"The Reds chances of trading for Matt Holliday are slim and none, and slim just left for the church festival.

That's assuming Cincinnati would be interested in paying the price for the big-hitting outfielder (dubious) and that the New York Mets would not be. That's borderline insanity.

Holliday would cost the Reds precious prospects and some $7 million in salary for the rest of the year. The chances of him remaining a Red next year wouldn't be good.

There aren't a lot of reasons even to contemplate it. Except this one:

It's a bold move. Without boldness, the Reds will never catch the Cubs, Cards and Brewers.

Maybe it's not realistic for the Reds to consider Holliday. It's not Holliday, per se. It's the thinking required to make a Holliday-type move.

Milwaukee did it last year, with C.C. Sabathia. The Brewers traded their best minor-league hitter to get him. Whether the Brewers thought they could re-sign Sabathia is irrelevant. They got him for the stretch run. He got them into the postseason.

St. Louis does this routinely: Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen and now Mark DeRosa. Granted, getting 40,000 paying customers a night is a huge advantage. But if the Reds don't win more, they'll never draw more. A team can only bobble so many heads.

The Reds have been the guy who stashes his savings in a hole in the back yard, anticipating the next Depression. They've planned for a future that has not arrived.

Now, we hear how good the current group of kids is. The Double-A club is stacked. Just wait 'til that cavalry arrives.

Except for the Reds, it's been more like Custer and the Alamo. The cavalry is always over the next hill.

Walt Jocketty and his staff have made some very useful moves. Laynce Nix, Jonny Gomes, Arthur Rhodes and Ramon Hernandez all were seriously good pick-ups.

None is a difference maker. At some point, if The Big Man wants to fulfill his promises, he's going to have to do two things: (1) Open his wallet and (2) deal some of that young, cheap talent ripening on the farm."