The first 18

[JohnU]

Suarez will cool off but he's a legit .280 hitter, I think.

 

[eburg5000]

Suarez started hot last year. I think he hit something like 4 HR's the 1st week of the season. I have noticed he's not trying to pull everything and that he's hitting the ball hard to all fields.

Price was playing that game like a playoff game yesterday. He wanted that game bad. And to his credit, he got it

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I agree Mr. Eburg. As long as Suarez doen't get pull happy, I think he can be around a .280 hitter as John pointed out. He hit .280 his first season in Cincinnati and after he quit trying to pull everything hit .270+ the second half last year.

 

[JohnU]

I think Price senses some urgency to keep this team motivated. The pitching is about to completely unravel.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Finnegan is expected to miss at least one start. With the new 10 day DL you'd think the Reds might take advantage and DL him even if it's not a serious injury.

I'd like to see Winker stick around, but with the amount of innings this bullpen is having to cover the Reds may stay with the extra arm in the bullpen.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

If they DL Finnegan, that makes room for Romano. If they add a bullpen arm it's probably Winker being optioned.

Then there's Rookie Davis who should be coming off the DL by next weekend.

I think we'll be seeing a few moves over the next week to 10 days.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I read this morning that the rotation has pitched 55+ and the bullpen 51+ innings.

The Reds 2017 strategy was to get multiple innings out of relievers, but I doubt they thought it would be nearly a 50-50 split.

If you told me on OD the Reds would start 8-4 with the rotation performing that poorly I wouldn't have believed it.

 

[JohnU]

Adleman will get the call this week.
I guess it does come down to whether Bronson wants to keep piling up the ERA at the end of his career.
Astin likely will come back to the big club, which is probably not what they wanted. I think they wanted Winker to stay up, maybe DFA Alcantara. Mesoraco brings a bat next week as well.

 

[JohnU]

Adleman to replace Finny.
Mo to replace Larry.
Howe to replace Dewey, who lost to Truman.
Cheatum to replace Mo.
No Mo Winker.

 

[eburg5000]

Romano didn't impress me much. I know it's his 1st ML start and he was a little or a lot nervous. But all that tells me is that He isn't ready for the big leagues. Alcantara didn't help him either.

Brewers sure made the Reds look bad in these 4 games.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Arroyo opening up the Orioles series. What joy.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Brewers sure made the Reds look bad in these 4 games.

The Reds made the Reds look bad.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Off day Monday and this team really needs one. The SP has been in disarray and getting worse from day one. Time to circle the wagons and see if they can come up with a better game plan.

The Reds didn't value Tim Adleman enough to guarantee him a rotation job in ST. Whether it's his age or shoe size, or whatever the reason, they chose pitchers that were less prepared to start at the MLB level than he is.

When Homer and Disco went down he should have moved up in their pecking order to provide more of a known commodity. He didn't and to be fair some it may be contributed to a poor ST, but that didn't seem to matter in the case of Bronson Arroyo.

 

[JohnU]

I agree on Adleman but I suspect it's more politics than planning.
I was a big believer in Adleman after last year. His upside isn't great but he doesn't walk people and doesn't run out of gas in the 2nd inning. I think Chris Welsh nailed it in his description about Adleman just being overlooked because he doesn't throw 96.

Neither does Bronson and if the purpose is for him to eat innings, he needs to start. OK, BA, you are in there till the 8th today and if the score is 15-0, we ain't going to the bullpen.

Check?
Check.

This team knew in December they needed better pitching and kept hoping the Fruit Fairy would somehow turn a "prospect" into Gibson or Koufax.

I am real high on the regular lineup, have far more respect for Barnhart than the experts do ... but this pitching staff was built from the bottom up. That's just stupid

 

[Redsfan1507]

Hard to argue with success...after all, these are MLB teams the Reds are playing. I keep expecting the pitching to implode, but also expect Votto to start hitting any day, too. I like the speed at the top of the lineup, and as long as they can get on base, they should keep testing catchers. All things baseball tend to trend to the norm over time, but I think the Reds have enough offense, just reaaallly skeptical the Reds can continue using the bullpen as they have without that "norm" trending them (and the rotatation) into oblivion.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The sun is shining in Cincinnati and the Reds are in first place. It's cloudy in St. Louis and the Cardinals are in last place with the worse record in the NL.

The Cubs are under .500 tied with the Pirates for 3rd place and the Brewers have 1.5 game lead on both after beating the Cubbies last night.

There's 149 games to go and a lot is going to change.

Time to breakout the sunscreen and hope the Orioles don't breakout a can of whoopass on Bronson.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The million dollar question is whether or not the Reds early sucess is sustainable?

The Reds are on pace to score 772 runs.

The pitching staff is on pace to allow 586 runs.

The team is on pace to win 99 games.

Are any of those numbers sustainable for the 2017 Reds?

 

[JohnU]

The million dollar question is whether or not the Reds early sucess is sustainable?

The Reds are on pace to score 772 runs.

The pitching staff is on pace to allow 586 runs.

The team is on pace to win 99 games.

Are any of those numbers sustainable for the 2017 Reds?

I think the runs scored will stay pretty much sustainable. I can't see that pitching is going to improve around the league.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds have called up Lisalverto Bonilla. Not to be confused with Lisa Bonet from the Cosby Show.

After all, one them is a dude..... I think?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Unrelated....
Starling Martel suspended 80 games for PEDS.