2017 Reds Talk

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds sign Scott Feldman. Essentially swapping Feldman for Straily in the rotation.

 

[JohnU]

If any of the guys the Reds got for Strailly can matter, it probably won't add or subtract from the overall record.

Feldman is clearly a place-holder but I'd hope Stephenson beats him out soon.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Feldman is not an innings eater, so I assume he'd need replaced at some point during the season. Hopefully he lasts a little longer than Alfredo Simon and Jason Marquis.

Mark Sheldon seems to favor Cody Reed for the fifth man in the rotation. Maybe he knows something that we don't.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Who's getting kicked to the curb this time.

I was a little surprised when they dumped Steve Selsky. I saw where the Red Sox picked him up.

 

[JohnU]

Feldman HAS to be insurance against Bailey being unproductive. No other reason to sign a 34-year-old pitcher in a rebuild agenda. It's a one-year deal so no real investment there.

I would like to hear something more about Rookie Davis. Seems like his numbers were positive. They planning to let this guy rot in Pensacola while they run through another dozen dead arms?

WTF is that about Bronson Arroyo?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Richie Shaffer was waived and claimed by the Indians to make room for Feldman.

The Reds have been on the Waiver Wire Carousel this winter. I've lost count of all the guys they've claimed to only DFA days or weeks later.

The Reds have a lot of 23-24 year old SP on the 40 man roster. Signing Feldman for $2.3M gives the impression they have no confidence in their overall depth entering 2017.

 

[eburg5000]

I'm still sort of scratching my head about the Straily trade. Although I wasn't surprised. We had him under contract for at least 2 maybe 3 more years. He won 14 games last year on a team that lost 94 games. whos going to pick up those 14 wins next year or half that? I know chances are he probably will never have a year again like last year. But he probably would be solid.
I know that this is Baseball in the 20st century, and the they are "rebuilding", but I don't see where trading off decent young player with time left on the $clock is accomplishing anything.
I guess that ownership is banking on filling the ballpark with opposing teams fans, and the hell will the Reds fans.

just saw that about Feldman for 2.3 mil...that even confuses me more about trading Straily

 

[JohnU]

The pitchers in the conversation for making the club all come equipped with the (*) that says "possibly in the bullpen." I can't see Cody Reed being any better in the 5th inning than in the 1st if he hasn't learned to get hitters out. Stephenson is a starter.

What we need is fairly obvious but I agree, the waiver wire circus seems more like asking guys if they want to play in Cincy. If not, we'd send you where you prefer.

 

[JohnU]

Overlooked: Cody Reed will now wear No. 25.

Gus Bell wore that number.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think the (*) is probably the reality of where this team's current MLB rotational depth finds itself.

There are no guarantees any of these guys are going to mature into front line SP, but waiting is part of the process if you're going to rebuild your rotation through acquiring prospects via draft and trades. It can and has been frustrating to watch at times.

My confidence in the process is lukewarm at best.

 

[eburg5000]

Maybe in about 2 or 3 years, we will know if all this is going anywhere, but I don't see it.

 

[JohnU]

Maybe in about 2 or 3 years, we will know if all this is going anywhere, but I don't see it.

Done right, it still seems to take years if the KC and Pitt examples are worth noting.

I think the problem will forever be that the deck is stacked in favor of franchises that can afford to pay big money to top players. The smaller markets are still stuck with having to trade their talent BEFORE they lose them to free agency. Once a guy is good enough to make the majors, he's already on the meat market. Sustaining a roster is next to impossible for any team but finding replacements is a fool's errand.

Even looking at a guy like Todd Frazier, it's not like there are 30 other 3B out there you can just sign and plug in. By the time Suarez has his career in place, the Reds will be forced to replace him. Suarez is no H of F infielder but there aren't a dozen guys you can get now who are better (and cheaper.)

 

[eburg5000]

Even if the Reds do get the players to be competitive. It will be a small window of opportunity. Because they will never be able to afford to keep them. In 5 years they will be right back where they are now.

But looking at the brighter side of things, for now. Spring training starts in a month

 

[JohnU]

I'd settle for a team that can win 15 games a month and get lucky a couple of times and win 18 games in a month. 60 plus 36 is 96 ... well, I can dream, can't I?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds had Bronson Arroyo on the hot stove show as a guest last night. It appears to be a done deal that he'll be in ST competing for a spot on the 25 man roster. Bronson admitted he didn't think he could pitch every 5th day and that a bullpen role would be more realistic.

