Jason Stark and the tanking trouble

[JohnU]

ESPN story is compelling, talks about the 6 worst teams in MLB -- all of them in the National League.

ONE OF THEM IS THE REDS


"I know one thing," one NL exec said. "You're going to have some big win totals, because the good teams are going to be beating up on all those bad teams. So it's going to take a lot of wins to make the playoffs in the National League."

 

[eburg5000]

I think they were being overly kind to the Reds by predicting them to have a 73 and 89 record this year. If they did win that many games. I would be hopeful in the direction the team is going.

The "Houston way", Not to say anything bad about Houston, but isn't it a bit early to call them a complete success? They had a great season last year, but lets see what comes in the next few years.

I personally believe the Reds are tanking myself. But telling everyone they are doing it the Houston way will buy them some time with the fans

 

[JohnU]

I agree ... 1 year doesn't mean much these days. If they do it 4 or 5 years in a row, then I might be convinced.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I too think it's bullschidt propaganda...to cover up explaining how you blow over half a BILLION in payroll over the last 6 years without winning a single post season home game, much less a series.

The "Houston" way ? To what ? 1 playoff appearance in 30 years ? Humbug. That won't sell tickets long. No animal has a 30 year gestation period- about 27 years of that was bullschidt operation of the Astros franchise anyway...The Astro farm didn't even do all that last year...the Astros had to add a few pieces of leased furniture to get the modest results they had...no guarantee they'll do better this year. You might have used the "Pittsburgh" way, because after their 25 year slumber they are in the 3rd or 4th consecutive year of being "contenders"...even though they haven't sniffed a World Series, and may have wasted their prime win window, like our Reds. I'm HOPING that 3-4 years of non-title "contention" isn't the best a small market team can hope for, once every 25-30 years. That's an unacceptably low bar, IMO. The Royals are obviously a small town, bigger winner /better team to aspire to...but took them 30 years to get back there...lets see if they can sustain. I hope so.

The Astros and Reds may have a few things in common- there isn't much evidence anyone in either organization knows how to put the bat on the ball much over the last 1,200 players or so, that have been run through their organizations, like a dose of salts through the guts of an old goat...shitting them out before they are digested.

They have "developed" a lot of gloveless players that can hit 20 HR, walk 25 times, strike out 150, while hitting .210 doing it. Not sure they can win any given series like that, much less build a dynasty. It's always about pitching first, but definitely not sure they have that figured out either.

The Reds have traded for half a roster of other teams "prospects"... I see several that will fill MLB roles...but I see no All-Stars....and after the Desclafanis and Finnegans and Reeds and Sanchez' are gone...what will the Reds have ? They will still only have what their farm produces, and what they can afford to buy...AGAIN.

So, IMO, short term the Reds are going to BLOW. 5 players eat up all but $40M of the payroll, and of those 5, 2 (Bailey and Mesoraco) are coming off serious injuries, 1 is 35 (Phillips), and 1 has turned into a .220 hitter (Bruce). Votto is the only "consistent" star, and that statement disregards his frighteningly frequent absences of half a season at a time. The Reds will need a 7 man rotation to fill out a years innings with 150 inning arms, and the bullpen SUCKS. Regardless of the rookie rotation, the Reds lost most of those games last year NOT because of losing their entire starting rotation, but because the same old lineup still couldn't score. Now they are less Frazier.

If the Reds stay out of the NLC cellar in 2016, it will be because the Brewers are the only worse team in the division. Long term, they aren't going to do better reaping farm talent if they don't produce more hitters than they have in the last 30 years. My God, it took "GOOD" players like Frazier and Cozart 27 years to GET to the Reds, and they don't last to free agency before they are too expensive to keep (sounds like the old Pirates, huh ?). The Reds recent pitching fortunes are largely due to the non-drafted Latin signings they've made, the best of those aren't in Red anymore. I see no such results in any other area of Reds scouting, and we all realize the Reds haven't exactly been textbook developers of superior MLB talent since shortly after the Big Red Machine left town.

I'd like to see a LOT more changes in the instructional and scouting areas. I'd also like to see a drop in ticket prices in line with the drop in performance on the field. I think we are about as unlikely to see one as the other.

I'm uh...unsatisfied... with the Reds competency.. or their idea of success, if that's what 2010-2014 was supposed to be represented as.... Can you tell ?