Cheap relief

[JohnU]

Reds sign Burke Badenhop, Kevin Gregg; DFA Ismael Guillon

-- CBSSports.com

The Reds announced several roster moves on Saturday, per the team's official website.

The team signed right-hander Burke Badenhop to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2016. In a corresponding move, Cincinnati also designated left-hander Ismael Guillon for assignment, and signed right-hander Kevin Gregg to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite.

Badenhop pitched for the Red Sox in 2014, registering a 2.29 ERA over 70 2/3 innings of work. Gregg last pitched for the Marlins in 2014. He allowed 10 earned runs, including 10 home runs in nine innings of work with Miami.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Anyone that survived Fenway should be ok in GABP I suppose. Greg had an injury, but was a closer for a few minutes before. Retread relief is normal- the Reds middle relief wasn't very good last year, and considering what they paid for Parra and Marshall, these guys are probably values.

 

[JohnU]

Half these guys end up in Colorado by the middle of July ... every year the Rockies end up with a pitching staff that only Abe Saperstein could love. I would suggest Gregg get that home run pitch out of his repertoire.

 

[Redsfan1507]

It could be worse. We could have the Rockies pitching staff. If Cueto gets dumped and Bailey doesn't bounce back, Leake goes FA and Chapman is the next guy the Reds can't afford, they indeed would look like the Rockies staff. It hasn't been that long ago. Jimmy Haines and Paul Wilson were the "aces" of the staff...and David Weathers was the "closer"....and as bad as they were, they still weren't last in the division. Of course, the sCrUBS and lASTROS and Blewers and Pirots helped with that some.

The Astros made this a better division by taking their 100 losses to the AL. Propaganda says the Cubs have enough to contend this year, but I just don't see it on their roster. Brewers aren't great without much D,SP and HGH. I see both those teams less than 81 wins this year without additional assets. If the Reds offense shows up, and there aren't a continuing boatload of injuries, I think this team can compete with 82-88 wins. They need help to do better, IMO. I'd put the Pirates in the same win total as our Reds, and default to Cards winning above 90 until they prove otherwise.

The middle bullpen can blow as many games as they keep the team in, so I think their effect is marginal at best. The Reds are going to live or die on the larger salaried players...naturally.

 

[JohnU]

I am still in favor of an offense-based team in Cincy, though I'd hate to see a team ERA of about 6.40 in a division like the NL-C. Still, this team will do better with more bats, though I am yet to see any evidence they can get some. The theory is, this team can hit. I don't know why they don't.

As for pitching, the way rosters are set up now, it's hard to tell what will be good enough. I think a staff of Villarreals, Holmbergs and Corcinos would be pretty brutal.

I try to remember the years when you penciled in the Parrots for last place and felt confident of that.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Non-closer bullpens in baseball are a little like special teams in football- no one notices them until they start losing games for you...except it takes an unusually shrewd fan to be able to identify what truly caused the loss, and get it correctly. IMO, it's rarely just the bullpen.

If Manny Parra comes in the 7th inning with runners at 1st & 2nd, 1 out with a 1 run lead, with a lefty at the plate and he walks him, is removed for Hoover to face a righty and Hoover gives up a bases clearing double, and the Reds lose by 2, I blame both Parra and Hoover. BUT- same scenario except the lefty Parra is left in to face the righty after his walk of the lefty hitter, and he gives up the same bases clearing double- I blame the manager for blowing the matchup and trusting a lousy LOOGY with 2 consecutive hitters, only 1 of which was a lefty.

IMO, any 1 run loss without a defensive error or a dugout gaffe, is the offenses fault.

The Reds had 21 runners thrown out at the plate last year, and lost a few more games than that by 1 run. I don't know how many 1 run losses had one of those suicides at the plate, but it shows a coaching trend most bullpens can't make up for...and if only HALF of those 1 run losses were 1 run wins, they might have win the division instead of finishing 4th....just saying.

Any blowout win is more their pitchers(and/or defenses) fault, than our offense.

Any blowout loss is more our pitching's fault, than their offense.

How we lose makes a difference to me, but I don't care how we win, if we do it repeatedly.

losing 6-5 is different than losing 2-1 because 5 runs ought to win a game, and 1 rarely does. I blame pitching in the former and offense in the later, but in truth pitching is most responsible for both.

Generally, I'm happier losing 3-2 than 7-6 because more had to go wrong to lose by 1 run scoring 6 runs than just 2.

I always think it's easier for the offense to get two more runs with a few productive outs in an entire game, than get 3 innings of shutdown pitching from relievers with 4.50 ERA's AND expect a come from behind win.

I think getting an early lead makes bullpens better and wins more games, than the best of bullpens ever does keeping you in the game until the offense comes back.

In a perfect world, my middle relievers would only pitch on the 5th starters turn, and would work their arms every other day of the week by opening the bullpen gate for the closer after the starter exited the game after the 8th inning.