Ryan Mattheus

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds claimed Mattheus from Angel's waiver wire and he is expected to join the club Thursday. Iglesias is pitching today...so I assume Villarreal will be optioned to make room for him and Iglesias will be back in Louisville Thursday to make room for Mattheus. Someone else is either going to the 60 DL or DFA to make room on the 40 man for Mattheus.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Did they add someone when Gregg got the ax? Maybe they only have 39 currently, I'm not sure.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I just checked...they have 39.

 

[JohnU]

Clearly the Reds have something of a plan moving forward.
Badenhop doesn't seem to be likely to pitch much more competitive baseball for Cincy. He could have been called last night, though Cingrani was an OK choice.
Mattheus seems to have something of a role. Sounds like the Reds cut some kind of deal with the Angels if you look at how Mattheus was called up, then DFA.
The Iglesias game last night changed the barometer a little but I don't think one game against a team who has never faced him is enough to make me giddy yet. The kid can pitch.
Releasing Gregg and essentially telling Parra to stay on the DL until called later ... something's up.
This team could be 4 or 5 games over .500 with a better bullpen, even without Bailey.
What will matter is the innings arms on Lorenzen and maybe Iglesias. I think DeSclafani can go the season without a shutdown but he's our 4th best pitcher.
Marquis is probably the 5th best but he's got the years to back up his game. I just wish he could pitch better.
I can see Badenhop being dispatched even though he has a contract. He may also come up with an "injury" that we didn't know about, which was why Price hasn't been using him. A Sean Marshall moment.
When Sean gets back, all will be well, right?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Angels would have preferred no one claimed Mattheus and he accepted assignment over requesting his release, but it didn't work out.

Price is already quoted as saying Lorenzen would be skipping a start when off days allowed and possibly pitch out of the pen in between to conserve his innings count. The Iglesias start has given them something to think about.

 

[JohnU]

Iglesias is going to the bullpen for the KC series. Not sure how that makes a difference in an AL park.
It does suggest he is going to stick with the team, at least in the near term.

 

[Redsfan1507]

With 3 guys never pitching over 160 innings, is say all of them may see the bullpen this season, unless they shut them down in August or go to a 6 man rotation- not likely if one or more of them had a 5.66 ERA. They may keep Marquis to eat some innings the youngsters can't throw, but no keeps that boat anchor long, unless they pitch in Denver, or have zero other options, or are an expansion team.

 

[chico ruiz]

absolutely correct gentleman. if the reds are somehow in the playoff mix come august, and lorenzen and / or iglesias (assuming they are providing quality starts) are at 100+ innings it will be heartbreaking to see them shutdown.

i was talking with my brother recently who is a huge fan and ex-player his own self. we were both saying how we couldn't remember another time in mlb history when we had observed so many players suddenly losing a particular skill set. it's like they woke up one morning and couldn't hit anymore. we referenced the obvious PED phenomenon as it related to certain players, and more relievers throwing near 100 mph in mid and late innings. but, that doesn't explain jay bruce. my brother insists it is not the hitting coaches. i don't know about you guys, but i'm baffled. i think i read a 1507 post making the adam dunn comparison, which was accurate. at least dunn ran into approximately 30 - 40 dingers a year. he'd start his swing early and put that big bat in the general area of the pitch and boom - pow. i mean…wtf happened to bruce? anyway, all that being said, could mesoraco play 3rd base? would that be the easiest transition? move frazier or byrd to right field?

forget the contract money being paid to bruce. sit him. it's the only thing that makes sense to me on may 14, 2015. bruce's ongoing slump and hamilton's on-base problem are preventing the reds from scoring a lot more runs. i still believe this team can score a lot of runs if one or both of those things can improve. i'm not as surprised with the hamilton slow start as i am with jay bruce's disappearing act. it's discouraging mostly because the starting pitching overall is doing remarkably well. there will be games where they have to get leake 5 runs. he has a knack for keeping the reds in the game. he minimizes the damage in would-be big innings for the opposing team. he's not going to throw 1 & 2 run 8 inning games every time out. he will need support sometimes, and jay bruce is providing nothing offensively. they need mesoraco's bat in the line-up. could he play 3rd base? is he taking any ground balls? signed, one desperate dyed in the wool wishbone "c" reds fan.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I read the other day Mesoraco has been shagging a few fly balls. They didn't say if Mesoraco or the ball was winning.

Everything I see in print leads you to believe surgery is coming sooner than later.

 

[JohnU]

Chris Welsh was pretty clear in showing what Bruce is doing wrong. The puzzle is why he continues to do that.
My guess is pretty simple -- his eyesight has changed. Even so, his drag foot is pulling off and his head drops, he isn't seeing the ball. And the rest of his game is just mediocre.

Hamilton is another excuse. He knows what he needs to do and he has the skills to accomplish that part of the time.

I think the situation with the pitching staff is to essentially take advantage of off days and juggle the rotation. That will actually work. In any event, the Reds don't much care if Marquis gets overused. I know I will care.

