Reds To Sign Jeff Francis, Thomas Neal

[Johnnydollaz89]

4:38pm: The Reds have also signed Thomas Neal, the outfielder tweeted himself. Neal, 26, spent the 2013 season in the Cubs and Yankees organizations. He batted .325/.391/.411 in 297 Triple-A plate appearances and collected two hits and a walk in 17 Major League PAs. Neal is represented by Jeff Berry of CAA Sports.
3:08pm: The Reds have agreed to a minor league deal with southpaw Jeff Francis, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Francis is represented by Frontline Athlete Management. His deal includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
This will be Francis' second stint with the Reds, as he also inked a minor league pact with Cincinnati prior to the 2012 season. Francis exercised an opt-out clause in June that year and has spent the past season-and-a-half with the Rockies -- the team that originally selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 draft. In that time, Francis has pitched to a 5.84 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 48.9 percent ground-ball rate.
Francis is the second starter with notable big league experience that the Reds have brought in on a minor league deal this offseason. Cincinnati also inked right-hander Chien-Ming Wang to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training.

MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Francis might have a shot to be the 5th starter in the rotation.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Jeff Francis hasn't been effective at the MLB level since developing shoulder problems in 2008 which led to surgery and him missing the entire next season.

Big name prospect before the shoulder issues, but it's unlikely he'll make the Reds' staff unless disaster strikes the projected starters. He's just one on a long list of pitchers to have their careers derailed by shoulder injuries.

 

[JohnU]

These guys are just to field a pitching staff in Lousyville. They might *might* get the call for a game 162-and-a-half when there's a rainout doubleheader. Otherwise, they know their roles.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Pretty much any FA player signed at this point is going to be minor league filler.

The Reds still haven't signed there typical over the hill light hitting backup SS to this point. Makes me wonder if they're looking to one of the current projected roster players to serve as an emergency type replacement. Not many options out there at this point.

 

[eburg5000]

They better find someone, because I don't see much of anybody in the Reds farm system that can backup Cozart.

 

[eburg5000]

I guess maybe Hamiton??

 

[JohnU]

Hamilton can play SS in a pinch.
Schumaker can play 2B, Pena can play 1B, Frazier can move over.
Hannahan can play the corners.
Not sure how many .180 hitters we need.
If you need a guy for an injury, one game wouldn't be a disaster. If Cozart goes on a day-to-day list, that might create a problem. Not sure if HenRod will make the big club.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

IMO, the most likely player on the roster to serve as a short term replacement at SS would be Jack Hannahan. With the exception of Cozart, he has the most MLB innings at SS of any player on the current roster.

Hen-Rod's stock seems to have fallen this past year. His glove hasn't improved as the Reds would have hoped and the bat has regressed after reaching AAA. If he spends another three weeks in the minors he'll be out of option years and that generally leads to a player being DFA in November as teams reshape their roster preparing for the Rule 5 draft and off season moves. The 2014 season will be his 8th year in the organization at ripe old age of 24 as of next month. It's the down side of signing the D.R and Venezuelan kids so young, they run out of options at such a young age.

 

[JohnU]

The thinking on Hen-Rod, I believe, was that he could hit well enough to make a decent 2B. Clearly, he's not getting there. My guess is he makes the team as a reserve, thus making sure the Reds fill their annual quota of Latin-speaking reserve infielders.

 

[redlegs@hokies]

man, is it just me, or has there been little to no exciting news this winter for the Reds? I'm dying here.

 

[JohnU]

Most teams are doing the same thing. Except for a few top-level free agents, the bulk of the deals have been a lot of medium-speed guys getting minor league invitations to spring training. I think the days of the major blockbuster trades are over.

 

[redlegs@hokies]

Most teams are doing the same thing. Except for a few top-level free agents, the bulk of the deals have been a lot of medium-speed guys getting minor league invitations to spring training. I think the days of the major blockbuster trades are over.

Possibly, but man i wish something would come out that can excite the fans.

 

[JohnU]

I'd guess the most exciting thing that happens is for a GM to call a player's agent's secretary. who gets a callback number.

Walt is probably thinking the excitement part starts in April.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, no one has signed Nelson Cruz have they ? What's up with this guy ? I mean, Melky Cabrera goes from .260/12 to MVP numbers riding the roid train and he gets picked up immediately. Cruz, not a sniff. He's gonna play for someone, and the longer he doesn't, the cheaper he gets...his "worth" is probably already less than the $9M Ludwick is gonna "earn" next year....another good reason to never sign a multi year deal with a 30-something player with 3 impressive months in the previous 3 years.

Im not much worried about who backs up Cozart for 8 games a season, i know a few thousand guys that can field a groundball...I'm worried about who plays everyday in LF...or more specifically, who HITS in the LF spot all year.

