The Cincinnati Reds have agreed to trade Ryan Freel and two prospects to the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Ramon Hernandez and cash. The O's are expected to be paying a significant portion of the backstop's $8 million salary and the deal is awaiting approval from the commissioner's office since more than $1 million is changing hands.
Freel hit .298 last year with the Reds playing in just 48 games and has only appeared in 123 games total over the past two years. Hernandez put up a .257 average over 133 games and regained a bit of his power, hitting 15 home runs after dropping from 23 in '06 to just 9 in '07.
While this obviously isn't a winter blockbuster, the move could easily help both teams and provide a needed change of scenery for both players.
