Current State of Reds and Beyond

[Redsfan1507]

I think all players should be subject to a draft. Maybe a separate one from the rookie draft for foreign pros...I think most MLB teams would object though. The big rich teams may prefer to choose the best/ most expensive, and the little may teams think they can sneak in under the radar.

The current thinking is that when the injured pitchers return, they can clear out the outhouse, uh, bullpen. Bailey and Desclafani might push the revolving door mystery 5th SP, and a shaky #4 to the pen. I have to think Finnegan and Iglasias are staying in the rotation if healthy, unless pushed out by a Reed or Stephenson. I don't see Lamb as that good, but not sure they look at him as a reliever. I think there is merit to that plan, but if they suffer through all year hoping Hoover or whoever has a 2 digit ERA starts earning their MLB contracts, or if the injured Cavalry gets delayed relieving the blowpen, it may be a long painful year. There have been occasional bright moments by Reds pitchers, but consistency isn't there, other than the general failure of the pen- they've been consistently unbearable.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Fool me once, shame on you

Fool me twice, shame on me

This bullpen ain't fooling anybody

 

[eburg5000]

Ramerez came in last night and drove me nuts. couldn't get the ball over the plate, and when he did they hit it. But that wasn't what drove me crazy. He must of took 40 seconds to a minute before every pitch.

 

[Redsfan1507]

His urgency was like he was going to the gas chamber after the inning.

 

[JohnU]

Blanco contributed but that's just bad managing to not give your pitcher a sense of rhythm.

 

[JohnU]

I think we might need bigger crowds than this if we want to get gooder players.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Attendance was down 80,000 the first 13 home games from the same number of home games 2015. I'd guess that number has surpassed 100k during this series.

 

[eburg5000]

I thought I heard them say the attendance today was 18,000. that crowd didn't look like it was half that.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I didn't go to the game today and only listened on the WLW broadcast. The official attendance on the At bat app shows 21,000+. Seems a little high for a business man special, especially with rain in the forecast.

Wasn't Straily's performance the 4th straight quality start? I normally don't put much stock in a stat that allows for a run every other inning, but it's a improvement over what we've seen the last 100 or so games.

Next thing we know the bullpen will start throwing up goose eggs.......Nah....I'm just talking silly now.

 

[eburg5000]

Straily seems to know what he's doing out there, and seems confident. I just wish we could get a little closer to a complete game.
While most teams were letting they're starters go 6 and 7 innings in spring training. The Reds were only letting them go 3 or 4, 5 at the most. I don't blame the Reds for that, because of injuries and young pitchers. But it has to hurt. I think we are feeling that pain now. As bad as the this bullpen is, they need to stay away from it

 

[JohnU]

All in all, except for Simon, the starters have done pretty well, though I wish they'd eventually get to go 7. Price obviously doesn't pay much attention to the bullpen. I'd give this rotation a B- at best, a C+ at worst. The downside is usually, the offense isn't giving them a lead. Today, it worked.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

One seven inning start through the first 28 games.... not surprising that's the same number of saves the bullpen has.

 

[JohnU]

I am still a big believer that any big-league pitcher should be able to get 3 outs in an inning. The closer itself is overrated. How-ev-er, the term "big-league pitcher" needs to be clarified. This team has gone a month without a quality bullpen. Did somebody fart in a barn and try to blame it on the cows? The only thing about that is that the cows don't care.

 

[JohnU]

Did not actually see this coming.

Waldrop up, Schebler down

Kyle Waldrop will serve as outfield depth for the Reds after fellow outfielder Scott Schebler was sent down to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday. The 24-year-old Waldrop made his major league debut last season and has just one MLB at-bat under his belt.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I don't think anyone can see some of the moves this crew makes coming.

Kyle Waldrop has a career .198 AAA BA and is batting .228 this season. So his promotion is based on being the only available OF on the 40 man roster.

Schebler according to Price is being sent down so he can get regular playing time. Price claims the Reds see him as a future everyday player.

Scott Schebler is 25 years old and being brutally honest.... I didn't see anything that suggest or is there anything in his past that suggest he's more than minor league fodder. He swings hard.... so I guess he going to Louisville to see if he can learn to swing harder. There's nothing in the Reds recent developmental staff's past that suggest they can improve upon what we're seeing.

