2017 Reds Talk

[JohnU]

Ervin, Mella, Winker on the 40-man. I assume the other additions will be announced this weekend.
I think I read that there were 7 spots available.

 

[JohnU]

Well the list is complete.

Right-handers Barrett Astin, Jackson Stephens and Nick Travieso and outfielder Aristides Aquino and were also protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The additions were pretty much what the pundits were predicting. Jackson Stephens and Barrett Astin weren't automatics, but were on the short list of prospects that might draw interest from other clubs.

There are a few Reds' prospect left unprotected that may be drafted. It's a pretty cheap way to pick up a prospect if you can afford to carry them on your 40 man for one season. It's like a test drive. Take them to ST and if you don't like what you see.... send them back.

Some players left unprotected were no-brainers. The Jeff Gelalich, Eric Jagielo, and Jon Crawford types would not draw interest. But a few guys like Alejandro Chacin, Zack Weiss, and Ismail Guillon might.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The non-tender deadline is approaching. This pertains to Zack Cozart ($4.7M), Billy Hamilton ($2.3M), Tony Cingrani($1.9M), and Blake Wood ($2.1M) whom are arbitration eligible. The numbers listed are projected arbitration amounts from MLB Trade Rumors.

Do the Reds' tender all four?

 

[JohnU]

Personally, I let Cingrani go despite his toolbox. He has not learned to pitch at the top level.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds only have 4 other LHP on their 40 man roster. Wandy Peralta is the only other lefty that is projected to pitch out of the pen and he's terrible.

Cingrani isn't a great option at nearly $2M, but the Reds would have to acquire or promote from within to non-tender him. Given the fact they didn't protect any lefty relievers from the rule 5 draft, I don't think they feel they have a replacement from within.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

There really aren't a lot of relievers on the Reds 40 man roster. I think 6 can be seen as relievers only.

Tony Cingrani, Wandy Peralta, Barrett Astin, Jumbo Diaz, Blake Wood, Ariel Hernandez.

I can't say any of those names are a lock to make the OD roster.

Could add Rasiel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen to the list if there future roles are indeed in the pen.

Tim Adleman might be in the rotation or on standby in AAA, but I don't see him in the pen initially. Keyvius Sampson doesn't have a definitive role or a guaranteed roster spot.

I think Rob Stephenson, Cody Reed, and Amir Garrett will start out in AAA unless injuries force the Reds to add them to the rotation. We'll probably see all three at some point in 2017.

I expect plenty of non-roster minor league invitees and maybe a few low cost free agent signings by the time the club heads west to Arizona

 

[JohnU]

Straily, Disco and Stephenson are locks for OD starting jobs. Homer, maybe ... I am apprehensive.

Reed needs to learn to get people out.

Finnegan seems a lock for a rotation spot but that might depend on some things. I get the sense that Price would rather he be in the bullpen at the back end. I like that idea but if Iglesias is going down the road Chapman took, oh well ... another blunder by an organization that thrives on it. They fear his shoulder issues. So fucking what? If he blows a shoulder, he's out of the mix.

Lorenzen can't truly want to be a setup guy on a team projected to lose 90 games (maybe not) ...

I can see a few more flat tires like Ohlendorf trying to get a job in the 'pen. Cincy would be real lucky to find another Straily though I think Adleman is a fair No. 5 option. To be honest, he's not worse than Mike Leake.

Cingrani needs to de-Hoover himself. He pitches like he's afraid to pitch.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Cingrani is a thrower, not a pitcher. Once a hitter get's past his quirky delivery and can track the ball, it's game over. He has zero command of the strike zone with his fastball and less so with inferior secondary pitches.

Cody Reed and Robert Stephenson have cleaner mechanics and better secondary pitches, but they lack command as well. Finding the plate 60% of the time isn't good enough if you're not commanding the strike zone.

IMO, Command and the ability to adjust to the batter throughtout the AB/s are the biggest determining factors in a pitcher's success.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Cardinals signing Brett Cecil for $30M+ sets the bar pretty high for LH relievers on the free agent market.

 

[JohnU]

I did a double-take on the Cecil signing. His numbers are relatively pedestrian for the contract he got, despite his being in the AL-E where there's a lot more hitting than usual.

Looking at the Reds bullpen as currently constructed, they can feasibly go into April without making a FA deal, though the need to work with agents comes into play. I can see a mid-level signing, maybe a one-year deal for somebody like a washed up Manny Parra. I would imagine that sort of signing would be a PR yarn that essentially tells us about "transition" and "clubhouse presence."

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Manny Parra didn't officially pitch last year. He signed with the Cubbies and was released around OD. Didn't hear about any season ending type injury. Maybe retiring sounded better than playing minor league ball.

Guys like Parra stumble around long enough to have career earnings around $10M. Manny always seemed like a pitcher going through the motions to me. Could be he banked enough and opted to take the easier path.

Contrary to the Manny Parra, there are countless pitchers that seem to never hang up the spikes no matter how dreadful they hurl the ball.

