Reds Tidbits (2008 season)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Reds claim outfielder

The Cincinnati Reds claimed minor-league outfielder Drew Anderson off waivers from Milwaukee, adding to the competition for a reserve role. Anderson, 26, split last season between double-A and triple-A.
Also yesterday, the Reds announced that reliever Bill Bray underwent an appendectomy. He is expected to resume workouts in seven to 10 days and be ready for the start of spring training.

 

[SanAntonioBuck]

ESPN

Reports: Reds agree to one-year deal with Affeldt

Jeremy Affeldt was one of the top remaining bullpen arms on the free agent market, but the Reds reportedly are going to try to plug him into their rotation.

Affeldt


Foxsports.com and The Cincinnati Enquirer are reporting that Affeldt has agreed to a one-year contact with the Reds. Foxsports.com is reporting that the former Colorado Rockies left-hander will receive $3 million in 2008 and will be given the chance to make Cincinnati's Opening Day rotation.

Continued...

 

[Jt4prez]

Good move signing Affeldt. It is a low risk, high reward type of move. Affeldt has always had good stuff,(can hit 95 and has a good slider) however it has been his command that has failed him throughout his career. If he can post a 3.51 ERA in Coors(yeah, I know about the humidor..) he can certainly do it here.

As was previously posted, he will start out in the rotation, however if that doesnt pan out, he will most certainly be an upgrade to our pen.

 

[osubucksfan2]

Dispatch

Reds claim outfielder

The Cincinnati Reds claimed minor-league outfielder Drew Anderson off waivers from Milwaukee, adding to the competition for a reserve role. Anderson, 26, split last season between double-A and triple-A.
Also yesterday, the Reds announced that reliever Bill Bray underwent an appendectomy. He is expected to resume workouts in seven to 10 days and be ready for the start of spring training.

Ohio State's Drew Anderson?

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Ohio State's Drew Anderson?

Nope, that Drew Anderson is a second baseman who is already in the Reds' minor league system, batting .250 at AA Chattanooga last season.

 

[jlb1705]

FSN Ohio is replaying a different classic Reds game every week. Is anybody else watching these? Last week was the 4192 game and tonight's was Game 6 of the 1990 NLCS - highlighted by the catch by Glenn Braggs. I'm DVRing these as they are shown, but I'm gonna have trouble archiving them as my DVD recorder has seemingly crapped out. Anyway, I'm watching the NLCS game right now. I remember watching this one when it happened. I was only ten at the time and haven't seen a recording of it since. Here are some of the things that stand out to me.

• I miss Riverfront Stadium. My first Reds game was in July of 1990, and I remember how big and "big league" the place looked not just on the outside, but also when you emerged from the concourse into the open area and looked out on the field. I always got that feeling even into my early adulthood when I went to that stadium. I've never got that feeling at GABP, even though the place has improved a bit and grown on me a bit over the past few seasons.
• Barry Larkin: Hall of Famer.
• The 2008 Reds could really use a Danny Jackson.
• Come to think of it, there are a lot of things that 1990 team had that the 2008 Reds could use. There are some things this team will have that the 1990 team did not have, but watching this game it is evident to me just how far away the Reds probably are from being decent again.
• I now realize that one of the nice things about watching this particular game at age ten was that I didn't realize at the time just how big a moron Tim McCarver is. Back then, it didn't make my head hurt when he tried to explain the difference between being tense and being INtense. Almost twenty years later, he's only gotten dumber. Just try to listen to the man explain how with a team down three runs with the bases loaded, the potential runs on 2nd & 3rd "don't count" and the only one that matters is the tying run on 1st. Just try to wrap your head around that. It's impossible, because when you try to think of how many ways those runners on 2nd & 3rd can NOT score, thereby making the runner on 1st NOT the tying run, you keep getting interrupted by fantasies of killing Tim McCarver.
• It seems strange to think that I feared Reds pitchers facing Bobby Bonilla just as much as Barry Bonds.

 

[ScriptOhio]

These teams could make noise

However, on this occasion we're turning our attention to four "under the radar" squads that might just surprise you in 2008. By no means are these teams favored in their respective divisions, but they do have strong upset potential. To be sure, it would take a happy union of circumstance and best-case scenarios for these teams to pull off the surprise. But, then again, that's why they call it a surprise. So let's have a look ...