 

[JohnU]

Schebler evidently has some skills that don't readily show, such as speed and defense, since he's hardly ever in a position to exhibit either. I like him as a LH bat off the bench with some baserunning skills that ol' Lumberin' Loobo might have. As a pinch hitter, his numbers are acceptable inside what we expect a PH to do -- swing hard and hope to make contact. Strikeouts are a predictable result. There's no pinch hitters out there now that Manny Mota (see trivia thread) retired.

Waldrop needs a chance to play but he isn't going to get it. Duvall has won the LF job, which I still assert is a big plus for the Reds moving forward. But the problem is, I think, the small sample size that shows Hamilton is hitting better. Dangerous since the teams will watch the films and adapt. Billy still can't hit a high fastball.

If the Reds intend to trade Bruce, it would seem Winker is the replacement, either moving to left or playing right field. But if Winker is the man, why not bring HIM up instead of Waldrop?

Then again, we know why there is air, just not what it ought to smell like, at least here in the Region.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

IMO,
Schebler does run well for a big guy, but his defense has been suspect. He has had a couple big hits which makes a good impression in most fans minds, but his overall small sample size as a PH boasts a .182 BA. He's a 26th round JC draft pick and I haven't seen anything from that would lead me to believe his talent level is any more than that.

Waldrop's call up says a lot about what the Reds really think about him. He's been promoted so he can sit and rarely see action. Doesn't bode well for his future on the 40 man roster.

Yorman Rodriguez is still on the DL without assignment options. Whenever the day comes that the Reds have to make a decision on Yorman, Waldrop would be most likely the candidate optioned out.

Winker is having a nice start at Louisville, but with not being on the 40 man roster, Duvall holding his own in LF, Yorman's roster status, Schebler on optional assignment, and Peraza's ability to play OF.... even if Bruce is traded I think Winker is down the list in the Reds' minds of whom they're ready to call up.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I don't pretend to have a clue what plan the Reds are following.

I don't want to sound disparaging, but to Hell with actual stats, I don't think ANY current Reds OF not named Bruce or Hamilton has ANY above average tools, and those two only have a couple; they both play good D with an arm, Bruce has power and Billy has speed. They still are nowhere near complete players, and they are the best OF's we have. Pitiful.

The rest of these (OF) guys are only on the team because the Reds OF pickings are so slim. DuVall has looked better than most others, but he still looks like a platoon .245 hitter to me. IMO, it isn't Waldrop's stats promoting him, it's Schebler's...and possibly, they don't mind burning up his options, instead of Winkler or Peraza.

I don't understand how pitchers like Stephenson and Reed can't make this pitching staff. The Reds may have more than a dozen pitchers that start a game this year, and that's not usually a good thing. Straily's problem was never stuff- it was location...stay tuned to see if he's had an epiphany, or just fluffing us for his next trend toward the norm. Adelman looks unimpressively impressive, so far, but if he's going to be the best pitching surprise of the year, it will truly be a surprise to me.

I don't see how any team can "rebuild" with bullshit talent, fellas... IMO, they need to put the 25 players with the most talent on the team, not try to hide a dozen "fill-ins" that couldn't make 2 other clubs. I mean, DeJesus was no better than an average MINOR LEAGUER for 10 YEARS and he was obviously a lock to make this roster. Peraza had options, so did Reed and Stephenson....Hell, so did Hoover I guess, but they didn't use one a couple of seasons ago when he looked pretty much as bad as this season. I knew this pitching staff was in trouble when they signed a couple or three "free agents" that didn't pitch a single Reds game in ST.

I know....it's supposed to get better when they get Desclafani and Bailey back...

and...

...it IS hard to lose 98 games, you know. A lot of planets have to align (and crash into each other) for that to happen.

 

[JohnU]

No doubt, the Reds sold "rebuilding" as a way of telling the fans they intended to lose, cheap.

 

[JohnU]

I do remain in the minority in liking Duvall. I will take .240 with 30 HR and decent left field. It all depends on who else is in a lineup if that matters. If the rest of the team hits .229, then it doesn't matter.