Blowpen

[Redsfan1507]

If you think the Reds bullpen, or more aptly the blowpen, is bad now, wait a minute. Reds signed Carlos Marmol...a minor league deal, but still...

He got released by the Marlins with an Ernie almost 8.00. Makes Hoover like like a control artist.

 

[JohnU]

Marmol is the can of gasoline you bring to the fire.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Bullpens are like NFL defenses- you never know from year to year what they will be, until it's too late to do much about it.

Sometimes, it's health. Broxton was bad hurt last year, and pretty good healthy this year. Maybe some of these guys are trying to pitch with less than full capacity. Maybe, they've just lost some velocity ir movement due to technique or age. Hoover apparently can't throw strikes anymore. Maybe Marshall really doesn't want to. They are probably the same issue, with different causes. Limited replacement choices probably weigh heavier on keeping them than salary, but if a correction in their performance can't be made, the Reds either have to find replacements or take the punishment for not doing so.

The standard pitching staff philosophy has half the pen they try to pitch in winners, and the rest are innings fillers of lost causes. With the Reds sketchy offense, the sad half of the pen is being exposed more.

Another run or two always seems to make the bullpen more acceptable.

 

[JohnU]

For sure, a 9-run first inning always helps if you are worried about the bullpen.

 

[redsfan03]

At what point do the Reds give up on Hoover? It's become an exercise in putting up the white flag every time they trot that guy out there when a lot of the bullpen has been used up. He, as a reliever, has as many or more losses as every starter on the team. I have to think a "tired" Chapman could have just as much success (or lack thereof) as this clown.

 

[Redsfan1507]

A couple of teams have up on Broxton, you know...lol, for the record, I don't think Hoover is in Broxtons class, but he is cheap and can throw hard. You could say the same of Partch and Diaz , though, so if Hoover keeps sucking, his time is getting shorter.

 

[JohnU]

Hoover was one stupid baserunning decision by the 3B coach from winning that game.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Never make the 1st or last out past 2b... Especially if you've got bases juiced no outs for Mesoraco. Just plain stupid. Friday, Cozart got picked at 3rd with no outs on a ball pulled to 3b. Brainless.

 

[eburg5000]

Hoover pitched 2 innings last night and gave up one hit He is having a lot of bad luck as well as having a terrible season so far

 

[WvuDieHard]

JUMBO Diaz is the real deal. So I think Lecure and Hoover are expendable. I think you could get a good hitter for one or both. If you could get a good right handed bat with some power, do it in a heart beat. I would keep everything else in place. Those are the only 2 I would be willing to part with.

 

[JohnU]

LeCure has suddenly been a matchbox near the gas tank. Not sure what's gone wrong there but I always considered him to be stable, durable and dependable. Now ... he isn't.

 

[eburg5000]

I would hang on to LeCure for now. History shows that he is a stable pitcher, and that he will probably get it back, Hoover is just having a horrendously bad year. Not sure what they should do about him. But a few years back they were talking about him being the closer. Glad they didn't

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Poor location is almost always the culprit. LeCure doesn't have over whelming stuff but usually has good command. Hoover doesn't have either on a consistent basis.

Guys like Jumbo and especially Chapman throwing 99 mph and above get away with a mistake pitch here and there..... the rest of the pen..... not so much.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The problem with bad control guys with a plus fastball like Hoover or Partch is, they don't just miss outside the zone, the miss in the zone too...and when they're (frequently) behind in the count, people just sit on that fastball...and if it's in a bad location, they punish it. It's that DO throw strikes get more guys to chase more borderline pitches, but they don't have to with the strugglers. Hoover has had more than enough sample size to see he needs to be elsewhere honing his stuff, IMO.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Control is finding the umpires strike zone. Command is being able to break that zone into smaller zones. That zone in the middle is usually the problem.