On that note, the Reds did sign Johnny Hellweg.

 

[JohnU]

I'ts actually kind of strange to look back to 2014 and see who was on the Reds roster who isn't now.
Hint: Not very many.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Two new roster casualties today. Ramon Cabrera and Keyvius Sampson were both DFA to make room for a couple waiver wire acquisitions.


Ex- Diamondback Gabriel Gurrero who happens to be Vlad's nephew that hits like he should be his niece.

The other player is former LAA catcher Juan Graterol. He's played some first base, so at least that matches Dick Williams stated goal of acquiring a catcher that plays another position. But, Juan Graterol didn't come to mind when Williams said he was looking for an upgrade at catcher.

 

[JohnU]

Been lookin for a new Juanderful Juan.

We got im!

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I can see picking up Juanderful.... the Reds organizational depth at catcher is woeful. Until a better upgrade presents itself, it is what it is.

Picking up Guerrero is more questionable. He is further behind in development than Yorman Rodriguez, but does have two more option years than Yorman. Guerrero would have to improve leaps and bounds to justify holding down a 40 man roster spot for very long.

The Reds' amateur International scouts have done a poor job acquiring position player talent from Venezuela and the DR. Some of that may be due to the exploding cost associated with it and the failings of current CBA signing pool rules, but the Yorman Rodriguez and Juan Duran types have been the best they've done.

Signing older Cubans with WBC experience isn't a sign that the international scouting dept. is earning their money.

 

[chico ruiz]

hello to all the stalwarts of this board. i feel like i've been in a parallel universe where time moves faster than our high-precision atomic coordinated time standard. hypothetical, imagined, and apparently real. tomorrow was yesterday? maybe. i can't quantify the rapidity, other than to say, '75 hour work weeks will do this to a man.' all i know, by god, is it's indiscernible and i woke up old this morning. i was made acutely aware, of how old, at a wonderful event for the covenant house called 'sleep out.' it raises funds and awareness for our nation's homeless children. participants are given a piece of cardboard, sleeping bag, and slab of concrete. at this event, i had a brief conversation with a couple of mlb execs from the y's & a's. i mentioned the 1972 world series, and what a good series i thought it was. if only bobby tolan would have caught that fly ball. gene tenace? intentional walk skulduggery by dick williams. i was running off names like holtzman, menke, green, and carroll. etc etc. he remembered a little bit about the 1990 ws. otherwise, blank and empty stares. dick williams? he did what to bench? no no, not the reds current gm (or whatever they call themselves these days). ah, forget it. the 1976 world series was a footnote, from an abstract, to these guys. i guessed that the history of the game is more important to me than others, which includes mlb team brass. so, here's to the the aging process, generational memories, and differences. then, all of a sudden, it hit me. these guys hadn't even been born yet, or were too young to remember any of the above. they don't see the game as having changed, because they weren't around for those changes. it's the same as it always was, to many of them, and they administer accordingly.

anyway, a happy, restful, and peaceful, holiday season to you all.

interesting book -- will big league baseball survive? -- lincoln mitchell

i'll try to catch up on prior posts and proffer my pomposities.

 

[JohnU]

Looking at all that is happening

Jon Jay to the Cubs?

 

[eburg5000]

Chico, I remember Bench being intentionally walked with 2 strikes, standing there with the bat on his shoulder watching strike 3 go past. I don't ever think that I will forget it. I also believe that the Reds were the superior team. but apples and oranges, and that just my opinion. Probably every team and its fans that has lost a world series, have thought they were the better team.
I just watched Ken Burns Baseball or I like to call it Ken Burns history of baseball in New York and Boston. with another city mentioned occasionally. But I have always enjoyed watching it anyway. I wish I could have lived in New York in the late 40's and 50's and watched the Dodgers and Giants and Yankees. That time may have been baseball at its best.
Back to point. Baseball will never be the same as before free agency. Or before salaries became so high teams can't afford average MLB players. that's why rosters turn over every year.
I hate what's happened to baseball. but I still love the game but I don't ever think the Reds will win another WS

 

[JohnU]

I spent most of my youth believing the Reds would win a pennant and after they did it in 1961, I assumed it would only get better after that. But the saddest day of all for a baseball kid is the day they say the team is mathematically eliminated. There is NOT a more bummer moment than that.

The game has kept fans interested longer than ever and that's good. Being eljminated on April 7 is what has tended to suck in Cincy.

Bringing that back to the topic ... I can see the Reds hanging in there for 2nd place this year. I am the eternal optimist until I see how the bullpen is structured. Seems like Williams has identified it as something that can't just happen after the trash is thrown out. I hold Price accountable for that, more-so than the front office.

We shall see. The lineup appears to be as it was, which isn't terrible. If Mesoraco can hit and if Bailey can pitch, we should be "OK" next season.

The Cubs just throttled me with the Jay signing. They have a player to trade now -- Soler perhaps or ... gasp! Schwarber.