Last year at this time, Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez were already in Washington in exchange for a couple middle relievers who wouldn’t even be on the Reds’ Opening Day roster the following year. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that we can’t wait until the last minute to start talking about trades for this team. Before we know it, it could be too late!

It’s clear that the Reds are in a good position to be sellers this season, and there are a few obvious wares to try to sell. There are also a handful of untouchables and a few guys who could go if the price is right. Time will tell whether general manager Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky can tell the difference, whether he can correctly identify the right price, and whether he’ll be too gun-shy after last year’s trade deadline debacle to pull the trigger at all.

This week on the Red Hot Broadcast, Jon and I discuss whom we believe to be untouchable, salable, and in-between and what we think would be an appropriate price. We also talk a little about tonight’s game (since it was still going on as we recorded), the standings in the NLC (the Astros have beat out the Pirates for second-worst in the division), and my on-going job search (no, I’m not interested in relocating to Portland for a 6-month contract).

Episode 67: Anticipating the Trade Deadline (20.6MB, 30:06)

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Today's my first job-free day after putting in notice at the ol' work factory, but it wasn't any less busy than my days. And it's still nice to sit back and enjoy some Reds baseball while the sun goes down.

Comments on tonight's game so far:

• When will George be back? Having Thom is better than having no t.v. coverage at all, like there wasn't on Saturday, but…dang I'm missing George.
• How awesome is it to chase a pitcher in the first inning? You think that a a lack of support had something to do with it?
• It's just stupid to have the shift on for Griffey when Freel is on second. You got Hatteberg on second and that's a different story, but you got Freel on, and the Reds draw first blood. BWAHAHAHAHA!
• Speaking of Hatteberg, he's hitting some unholy number, .320 or something. Someone has to want him, even if just for a AA guy and the opportunity to see Votto in action.
• Livingston just damn-near stole second on what turned out to be a Freel foul off. Anything to prove his mettle, I reckon.
• Oh! And in the time it took me to write that, he fell between second and third base and almost didn't make it back to the bag.

Clearly I need to pay my attention to this game. Even if I do have to listen to Thom.