Cueto, Belisle, and Stubbs...buff up Belisle for a year (components will play well in the Coliseum) and then swap him out.

That ain't gonna happen, the A's would have to think themselves thankful just to get one or the other.  Also, in the rumor article from Cincy it mentions the Dodgers as possible suitors for Blanton.  I think that is farfetched.  The Dodgers don't need another starting pitcher.

vr, Xei

its pretty comical, actually. people whose teams are interested in trading for him see him as, at best, a #3/4 pitcher in the NL. hysterical. blanton isn't flashy, but may actually have been more consistent than haren last year (i actually don't think this is true, but a valid argument could be made). at worst, i'd see him as a great #3 and probably a #2 or even a lower #1 in the NL. i get that people don't think he's an ace, but they just drop him an extra rotation spot or two with no real reason. put blanton in the NL, i'd bet you'd get 200+ IP, a sub-4.00 ERA and a WHIP around 1.3. plus he's gonna be cheap for a few more seasons. AND he's basically the last good pitcher out there. if we trade him, he's gonna fetch us quite a bit.

• Team that much closer to being renamed the "Oakland Rivercats" for the duration of the 2008-09 seasons.  I don’t think anyone denies just how awesome that would be.
• Lenny DiNardo set to make history by becoming the first man ever to leap from unreliable fifth starter to staff ace from one season to the next without, you know, getting noticeably better or anything.
• Oakland may be getting someone named "Homer Bailey" in the trade, who, apparently, is a professional athlete and not a Kansas pig farmer.
•  The expression "innings-eater" no longer to be heard on Oakland broadcasts.
• Oddball NL rules will lead to Joe Blanton running the bases every fifth day.  I can’t wait.

That said, I love Joe Blanton with all my heart and soul, and will always look fondly back on the days when the deli guy from Safeway took off his smock to play professional baseball in Oakland.

  soCupcakes is the last remaining MLB-quality SP on the market. That alone could raise his value a smidge. Basically, the market has been set with the Santana and Bedard deals. Blanton is not an ace like Santana or potential ace like Bedard, but he would be a solid #2 for a good NL club. His numbers might jump in CIN, because it's a launching pad, but he is so dependable and durable--he's just what they need.
CINis the ideal trading partner--they have a loaded farm system and are oozing solid prospects. We throw Joe a bone by basically sending him home (Kentucky is just across the river). If we get Votto in the deal, that's fine--you can never have too many guys who can swing the bat, regardless of position. If there's a logjam later, we can trade a stick for an arm--when's the last time we were in that position? Bailey looks great, so does Cueto. BB will be like a kid in a candy store with Cincy's potentially outstanding AAA crew.
I really hope this deal goes down, and soon. What a great offseason for BB, the A's, and all A's fans. Basically, we shipped players who in the best of all possible worlds were only going to help us finish 8 games back in '08 and '09, and in return we are getting the cream of AZ, CHW, and CIN's farm systems. BB will reaffirm with the next rebirth that he is the best in the business, and I really think he will be hoisting a WS trophy within maybe 5 years. Good luck, Joe, thanks for the memories (and gobs of innings), and GO A's!

I know it sounds crazy....... but adding Johnson to the deal who would be a safe bet to produce 25 hr's in the reds ball park, and produce a good OBP, would make it easier for the reds to include votto in the deal...

As Well, people are forgetting, or don't know, that Votto could also be a capable corner OFer- which would put Gonzalez in CF and Buck in LF.....

Blanton & Johnson for Cueto, Votto, and a third throw in prospect would not be so far fetched then because Blanton is a player who could serve as there number 2 for them this year in their pursuit of the playoffs- and a strong number 2/3 innings eater long-term. Cueto's ceiling is as a strong number 2 long-term but there is definatly some uncertainty in that and he could turn out to be better suited as a closer.....

No one can dispute that Votto's ceiling is higher than Johnson's. However, Johnson has more power potential than Votto, he's only average in that regard, and while he wont hit for an average nearly as high as Votto, he would post an OBP that is not too far off from Votto... and is only 4 yrs older

There is potential that the reds give up players that are better in the future than what they are getting... but if you go by the a buck is more valuable today than a buck in the future philosophy, and also factor in that they are in poss. there best position to make the playoffs in yrs but also have a lot of uncertainty 3-5 in the rotation.... this deal is very plausible....