He may be overly optimistic thinking he can pitch out of the BP. Throwing a BP session coming off two years of injuries at age 40 and the demands of actually pitching out of a MLB pen aren't the same thing. The Reds may like his potential to mentor the younger guys, but I'd be surprised if he can be effective enough and stay healthy to warrant a roster spot. I guess he can mentor from the DL.

 

[JohnU]

If they need a coach to coach pitchers, that would make 5 of them now.
Just hire a coach instead of a guy who wants to "mentor" and pretend he can still get people out.
Alfredo Simon's shadow hovers.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Folks I HATE it, but don't believe the Reds are rebuilding anything except retained earnings on the balance sheet...

I don't see any mysteries here... I've seen no Reds moves that make me believe other than they have nothing to do with winning, now or in the future, it's ALL about making the roster as cheap as possible, and still selling enough tickets to earn an acceptable profit. Joey Votto is an all-time great Reds hitter...BP WAS a great 2b, but he's no middle of the order hitter anymore. Bailey may be the worst pitcher that ever threw 2 no-no's...there are a couple of "could-bees" but all in all, the rest of the roster looks like an expansion team.

Straily might have been under control for 2-3 years, but was going to get more in arbitration than the $2M (THE magic salary number for signed "veterans") they bought Feldman (the next Alfredo Simon) for, because after the top 4-5 Reds contracts that's all they will suffer to pay the rest of the roster.

Phillips supposedly keeps declining trades (don't know if it's true, because he knows he won't hit 4th , or even play everyday for many other teams, or it's just a way for the Reds to leak a little BS propaganda to make paying another team to take him more palatable), as Peraza looks like a comparative bargain replacement. Cozart's PAST the magic number, and so is Mesoraco, so I suspect at the first sign of health they're both trade toast.

Senzel will play 3b in 2018, or about the time Suarez hits double the "magic number". Winkler (or some other great white hope), ready or not , will replace the first Reds OF to approach $4-5M /year. Don't get me wrong, I think Senzel will be a better hitter than Suarez, and he can't be much worse defensively - just that IMO, the "new GM plan" is to keep that MLB minimum salary revolving door fanning, until either some galactically improbable Reds lottery comes up with a dozen rookie of the year candidates on the same roster at the same time, or enough fans stop coming so they can sell the team and move it to Vegas, Vancouver, or San Juan.

If this was a true rebuild, they would pick a likely player or two to hang on to, if it's just a few years rebuild wouldn't they ? Like maybe the most dominant arm in MLB history (Chapman) ?? Maybe that's going to be another FUTURE pitcher (NOT one currently on the roster, I hope), Hamilton, Peraza, or even DuVall ?? We'll see...they haven't had much "luck" picking those kinds of guys- other than Votto (although the next 8 years might prove that wrong too)- as Bailey and Mesoraco so far, are post contract busts, Jay Bruce and Phillips were perceived as underperforming their contracts, and I suppose Cueto, Chapman and Frazier just overperformed the Reds budget for their spots, etc.

The long term un-tradables- Votto and Bailey will be here, and unless BP is traded, the Reds will non-tender him in 2018 anyway. He's been a fan fav, so maybe they'll bring him back on a feel good reunion at 40 (like Arroyo) when he's unplayable but willing to sign for the $2 "magic" number. I liked Arroyo...but signing him as a player is a PR stunt aimed at selling a couple dozen more 20 game ticket plans. It's sad.

 

[JohnU]

I am perhaps the most optimistic Feb. baseball fan in history but the Arroyo deal just set my stomach aflame. I can't even grasp what that means to a "rebuild" that was a lie in the first place. Aside from that, Arroyo isn't going to cost the Reds any wins. He is going to cost them morale

What is going to be (or should I say, who) on the field is capable of winning 80 games.

Capable.

If the crawl upward from 98 losses to 80 wins in 3 years is improvement, I am looking at fucking Miss October this week. And I don't think she has my phone number.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Bringing Arroyo to ST as a player makes no sense. Why take innings away from younger pitchers that the team should be evaluating? Not to mention that none of the younger guys even know Bronson. I doubt Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed, and Amir Garrett would identify with a 40 year old guy throwing 85 MPH from multiple angles.

Most of the interest has been reported by Bronson himself. I'd like to think the interest isn't mutual.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds FO thought they were building a team that would be competitive into the future when they were extending Votto, Phillips, and Bailey. They were obviously misguided.

This club was always going to have budget restraints. So why they thought paying Votto $225M with an annual $100M team budget made sense still puzzles me today.

Extending Cueto, Chapman, Latos, Leake, Frazier, and anyone else at free agency rates would only have added to the conundrum.