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Reds Tidbits (2008 season)

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The way the Reds have been playing lately has encouraged me about the near future of the team, although it's hardly time to throw away this season yet. I put some time today into figuring out what the 25 man roster might look next year. Prior to today, I had no knowledge of the specifics of service time effecting free agency eligibility and contracts for younger players, so if I'm off and some I don't include are eligible, please correct me.

I used a couple sites to compile this data:
Cot's Baseball Contracts: Cincinnati Reds

2009 MLB Free Agents: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Here's the Reds' expiring contracts this year:
C Bako-Making 750k this year
C Ross- 3.5m club option
C/1B Valentin-Making 1.35m this year
SS Hairston-Making 500k plus incentives
LF Dunn-Making 13.5m this year
CF Patterson-Making 3m this year
RF Griffey- $16.5m club option, $4m buyout

P Belisle-Making 1.25m this year
P Fogg-Making 1m this year
RP Coffey-Making 925k this year
RP Mercker-Making 600k this year
RP Lincoln-Making 550k this year
RP Weathers-Making 2.75m this year
RP Affeldt-Making 3m this year

Who would you guys want to see back? Personally, I'd only want Ross, Hairston, Dunn, and Mercker (if he still has it and doesn't retire) back. With that, here's the 25 man roster I have so far:

C Ross
1B Votto
2B Phillips
3B Encarnacion
SS Keppinger
LF Dunn
CF Bruce
[FONT=&quot]RF

Bench
C/1B Valentin
UT Freel
SS Gonzalez
OF/SS Hairston
1 more bench spot

[/FONT] SP Harang
SP Volquez
SP Arroyo
SP Cueto
SP Bailey? Others from within the system? Consider going after a FA?



LR
MR Bray
MR Burton
MR Mercker?
SU
SU
CL Cordero

I don't know a whole lot about the farm system, some input from those more familiar with it regarding who should be ready to fill the voids would be appreciated. If I remember correctly, the last time this was done most thought Stubbs wasn't anywhere near ready for the majors next year, so it sounds like free agency would be the way to go to fill that position. With the money saved by letting Junior walk, I'd like to see us pick up a nice RF and a couple good relievers, with the other spots to be filled from the minors. It's been too long since we've had a legitimate closer and setup man, and I'd love to see us pay whatever it takes to get a good setup man.

Thoughts? Changes you'd make? Sweep isn't looking good :(
 
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I still don't get why they didn't start Fogg tonight, especially after the moves today. Harang looked fatigued by the 3rd. Oh well, all streaks come to an end. Seeing Dumatrait finish up, I was reminded of the Ricky Vaughn speech from Major League... "You may think I'm shit now, but someday you're gonna be sorry you cut me. I'm gonna catch on somewhere else and every time that I pitch against you I'm gonna stick it up you're fuckin' ass!"
 
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X Buckeyes07 X;1172777; said:
The way the Reds have been playing lately has encouraged me about the near future of the team, although it's hardly time to throw away this season yet. I put some time today into figuring out what the 25 man roster might look next year. Prior to today, I had no knowledge of the specifics of service time effecting free agency eligibility and contracts for younger players, so if I'm off and some I don't include are eligible, please correct me.

I used a couple sites to compile this data:
Cot's Baseball Contracts: Cincinnati Reds

2009 MLB Free Agents: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Here's the Reds' expiring contracts this year:
C Bako-Making 750k this year
C Ross- 3.5m club option
C/1B Valentin-Making 1.35m this year
SS Hairston-Making 500k plus incentives
LF Dunn-Making 13.5m this year
CF Patterson-Making 3m this year
RF Griffey- $16.5m club option, $4m buyout

P Belisle-Making 1.25m this year
P Fogg-Making 1m this year
RP Coffey-Making 925k this year
RP Mercker-Making 600k this year
RP Lincoln-Making 550k this year
RP Weathers-Making 2.75m this year
RP Affeldt-Making 3m this year

Who would you guys want to see back? Personally, I'd only want Ross, Hairston, Dunn, and Mercker (if he still has it and doesn't retire) back. With that, here's the 25 man roster I have so far:

C Ross
1B Votto
2B Phillips
3B Encarnacion
SS Keppinger
LF Dunn
CF Bruce
[FONT=&quot]RF [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Bench[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]C/1B Valentin[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]UT Freel[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]SS Gonzalez[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]OF/SS Hairston[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 more bench spot[/FONT]

SP Harang
SP Volquez
SP Arroyo
SP Cueto
SP Bailey? Others from within the system? Consider going after a FA?



LR
MR Bray
MR Burton
MR Mercker?
SU
SU
CL Cordero

I don't know a whole lot about the farm system, some input from those more familiar with it regarding who should be ready to fill the voids would be appreciated. If I remember correctly, the last time this was done most thought Stubbs wasn't anywhere near ready for the majors next year, so it sounds like free agency would be the way to go to fill that position. With the money saved by letting Junior walk, I'd like to see us pick up a nice RF and a couple good relievers, with the other spots to be filled from the minors. It's been too long since we've had a legitimate closer and setup man, and I'd love to see us pay whatever it takes to get a good setup man.

Thoughts? Changes you'd make? Sweep isn't looking good :(
Click to expand...

