Spring Training

[Hit-n-Run]

Desclafani throws a good hard slider. Unfortunately pitchers that throw a true hard slider have a high rate of tearing UCL and flexor tendons. Pitchers like the pitch for it's effectiveness and surgeons like it for increased business.

Cody threw an inning without walking a batter. That's noteworthy on it's own. The club could really use a couple bullpen lefties to step up.

Oliver Perez stunk again.

Tucker Barnhart hit his 3rd homer of the spring last night. He may mature into a 12-15 HR guy. He's come along way in recent years.

 

[JohnU]

Desclafani throws a good hard slider. Unfortunately pitchers that throw a true hard slider have a high rate of tearing UCL and flexor tendons. Pitchers like the pitch for it's effectiveness and surgeons like it for increased business.

Cody threw an inning without walking a batter. That's noteworthy on it's own. The club could really use a couple bullpen lefties to step up.

Oliver Perez stunk again.

Tucker Barnhart hit his 3rd homer of the spring last night. He may mature into a 12-15 HR guy. He's come along way in recent years.

Barnhart will be fine against righties. I fear he will wear down unless Mesoraco can spell him at least twice a week.
That elbow and tendons issue is something we live with. I guess if we get a couple of years out of a pitcher, wait another 18 months and get 2 or 3 more ... well, just keep the traction beam turned on.

 

[JohnU]

Reds have already given Bronny's No. 61 to the Quacker.
Peralta isn't looking like a big league reliever.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Which LHP are going to be in the pen come OD? The list of candidates haven't performed well for the most part. Wandy Peralta and Oliver Perez have pitched poorly. Joe Mantiply blew out his elbow and had TJ surgery a few days ago. Kyle Crockett has pitched descent, but is a nonroster guy. Cody Reed has been better his last couple times out. Then there's Amir Garrett who has pitched well, but probably won't make the rotation. Brandon Finnegan is the only other LHP on the roster.

Overall the guys predicted to comprise the bullpen haven't looked too good in Arizona.

 

[chico ruiz]

anyone have thoughts on the idea of the 4 man rotation?

 

[JohnU]

anyone have thoughts on the idea of the 4 man rotation?

I'd be more inclined to 6 than to 4 but early in the season, it's a consideration if the starters in Arizona didn't get all the innings they needed. Dunno, analytics geeks might have some numbers on that. I don't pay much attention to it, other than the eyeball test to see who the Reds have and need.

Bailey, Disco and Romano are ready to hit the starting line. Effectively? Romano looked good last night in 4 innings. Castillo seems to be the darling of the staff with a half-year behind him. He might get the ball on OD. If so, OK.

Here's where I'd go with the 6th man.

• Finny hasn't shown yet he belongs.
• Garrett is closest.
• I think Stevie screwed the pooch.
• The maligned Vance Worley has a career as a starter.
• Welsh was drooling over Mahle. We all are, actually.

The question is: Who's auditioning and who's competing for a spot?

To the point: I think 4 starters with an occasional shutdown for a couple of starts -- maybe as an experiment. Are the Reds past that now? The zeal that was leading up to this spring seems to have worn down into a sense o realism that the 25-man roster is not nearly a done deal. And the parts that are fluid are pretty much mix-and-match, various versions of the same thing.

As well, most of MLB is loaded with this sort of player. What is sad is that there are very few prospects who are so damned good that you can't keep them off the roster. Among non-pitchers, Senzel is the exception and he'll be up this summer. Hopefully, with irony attached, he doesn't have a position. Among pitchers, Mahle qualifies. Senzel is going to be part of the old 'team control' chess game. Not sure how that applies to Mahle now.

 

[JohnU]

IT'S TWEAKIN' TIME.

Finnegan is the first.
Who's next?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Haven't heard any thing about Finnegan.

Desclafani is out with an oblique injury.

 

[JohnU]

Kyle Crockett -- Tony Cingrani V.2.

 

[JohnU]

Haven't heard any thing about Finnegan.

Desclafani is out with an oblique injury.

Finny pitched 2 hitters, left the game.
I probably predicted the oblique about 13 comments earlier.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Yes you did.

Sounds like we're back to the rotation that ended last season.

 

[JohnU]

Finny isn't going to make this rotation.
I think another Straily type signing is going to happen.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The clock has run out on Finnegan to be ready by OD. He started behind schedule and even if he's back pitching in a few days there's not enough time to get him stretched out. He's either in the bullpen, extended ST, or Louisville getting stretched out. If it's in the bullpen he'll find that it's easier to get in than to get out.

 

[eburg5000]

Bet just about anything Finnegan will start the season on the DL. Desclafani is a bad luck guy. He may never be back.

 

[JohnU]

I guess this is like the lemon you bought from Hall and Ball's Grand and Glorious Auto Circus.
Just because it doesn't run doesn't mean you jack it up on blocks in the driveway.
But a lemon is never a peach.

 

[chico ruiz]

the first thing i noticed about finnegan, from the first day of st, was it looked like he hadn't missed a meal in quite some time.

 

[JohnU]

the first thing i noticed about finnegan, from the first day of st, was it looked like he hadn't missed a meal in quite some time.

I think he might be the sort of athlete who balloons up to 350-plus after he stops working out regularly.

 

[JohnU]

So alleging Disco can't go,

Lorenzen
Reed
Worley
?????

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Homer was lousy..... again. If he was competing based on performance he'd be in trouble. The reality is the Reds coaching staff are the ones in trouble if they think he's their #1.

Amir Garrett followed Homer and only pitched 2 innings. If Garrett is competing for the rotation you'd think he'd at least went three. Might be a clue that he's ticketed for the bullpen.

Cody Reed has been better his last three times out. He's pitched 5 consecutive scoreless innings and hasn't walked a batter the last three.

With a couple days off early in the schedule the Reds don't need a 5th SP until April 9th or thereabouts. If Finnegan is cleared to pitch his next scheduled start he conceivably could be ready by then with an extended ST. Similiar to what they did with Mat Latos a few years back.

Desclafani's oblique may well land him on the 60 DL.

Homer hasn't earned a spot, but apparently he doesn't have to.
Castilol has looked good.
Romano hasn't hurt his chances.
Finnegan is the 5th guy the 2nd week of April if he doesn't have additional setbacks.
The competition is for the OD 4th SP spot. Stephenson or Mahle is the way I think it shakes out.

I still think Lorenzen is earmarked for the bullpen. He was solid his last outing, but I haven't heard the club say anything that makes me believe they're committed to putting him in the rotation. It seems more like they're trying to appease the guy by giving him an insincere opportunity.

 

[JohnU]

I think they could pencil
l in Worley until it's clear Disco needs at least 2 months now.
By then, Mahle, if he starts at AAA, would be called up if Worley craps it.