 

[JohnU]

I had worries about Corky Miller, honestly.
Cruz evidently works for Boras, who is in the habit of telling his clients to be patient.
I have no idea about him otherwise. He's got HR power, that I know.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'd rather have Cruz for 129 games at $9Mil than Ludwick for 129 games at $9M. I would rather have had Trumbo for 2 minor leaguers than Ludwick for $9M. I would rather have Marlin Byrd at $9M. I would rather have about any other LF for $9M. Cruz might ride Boras to a multi year $60M contract, or ride him like Madson to a $30M pay cut. Boras' patience isn't what it used to be. I think that Walt was a smart guy signing Ludwick for $3M in 2011, and a dupe for bidding against no one and signing Ludwick for 2 years and an option a year later. It was a really Jonny Gomes thing to do. I also think there may be signs of Alzheimer's involved with demanding Chapman start for 3 years, firing the guy who refused to pull that trigger, then telling everyone Chapman is still the closer. The man is slipping.

 

[JohnU]

Gotta agree on Chapman, esp. since it's clear they intend to lose Bailey, one way or another, and are throwing an awful lot at Cingrani. Hell, we have 6 guys who should be able to get 3 outs in the 9th inning

 

[Redsfan1507]

I don't get it. Never did. Half the intended closers in spring training aren't closing by the post season every year, and it doesn't make lousy teams better, or good teams worse. Exactly 5 teams in the last 51 years have won a World Series without a LHSP, and one of them beat a team that didnt have one either.

Besides, a SP can go back to the bullpen by skipping one start, but it takes a closer a month to stretch out to start. There is zero risk for starting Chapman, but the benefit is, he had the tools to be the most dominant LHSP since Randy Johnson. His can you ignore that kind of risk/reward scenario ? I couldn't...especially if AC is going to be a free agent in 2 years.

IMO, Dusty was sensitive to criticism that he "ruined" young SP's-Wood, Prior, Schmidt, etc. and didnt want any more flack if AC blew an arm...i think it was part of Dusty's ssles pitch to AC to reluctantly say he oreferred to close...but Dusty didnt hesitate to use him sporadically 4 days in a row, where he would warm up for 40 pitches a turn before he threw another 10-25 in the game...IMO, harder on a 100 mph arm to toss 120-160 pitches a week in 3-4 days than 100 in one day in a week, but that's just me. I don't get the messages being debt- Jocketty and Price stating preference for him to start for 3 years, then all the sudden complete reversal. It smells funny to me.

 

[JohnU]

AC's success rate is league-average, which means he's not guarantee.
If the prevailing notion is that 3 strikeouts in the 9th is better than 3 ground balls to the infield, I'd like to see a reason why that is. Who cares what kind of out it is?

If it's for the fans to get excited, it's important to realize that a closer only pitches when the team is ahead by 3 or less, or is tied going into the bottom of the inning. Key points: Gotta be ahead -- by 3 or less. So being ahead by 10 runs or trailing -- either way, the hardest-throwing pitcher on the team doesn't even get used.

Under those rules, you'd use Neftali Soto at first base and keep Votto in reserve in case you needed a pinch hitter because Votto is a better hitter than Soto is.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Yep.

SP's make more $ than closers for a reason.

Metrics I look for, are elite in Chapman. Hitters hit well under .200 against him. His K:BB ratio is great. ERA, ditto. I have to believe hes toung enough to still improve, but imagine his career totals in a single starting season: 198 IP, 2.40 ERA, 324 K, 98 BB. How many wins would that be worth ? Depends on the offense, but those are Cy Young kinds of numbers. There are those that discount short innings totals projected over starters innings, but they aren't wholesale differences. He may only strike out 290 in 198 innings...and it would take him a couple years to build up to 200 innings... maybe. He did start in Cuba, and I doubt he had 4 days rest in between and a full time training and nutrition staff.

Ill take AC as a SP over say, Mike Leake or Bronson Arroyo any day...You don't advance runners often on K's, but you can on groundballs. In fact, a GB to 2b scores a runner from 3b with less than 2 out pretty often. GB specialists brag on DP's and lower homer totals, but for some reason most of them still have ERA around 4.00....and bo offense, but Arroyo could GB AND HRA with the best of them. It's because when a hitter hits a GB, he only missed a line drive by 1/8" and a homer by 1/2"...but if he misses a 2-1/2" baseball completely, he has zero chance of either.

On a good day, a SP gets 21-27 outs. A closer usually gets 3, sometimes 6. I think there is a psychological advantage to scoring first, and that is more likely when your SP is humming 102 with a 93 mph slider. I believe you win or lose more games thru the first 7 innings than you do the 9th. If you have 30 starts, losing only 8-9 is usually a good season, but a 40 save closer can blow 5 saves and lose 3 games, and still be among the best. 30 of his 40 saves aren't facing 3-4-5 hitters in a one run game, they're facing 7-8-9-1 with a 2 run lead lots of times.

Keep in mind, the best hitters make outs 70% of the time, and that average isn't normally facing a guy like Chapman. Ask any MLB manager if he'd rather face Chapman tomorrow, as a SP for as many innings as he lasts, or as a closer in the 9th IF it's a Dave situation, and NONE would choose the SP role for Chapman. NONE. Mix him in a rotation with Latos, Cueto, Bailey, and the fucking batboy and it would be the best rotation in MLB. If the Reds could just hit like the Vienna Boys Choir, any one of 3-4 Reds relievers could save 40 games, no problem. 70 win teams have closers with 4.50 ERA save 35.

It's an idiocracy that keeps Chapman in the bullpen without even TRYING him as a SP. Well, in a regular season- he's already been the Reds best SP the last 2 spring trainings.