IF it were me 2009 might look a little like:

Starting (8)
C
1B Votto
2b BP
SS
3B Kepp
LF Dunn
CF
RF Bruce

Rotation (5)
SP Harang
SP Volquez
SP Cueto
SP 2 of Homer/Maloney/Thompson
SP 2 of Homer/Maloney Thompson

Pen (6)
CL Cordero
RP
RP
RP
RP Burton
Long RP Belisle

Bench (6)
Freel
Hariston
Janish
backup C
Big RH bat
Big LH bat


I wouldn't carry 12 pitchers and damn sure wouldn't carry 3 catchers.

On the trading block right now EE, Arroyo, Ross, Nacho Libre and of course JR but I would expect little to nothing for him. Depending on the return you start filling in some of those blanks above.

We aren't that far off.
 
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Would the Reds have any interest in trying to get CC from the Tribe?

If we decide to shop Arroyo at the break I'd like to see us take a look at him and considering the money we will be freeing up at the end of this year we wont be mortgaging the future depending on what the Indians want back in trade.

There are a couple of great young arms in the minors but the hitting looks sparse from what I can decipher at this point. Most of our really good youngsters are already up here or have been and dropped/injured.

Do we make a play to keep Hairston on this roster beyond this season. So far I'd say the guy has played over his contract and appears to be one of the only Reds in the entire system who can bunt! I have zero problems with him staying in the leadoff spot with Bruce/Dunn/Votto/Phillips behind him. That top 5 in the order should be able to produce runs at a decent clip. When Kepp gets back maybe put him at 3rd and bat him second with Bruce 3rd, Dunn 4th, Phillips 5th, Votto 6th. Of course, this is assuming Jr. gets moved.

I'm not sure the last time I was this optimistic about the Reds' direction. There are definitely bright spots on this roster at the moment.
 
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Hairston has played well, don't get me wrong and he is what he is right now, but we can do better...If there is a better option out there, losing Hairston is not going to hurt this team...

I want a SS that can play some D...I think Janish is that guy for D, but what about his bat...I wish Dusty would give Janish some more time to see if he is the guy or not...

I think the main question is going to be Dunn and whether we resign him or not...If they don't plan on it, they need to move him at the deadline so we at least get something for him...

Good things in the future, if Walt doesn't screw things up...
 
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DaytonBuck;1172971; said:
Isn't that the story of this decade of Reds baseball?
Click to expand...


not really

I'd say a serious lack of player talent and a near criminal sense of front office talent has been the story of the decade.

As far as the Reds getting CC I don't see it. We aren't going to win a bidding war with the 2 NY teams or LAA.
 
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Jaxbuck;1165058; said:
OK, jinx be damned.

Current Reds record 19-23

Next 14 games in May (opponents win % as of 5/17/08)
Cle x 2 (.524) WW
@ LAD x 3 (.512) LLL
@ SD x 4 (.372) LWWL
Pitt x 3 (.476) WWL
Atl x 2 (.512)

Play .600 ball and win 8 of 14 (8-6 overall) and we start June only 2 games under .500 (27-29) which I would have taken if offered before opening day. Key series to the whole thing in bold imo.

Cueto seems to have benefitted from the "Bako calls the game, you execute the fucking pitch or go back to Louisville" speech he got from Dusty and Arroyo might be coming around.

What the hell, maybe they can do it.
Click to expand...

Updated

We still have a shot at 8-6 during this stretch but that 2-5 west coast trip is killing us in more ways than one. Last nights loss was a direct result of that 18 inning fiasco in SD.

Another way to look at the importance of these next two games:
April record 12-17
May record 13-12 with 2 to go

......we have played winning baseball for almost a full month now, win tonight with Volquez on the mound and we are guaranteed a winning May. Hopefully he isn't as exhausted as Harang was last night but I've got a feeling he will be. Plus they have fucking Glavine going for ATL so thats never usually a good thing.

Lets just get back to .500 and go from there.
 
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This is the biggest game of the series for the Reds. Hopefully Volquez is ready to go pitching on short rest. With Fogg & Cueto going on Saturday & Sunday, the Reds need a win tonight I think to have a shot at taking 2 of 3.
 
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Belisle to the pen (in Louisville). Sounds like a good move to me.

Reds Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
Right-hander Matt Belisle is not only in a new location, he is working on a new vocation--relief pitcher.

The Reds sent their No. 5 starter back to Class AAA Louisville on Thursday and told him he is now a relief pitcher.

"He throws strikes, he has guts and he has determination," manager Dusty Baker said. "His trouble here was the second and third time through the batting order."

Belisle tried to talk his way into the Reds' bullpen. He told Baker, "I can do it here," and Baker said, "I don't doubt that, but you need to see yourself do it in Louisville and on consecutive days."

Belisle was 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA in six starts.
"I told him to go down there, do his thing, pitch his butt off and we'd try to get him back here as soon as we can," Baker said. "He would have a good one, a bad one, a fair one, a bad one. Trouble would happen the second or third time around, and as a reliever they don't get you that second or third time around."
Click to expand...
 
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That was a pretty cool thing FSN just did.

For those who couldn't see, they did an video overlay of Volquez pitching a fastball and a changeup, and they synced as perfectly as the Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon. It's almost robotic. No wonder he's so good.
 
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We actually turned a freakin double play. Amazing things going on right now.:wink2:

Love the Belisle move. I've been screaming about this for two years. He could be the next Sullivan for this team and eat some relief innings every other day.

Now we need one of the other young arms to come up and get Fogg outta there.

Oh btw, Jay Bruce is fucking unbelievable!
 
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