Cincinnati Reds

First, the Reds have the structural advantage of playing in what figures to be baseball's weakest division. Second, they have substantial talent. Adam Dunn has turned in four straight 40-homer seasons, Ken Griffey Jr. enjoyed a nice renaissance in 2007, Edwin Encarnacion has promise going forward, Jay Bruce is the preseason favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year, Brandon Phillips is coming off a 30-30 campaign, and Joey Votto figures to be an immediate contributor. In other words, the Reds should score plenty of runs.

As for the pitching, it's improved, especially in the bullpen. They finally have a shutdown closer in Francisco Cordero, and Bill Bray should be healthy. The rotation is where Cincy's fate will be decided. More specifically, youngsters Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez must step up. Both have strong minor league dossiers and excellent stuff, but both have thus far failed to transition to the highest level.

If Bailey and Volquez are able to realize their potential, then the Reds will have something more than a puncher's chance in the Central. Both the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are better teams on paper, but the Reds can make some noise. In fact, they're the team best positioned to pull off a big surprise in 2008.

Entire article: FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - These teams could make noise

 

[Mike80]

However, on this occasion we're turning our attention to four "under the radar" squads that might just surprise you in 2008. By no means are these teams favored in their respective divisions, but they do have strong upset potential. To be sure, it would take a happy union of circumstance and best-case scenarios for these teams to pull off the surprise. But, then again, that's why they call it a surprise. So let's have a look ...


Cincinnati Reds

First, the Reds have the structural advantage of playing in what figures to be baseball's weakest division. Second, they have substantial talent. Adam Dunn has turned in four straight 40-homer seasons, Ken Griffey Jr. enjoyed a nice renaissance in 2007, Edwin Encarnacion has promise going forward, Jay Bruce is the preseason favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year, Brandon Phillips is coming off a 30-30 campaign, and Joey Votto figures to be an immediate contributor. In other words, the Reds should score plenty of runs.

As for the pitching, it's improved, especially in the bullpen. They finally have a shutdown closer in Francisco Cordero, and Bill Bray should be healthy. The rotation is where Cincy's fate will be decided. More specifically, youngsters Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez must step up. Both have strong minor league dossiers and excellent stuff, but both have thus far failed to transition to the highest level.

If Bailey and Volquez are able to realize their potential, then the Reds will have something more than a puncher's chance in the Central. Both the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are better teams on paper, but the Reds can make some noise. In fact, they're the team best positioned to pull off a big surprise in 2008.

Entire article: FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - These teams could make noise

I could see that, especially the surprise part of it (meaning I'll be shocked if it happens), but that's not because of the moves that have been accomplished so far. My main issue, if I were a Reds fan, is will Dusty let the kids get out there and play through both the good and bad times that accompany a baseball season....

And will he allow Dunn to clog up the basepaths??

As the guy says, the offense will be good and the pitching should be improved, but the main wild card is Dusty IMO.

 

[Jaxbuck]

The bullpens improved because of Cordero and a healthy Bill F Bray????

I can buy the first part, the second's a bit of a stretch.

Bottom line is our preseason hopes are the same as they have been the past 7-8 years. They center around a half dozen or so guys having career years and playing in a bad division.

We are still a couple years away imo but there is now at least a reason to hope.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

The bullpens improved because of Cordero and a healthy Bill F Bray????

I can buy the first part, the second's a bit of a stretch.

We were all saying last year that we needed a closer because everyone was out of their role they should be in...This allows us to not have Weathers as the closer and in the 8th or 7th, and won't have to over use him...

Cooter, Burton are no longer rookies and they both did good in their rookie seasons...Bray isn't hurt like last season...

We just picked up affeldt who should give us some help in the pen...

Then throw in guys like Coffey, Magic Man, Stanton that hopefully won't have to throw the innings they did last season, and won't have as many chances to blow things...

Overall I think the pen is stronger...

My main question for the whole season will be young guys performing at a level that puts this team over .500 or right around .500...

We are going to leaning heavily on Bruce, Votto, Bailey, Voloquez, Bray, Cooter, Burton...

