Kevin Gregg

[JohnU]

I'd be fine with Chapman as the closer if this team were anything close to complete in other areas. If you can't score runs, you need pitchers who can throw outs. Whether Chapman can throw 99-102 every inning for 30 starts really isn't the question. He is just the best lefty I've seen since Don Gullett.

 

[JohnU]

Badenhop's ERA just reached 15.43.

 

[tlakes20]

Badenhop might be worse. For a guy that is supposed to be a groundball pitcher, he doesn't get too many of those.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

If they keep Badenhop long enough he'll get plenty of ground balls. They'll be rolling around the empty outfield bleachers.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The real problem with all these guys is they have to pay them even if they cut them- Gregg, Badenhop, Marquis (who the Brewers made look like Koufax last night) all have MLB contracts and dont have to go to minors.

Pretty bad when you have to go to Chapman to shut a team down after scoring 9 runs.

 

[JohnU]

I think the effort to cut somebody now would be a question of blind arrogant stubbornness, or a real attempt to admit that a mistake was made. If it's the latter, then the front office would be sending an important positive message to the fans, who don't honestly care what it costs to get a winner. It's been 25 years, after all.

If the message is the former, then Walt is basically saying it's Price's problem to fix the mess. To some end, that's true but if Price, a wonderful almost godlike pitching coach under Baker, could not identify in March that Badenhop and Gregg couldn't get people out, what the fuck is he supposed to fix now?

It was clear last year that Hoover didn't have a get-em-out pitch. He still doesn't, really. He beats up on the bottom of the batting order mostly.

If Price ihad no input on the roster decisions, then the Reds front office deserves exactly what it has.

Now, he has to play baseball according to the way the game is played -- let the starter get 100-or-so pitches and turn it over to the bullpen.

His hitting coach, meanwhile ...................................

 

[JohnU]

HAVE WE SPOTTED ANY TRENDS YET?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

He's consistent....I'll give him that.

The part that is hard to fathom as a fan is how Price leaves the guy in to sink or swim in a one run game. Gregg throws 34 pitches giving up 3 runs and only registering two outs. The only trip to the mound was to make a pitching change...that in itself suggest Price and Pico don't see any adjustments that can help the situation.

I don't know the dynamic between Price and Jocketty...whether they're on the same page or not with the pitching acquisitions. But one or both have failed this organization with talent evaluation in their signings. The players performance is on display for everyone to judge, but ultimately someone has to answer for the acquisitions.

 

[JohnU]

The look on Pena's face on a couple of the blocked pitches (throws) are etched in my memory. No matter what Meat threw, he couldn't command it.

 

[JohnU]

BTW, the numbers I had for Gregg were wrong.

They are actually worse because of adding in last night's numbers

Era is now 10.13

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Just read a article from Mark Sheldon from last night entitled "Price still has faith in Gregg despite struggles". That might be a clue into who thought it was a good idea to sign the guy.

Price is quoted as saying " It's why I thought tonight's game was another opportunity in a close one-run game to get him in there and get him on a roll."

Price was right....the Pirates rolled him pretty good.

 

[JohnU]

I recall Dusty saying that about Willie Harris. "I need to get Willie going," Dusty said about hitting the .088 hitter at the top of the lineup -- a week before he was banished to the outback, never to be seen again.

Badenhop has already pitched himself into oblivion. Gregg is either going to make it or break it with Price and the obvious is -- Gregg can't throw strikes, has no command of his slider and is seemingly (to me, that is) single-handedly wrecking team morale.

He also gave the Parrots a false sense of hope that they are out of their slump. When Chris Stewart scalds one to left field on a decent pull pitch, it has nothing to do with a team's hitting.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Gregg has ended a lot of slumps.....the Pirates can start a new one tonight.

 

[JohnU]

A guy named RT Cincy has a petition on change.org asking fans to sign it to get Gregg demoted to AAA.
I think he would have to be DFA for that to happen. Either way, it's a real petition and it has more than 3,000 names -- including mine.

 

[HammerDown]

Not sure Jason Marquis is any better. If Jocketty likes the old Cardinals, he might want to check into Bob Gibson- who probably throws about his age, bit might still be faster than those two.

Turned a Reds game on the other day and could not BELIEVE my eyes when I saw the Staten Islander pitching for the Red Legs.

The Padres would like to make an offer.

Straight cash for both Gregg and Marquis but we need them both to be in the lineup for the Dodgers today.

 

[JohnU]

Marquis has actually been serviceable ... maybe more so than a few other pitchers who are various rotations. My guess is that 4 out of 6 games, he can get the game to the bullpen, which will lose it for him. He's an old fox and will be able to get 200 innings, I think. He can also hit a little, which might add a few innings to his season.
Going forward, Lorenzen isn't going to be able to pitch all season, Bailey is done, and DeSclafani is pretty unpredictable. So, assuming Cueto and Leake keep going at a high level (Leake has been much better) ... Marquis clearly needs to step up his game.
The alternatives are not pretty.

 

[HammerDown]

Marquis has actually been serviceable ... maybe more so than a few other pitchers who are various rotations. My guess is that 4 out of 6 games, he can get the game to the bullpen, which will lose it for him. He's an old fox and will be able to get 200 innings, I think. He can also hit a little, which might add a few innings to his season.
Going forward, Lorenzen isn't going to be able to pitch all season, Bailey is done, and DeSclafani is pretty unpredictable. So, assuming Cueto and Leake keep going at a high level (Leake has been much better) ... Marquis clearly needs to step up his game.
The alternatives are not pretty.

A couple of years ago Jason Marquis was a pure gem for the Padres. He must have been on the best values ever and he's a total pro and universally loved in the clubhouse. I'm glad he's still in the league.

 

[JohnU]

Assuredly, when Simon and Latos were evicted, that left Bailey who hadn't really come off the DL in March.
I think the Reds were committed to DeSclafani, which in the long run may be a good move. Lorenzen should still be getting more AAA innings so whatever they get until August is great from him.
Marquis probably knew in March that he had a rotation spot if he worked hard enough to get it.
The only competition was Cingrani, who won't probably ever get a starting spot, and Maholm, who basically "quit" when told he wasn't going to be a starter.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Gregg is finally DFA. I wish that solved all the Reds problems.

Personally, I don't think any SP with an ERA over 5.00 is "serviceable". Marquis has had innings he got outs, but it's always a matter of time before he gives up more than this team can usually score. Desclafani and Lorenzen, and Iglasias are going to get opportunity to pitch, and we should take their inconsistency with the knowledge rookies usually are inconsistent, and since all appear to have more than just a fastball, location will be suspect. I'm ok with rookies, because they have upside- I'm not so optimistic about 35 plus year old players who aren't going to suddenly discover something they have already lost- like velocity. It's been a long time ago in a galaxy far away, Marquis pitched well for a season, or in a key role for a contender. think the two are related.

The Reds bullpen was bad last year, and isn't better this year. The starting rotation got worse, and most likely, will get even worse when Cueto and/or Leake aren't in it any more. Unfortunately, the offense doesn't score enough to give Cueto much of a chance to win, much less if the Reds have 4 rookies and an old guy in the rotation and only 1 reliever that can throw 3 strikes to a hitter.

I think it's going to be a long painful season for Reds fans. I'm just thankful there aren't more really good teams in MLB, and specifically in the NLC.