Coaching changes

[Hit-n-Run]

Bryan Price may have survived temporarily, but there are plenty of changes to the staff. Some coaches were let go and a few have new roles. The Reds opted to promote from within.

Out are bench coach Jay Bell, pitching coach Jeff Pico and assistant hitting coach Lee Tinsley.

Jim Riggleman is now the bench coach and one step closer to being the interim manager. Billy Hatcher will coach third base along with his role as outfield coach and Freddy Benavides will coach first base and remain the infield coach.

Coaches returning in their same roles are hitting coach Don Long, assistant pitching coach Mack Jenkins, catching coordination Mike Stefanski, and bullpen catcher Dustin Hughes.

Promoted from the minor league staff are new pitching coach Mark Riggins and assistant hitting coach Tony Jaramillo from Louisville. Riggins had been the Reds' minor league pitching coordinator.

 

[JohnU]

I think I read recently that the coaching staff would include removal of Pico and Bell, and the assertion at the time was that these guys would serve as scapegoats. I suspect it's not the case. Either way, is there a way we can say the club is stronger? I have no problem with Riggleman but it puts another crow on Price's shoulder.

Personally, exactly how many coaches does a team need? We need an outfielders coach AND an infielders coach?

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'm ok with separate OF/INF coaches as long as they have another full time job, like coaching a bag... but why do they need ASSISTANT hitting AND pitching coaches ?? I also think there is more additional value in having some BRM legacy guys around the clubhouse for more than just playing golf with Corporate sponsors in spring training...Eric Davis, Doug Flynn, Tom Browning, Ron Oester, Sean Casey, Mario Soto, Hell, even Jeff Brantley has more moxy than a lot of these pitching coaches of the minute...I could name a dozen others...that could offer a little more "ways of winning" that might get more respect from players than the normal ex- minor league loser cronies of the manager, that often get hired.

Back in my day, you had 3-4 everyday coaches in the minors- the manager was often the 3b coach and handled a lot of general instruction himself, whoever coached the other bag also subbed as as a hitting and / or fielding coach and you had a pitching coach that was also the bullpen coach..duh...they're all pitchers.. The bullpen catcher was the #2 guy not in the game or when not on the road, a flat fee local ex-player. I never saw a "bench coach"...the manager was smart enough to move defenses and be able to relay signs and tell the difference between a steal or pitch out situation without consulting the staff... There were occasional, rotating / roving specialty instructors for pitching, catching, fielding and hitting.

I'm still flabbergasted at the general lack of fundamentals at the MLB level, so not sure what they're "developing" at lower levels, and pretty displeased with managers and coaches that routinely mis-handle situational play on the big club.... I get the budget staff for minors, but you would think the Reds would get more results with all those specialty coaches.

 

[eburg5000]

hiring and moving all these coaches, just seems like they would have room for an old fat guy to sit on the bench and do nothing. where do I sign up?

 

[JohnU]

Used to be, this guy was all you needed .................

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Good Ole Zim.....he was a Cincinnati guy. Went to Western Hills High School as did former MLB managers Pete Rose, Russ Nixon, and Jim Frey.

 

[JohnU]

Looking at the list of outrights on Friday, makes you wonder if the Louisville team could finish .500 with that lot of losers.
What scares me is that the front office will find another 6 or 7 of these .229 hitters for next year.

98 losses might be optimistic.

But ... hey, we hired a new coach.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

None of those guys are much of a surprise. I'm assuming they all cleared waivers which isn't a surprise either.

 

[JohnU]

I thought Boesch might be claimed ... lefthanded bat. Otherwise .... pffffffffffffffffffft

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Boesch tears it up in AAA and can't hit his weight when called up. Reminds me of Brandon Larson in that regard.

 

[JohnU]

No shortage of career AAA players in history. All of them hit .580 against the Reds.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I see where the Reds declined options on Badenhop and Schumaker and outrighted Sam Lecure. The decline of the options were expected and I was a little surprised Lecure wasn't outrighted with the first group. His performance and salary status made him a likely candidate.

Three more days and free agency begins. Time to start looking at the bottom of the available free agent list for ex-Cardinals, past prime left fielders, and middle relievers the Reds generally sign. Won't improve the team, but it will give us something to talk/ complain about.

 

[JohnU]

I will start a free agency thread.

 

[eburg5000]

I see where the Nats hired Dusty. They do have some bomber. and a good pitching staff, He might get them to jell.

 

[JohnU]

Nats were going to contend regardless, so if they win, Dusty looks good. If they lose, Dusty looks bad.

 

[HammerDown]

Nats were going to contend regardless, so if they win, Dusty looks good. If they lose, Dusty looks bad.

I can't even begin to tell you how utterly shocked I am that the Nats hired a dinosaur like Dusty. The Padres? I can absolutely see them doing something incredibly dumb like that but a team with major promise and a megatstar like Bryce? I'm floored.

The only thing I can think is that they're surrendering to Bryce and it's basically understood that he owns that team now.

 

[JohnU]

What we don't know is the terms of the hire. I believe Baker belongs in the game. He's good for it in a front office or in a commissioner's office ... so if he's only there because the terms were right, then it doesn't matter. The Nats can win a division by playing a little better than they did.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The Nats were better on paper last year than they were in the standings. Sometimes those things correct themselves, which has to be the hope with Dusty. He said it himself- he's always been given bad teams to improve. The obvious follow up question is, why wasn't he improving them enough to stay around as winners ? Maybe we will see a different Dusty...or why the old one was pidgeonholed to bad teams.

Unfortunately, I think the Nats with anyone managing will win more games than the Reds next year.

 

[JohnU]

One could assume that every team in the NL-E is better than it showed, except the Mets who probably are not.
Their starting rotation is intriguing but how well do they do against teams that are vastly better than that clusterfuck that chased them all summer? Without trying to evaluate the Mets, since I don't much care about them, it's obvious that Atlanta and Washington are going to play closer to their ceiling than their floor. Phils and Marlins were both just badly managed top to bottom. Maybe if you think McKanin is a good manager, OK ... the Phils get to 75 wins.
The Nats have a strong rotation,but Scherzer is not going to keep pitching that well. (Cue up the Dusty ruins another arm story) ... Scherzer's FB is going to lose velocity soon.
With Harper and a healthy Werth, DC can't avoid winning 90 games in that division.
Dusty doesn't have to look good. He just has to look happy.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Washington has bigger problems than Dusty. So do the Nats.

I can't decide if I like Harper or not. He should be a stud, but I think he may be believing all his press, and that's a bad thing. He postures like a baddazz, yet hasn't walked that walk yet. when challenged. Maybe he's smart, or just blowing smoke... He often goes with reckless abandon on defense, but loafs out of the box. One thing for sure, when looking for Nats bats besides his, you have to be optimistic....and that's a problem the Reds often see with Votto...they just walk him because no one else really hurts them.

Their starting rotation is full of veteran studs, and the bullpen is stocked....just the way Dusty likes it. The problem there is, it won't stay that way forever, and Dusty doesn't get in a hurry much. Dusty will need another bat...he always does...and he will probably get it...he always does. I think the Mets have a great young rotation, and a skimpy offense, that if they lose a couple free agent bats, will get worse. Atlanta and Philadelphia are in full blown rebuild, so Miami is the only other team left. It's NOT a strong division, IMO.