.

I'm still hardly super-psyched to be saying goodbye to Denorfia for this fella, but I hope that once he makes it up to the team that he'll change my mind. In the meantime, it's just so exciting to have something new to talk about.

But wait, there's more!

And Cormier DFA'd and Salmon called up.

“Salmon has pitched well and we think he deserves the promotion,” Krivsky said.

Best of luck to you, young Brad Salmon. We're counting on you to make it all better. But no pressure or anything.

This week on the podcast, I need blood pressure medicine or a good stiff drink as we talk about:

• The trade of Chris Denorfia
• The Reds’ performance this week
• Narron’s shortcoming and whether there’s anyone better out there
• The CTS wants to see Bailey in the bullpen
• Other teams in the NLC that I could follow that would give me less gritting of teeth
• Tony LaRussa’s rant against this poem in a St Louis paper.
• Curt Schilling offers you $1,000,000 to vouch for his blood.

Episode 56: Deep Breathing (21.5MB, 31:19)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Great news! General Manager Wayne Krivsky has fixed the Reds! Everything is going to be OK now. As of yesterday, he traded injured almost-major-league outfielder Chris Denorfia to Oakland for two players to be named later and cash.

Chris Denorfia was, after all, what was holding the team back. That Minor League Player of the Year award was just hanging over everyone's head.

And what's better is what he got in return. Two players to be named later and cash. You know they've got to be hot commodities if it only takes two of them to be worth one injured Chris Denorfia. To put that in perspective, it would take, like 6 Gary Majewskis to be worth that. Plus cash!

Reportedly, Billy Beane had been asking after Denorfia since spring training, so clearly, he really wanted him. It's such a relief that Krivsky is dealing with Oakland this time around instead of, say, Washington. Because if there's one person in this sport with less of a reputation for getting the better of the people he trades with, it's Beane.

Some might argue that it's just a coincidence that this deal is going down now, but I think that the timing is the very best part of this move. When faced with a manager who can't manage, an offense that can't score, and a bullpen with more runs than a bout of salmonella, it takes a brave man to make the bold move of trading a hopeful young franchise player who was recovering from surgery.

So kudos to you, Kriv-dawg. I'm sure the Reds will start winning any day now.