This team still makes too many fundamental mistakes on the bases.

I don't think Mesoraco will be playing any outfield unless it's a 12-0 game. There's no need for that but since he can't do anything else in warmups, why not? It's how a lot of guys learned to play left field.

Meanwhile, Badenhop ... anybody care to guess on when that "tendinitis" report comes out?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Badenhop hasn't pitched since the 2nd game of the DH .....they may have left him in Chicago.

If you see him hitch hiking down I-65 John....pick him up and drop him off in Milwaukee. As lost as he's been this season....he won't know the difference.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I guess I can see the Reds logic in the handling of Mesoraco's situation. They went into ST looking for a LH and RH power bench bat. With Mesoraco unable to play defense and the absence of a RH power bat they've used him as the RH power bench bat.....the LH bench bat has been AWOL...is Boesch still on the team? It seems like the team is playing with a 18-20 man roster.

Nonetheless the Reds have won three in a row...now it a pitchers duel tomorrow with Bumgarner versus Marquis. I wonder who Pete Rose is betting on in that one?

 

[JohnU]

The strange part of the Mesoraco problem is that there appears to be no sense of urgency.
Hell, Pena is hitting .340 and has been more than adequate on defense. He's slow, but he's a catcher.
Barnhart has been very good as a backup.
Going forward, obviously Pena isn't the man and he will wear down by July to a more more likely .240-ish.
I would think, if the Reds are hobbling in August (likely) that Meso will be shut down and put on the slab. That gives him the 4 months or so to rehab. By then it's December and the team can evaluate itself.
Of course Dr. Kremcheckenstein might have other plans.

Marquis has THREE WINS ... he leads the team! What's not to like?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Three wins...that's a fact. The team is 4-2 in his six starts while giving him 6.92 runs per game. As long as the opposing pitcher's continues to suck more than him...the Reds will be OK.

 

[JohnU]

I think the Bum the Giants will throw out there today will be a little tougher.
Seriously, Marquis is doing what I expected him to do -- go out every 5th day and pitch.
I figure 5th starters are 5 innings and a cloud of dust.
The problem is, we have 3 guys who fit that role now, at least for this summer.

 

[JohnU]

I see our old hoss Marquis was on top of his game.
I guess it's more like 3 innings and a cloud of smoke.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Mesoraco is going to hang out as a pinch hit "threat" and DH until after the KC series. Then, he said he will either start catching activities, or have surgery. His words, not mine. He hasn't taken a squat other than to defecate, in a month. I'd say he's DL bound for the year. I just pray General Butcher, AKA Dr. Tim Kremcheck isn't allowed to do the surgery.

No offense, (pun intended) but Jay Bruce is hitting about .200 in his last 600 or so at bats. This isn't a slump, it's who he has become.

It isn't brain surgery, although that may be the only cure...He isn't seeing the ball because his head is looking into the RF stands when his hands are in the hitting zone. He takes strikes middle away and swings at breaking balls out of the zone. He steps in a pull bucket so big Jumbo Diaz would drown in it. If I'm the manager, he would listen, change his approach and keep it changed, or sit his ass on the bench while Boesch, or Mesoraco, or Mike Leake, played RF on his off days, and I would stick to it until the GM either ate his contract and released or traded him. or fired me. I would hit him 9th when he returned, until his BA was over .250. That's fair...it should take him about 600 at bats.

 

[JohnU]

I agree on Bruce. He's had ample time and tools to fix his flaw.
I could see it 3 years ago just watching the videos.
Reds seem to think his "lifetime" numbers against SF are legit. He almost hit the Freak a couple of times.
Otherwise, he was oh fer.

I see Marquis' numbers are rapidly streaking off the charts. I think 10 HR in 37 innings, ERA around 6.67.
Sadly, the alternatives are ....
Winkin
Lincoln
Blinkin
and Nod

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think Jay Bruce cares. I just don't think he thinks. Maybe someone should explain it to him.

"Jay, I hate to break it to you, but you're killing us. We gave you lots of time to figure it out on your own, but it's over. The truth is, it isn't all your fault- we, the Reds contributed to your failure. We never forced you to stay inside the ball, or hit the other way, or drop occasional bunts, or even to learn to tell the difference in a strike and a ball, a fastball or curve...and we damned sure never gave you any lineup protection, but since we paid you so much, we cant afford another hitter now. So, we need to do all that. If you don't want to do that now, were going to trade you to the worst shit hole we can find that will give us a couple draft picks and a box of jocks. Maybe you'd like to back up Josh Hamilton in Texas, or maybe play in the Loria/Jennings Miami penal colony, or the frozen wasteland in Minnesota. In a few years, you can be a free agent and work your own deal with the Long Island Ducks, but the only guys hitting .169 and making $12M/Yr. are pitchers. Can you pitch ?"

 

[JohnU]

No, please ... anything but the Long Island Ducks!"