Overall a young group of guys, but we also have vetrans like Griffey, Dunn, Harang, Arroyo, Weathers, Phillips, Hatte, EE, Gonzo that can hopefully lead the way...

I am not going to get real excited till I see how they start the season, but I think this team is more talented than last years team...In just about every place on the field other than Catcher...But we have one of the best defensive catchers in the game...

 

[Jaxbuck]

We were all saying last year that we needed a closer because everyone was out of their role they should be in...This allows us to not have Weathers as the closer and in the 8th or 7th, and won't have to over use him...

Cooter, Burton are no longer rookies and they both did good in their rookie seasons...Bray isn't hurt like last season...

We just picked up affeldt who should give us some help in the pen...

Then throw in guys like Coffey, Magic Man, Stanton that hopefully won't have to throw the innings they did last season, and won't have as many chances to blow things...

Overall I think the pen is stronger...

My main question for the whole season will be young guys performing at a level that puts this team over .500 or right around .500...

We are going to leaning heavily on Bruce, Votto, Bailey, Voloquez, Bray, Cooter, Burton...

Overall a young group of guys, but we also have vetrans like Griffey, Dunn, Harang, Arroyo, Weathers, Phillips, Hatte, EE, Gonzo that can hopefully lead the way...

I am not going to get real excited till I see how they start the season, but I think this team is more talented than last years team...In just about every place on the field other than Catcher...But we have one of the best defensive catchers in the game...

Yeah, I agree the pens better the Bill Bray part just struck me as a lazy reason why. I'm with you on wanting to see Affeldt in the pen but I think he's going to have to take some lumps in the rotation first.

All in all, like I've been saying for a few years now, I can deal with watching them lose if its a young team trying to figure things out. At least there is reason for hope. Its watching them run scrappy vets out there night after night and still losing that sets me off and with Wristbands in charge I'm still scared about how much he'll use Freel/Hopper/Keppinger/Hatteberg/Stanton types.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

I agree with everything except this point....

Then throw in guys like Coffey, Magic Man, Stanton that hopefully won't have to throw the innings they did last season, and won't have as many chances to blow things...

I really don't care how many innings they threw last season, counting on any of these three for meaningful innings in close games is a nightmare. Coffey is a head case, Majewski sucks, and Stanton is fat, old, and sucks.

I'm more than willing to see if Coffey can get his head straight, hell, I might even be willing to cut Majewski some slack. But I NEVER again want to see Stanton on the mound for the Reds. Ever. Pay him not to pitch, I really don't care. Just stop running him out there to get slaughtered.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

First I want to hit on Jax's point about the scrappy vets...I like them on the team with these young guys, but guys like Hatte, Freel, etc should be given back up roles and let the young guys show what they can do...

I really like Kepp, so I like having him as a utility infileder...

I agree with everything except this point....



I really don't care how many innings they threw last season, counting on any of these three for meaningful innings in close games is a nightmare. Coffey is a head case, Majewski sucks, and Stanton is fat, old, and sucks.

I'm more than willing to see if Coffey can get his head straight, hell, I might even be willing to cut Majewski some slack. But I NEVER again want to see Stanton on the mound for the Reds. Ever. Pay him not to pitch, I really don't care. Just stop running him out there to get slaughtered.

Well basically that is what I was getting at is they aren't going to have the load, they can be brought in to eat innings in situations where the game is not close, or when a starter goes out early...

Stanton should be situational pitcher only...He is not the type of guy anymore that should be called upon to pitch to more than lefties and stay in for a inning or so...

The first two have had times in their career when they have shown glimpses so maybe they can get back to that, and prove that they need more innings...Coffey seemed to do better in the underdog type role, and not the role of knowing that he was going to be called upon every night...

Either way, what I am hoping is that these 3 guys don't have anything to do with making or breaking our season...

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Either way, what I am hoping is that these 3 guys don't have anything to do with making or breaking our season...

I'll drink to that!

 

[coastalbuck]

Reds=sleeper article on the Big Lead

Dusty?s running the show, so Aaron Harang can kiss his arm goodbye. Pitching has been horrific this decade - in the last four years alone, the Reds have had the third worst ERA in the majors twice, and second-worst once - but the bullpen has finally been bolstered by Francisco Cordero, who had the 3rd most saves in baseball last year with Milwaukee