Reds Tidbits (2013 Season)

[Bucknut24]

everytime I go over to RZ, i'm reminded why I hate it over there

 

[Bucknut24]

Just saw on MLB Network reports that

1) Reds are gonna offer Baker a "Short-Term" contract, guessing a 2 year?
2) Rolen will Retire

 

[Jaxbuck]

Just saw on MLB Network reports that

1) Reds are gonna offer Baker a "Short-Term" contract, guessing a 2 year?
2) Rolen will Retire

1) fuck
2) good

 

[Dryden]

Question is, if you fire Dusty, who do you get that's markedly better and presently unemployed? Joe Torre or Tony LaRussa?

 

[Jaxbuck]

From an earlier article about our new resigned (allegedly) manager

link

Bold is mine

One exception in this postseason: Dusty Baker of the Cincinnati Reds. "All that stat stuff that guys are working with, that all goes out the window with Dusty," said Oakland A's outfielder/designated hitter Jonny Gomes of the 63-year-old manager, whom he played for from 2009-11. "Dusty goes on feel and heart and guts and there aren't any stats for that."








Much of baseball has accepted that it is generally a good thing to craft lineups stocked with the so-called "platoon advantage"?right-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers and vice versa. But Baker only does that 43% of the time, or nearly 30% less often than the league average, according to Baseball Info Solutions, which tracks managing tactics for the annual Bill James Handbook.


Likewise, while sacrifice bunts have fallen out of favor because they give the opponent a free out and usually kill big innings, Baker ordered 108 sacrifices this season, the most in baseball and 30% more than the league average. He also let his starting pitchers go past the 110-pitch limit?a kind of sabermetric Maginot Line?88% more often than the league average. "That's Dusty," Gomes said. "You want the ball, you get the ball."

His teams have a track record of post season futility. This team has an open window for a few years but it needs a manager with a track record of post season success, not epic failure.

 

[colobuck79]

Question is, if you fire Dusty, who do you get that's markedly better and presently unemployed? Joe Torre or Tony LaRussa?

Bobby V.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Since I am already over the loss, hey, let's talk about next year.

The first thing is Dusty must go, just like every year. Yet probably won't happen. So time to discuss things that could and should happen.

1) Chapman to the rotation. I know everyone jizzed themselves over him closing. Well, they won the division by 9 games. Him starting over Leake could very well not only have provided as many wins as him closing, but just think of Bailey pitching game 4 instead of Leake. Starting pitching wins playoff games, and Chapman could make the Reds rotation stellar. If he fails, send him back to the pen. Yet you have to determine if he can start because it is way more important.

2) With Chapman starting they need a closer and at least one more bullpen arm. I would personally like to see Mike Adams in a Reds jersey. I think they could actually have the money for him after his rather average season. Then maybe take a chance on Madsen. He should come cheap (although the Reds would have to pay the 2.5 million buyout). There are actually a ton of good relievers on the market this year, so to go through them all would take forever. Yet this is one area the Reds could make a splash in free agency. Buyers market once again, or trade Leake for a bullpen arm like they did with Wood.

3) 3B. Bye Rolen, hello Frazier. Not really much else to say. I don't think Frazier will reproduce this past year, but hey he is cheap and can produce.

4) LF. Sadly, I think the best option here is just re sign Ludwick. Give him 2 years at 8 per and that should be enough to keep him in a place that resurrected his career.

5) CF. We be screwed. I would kill someone for Bourn, but not gonna happen. Still going to be Stubbs and Heisey for another year. Best case scenario is Hamilton learns CF fast, tears it up in AAA, and is able to be called up later in the year. Yet I bet he spends at least 1 more year in the minors.

6) Bench. Cairo and Valdez need to be sent far, far away from Dusty. Heisey is fine. This will be whatever the Reds can pick off the scrap heap for cheap.

7) The rest of the team is set. Rotation of Cueto, Latos, Arroyo, Chapman, and Bailey. Votto, Bruce, Phillips, Hanigan, and Cozart are pretty well locked in.

8) Send Dr. Kremchek back to medical school.

That is all I got for now. I am sure we will be able to complain for another whole year about how much Dusty sucks and how these fucktards blow it again.

Pretty much agree with everything.

What do you think about possibly trading Homer while his value is at it's peak? Maybe for Headly (who's equally frothy in the value department)?

It's a tough call but most of me doesn't buy the Homer's turned a corner thing. If he has I think Headly at 3B, Frazier in LF for the next 5+ years is a good consolation.

 

[scott91575]

Pretty much agree with everything.

What do you think about possibly trading Homer while his value is at it's peak? Maybe for Headly (who's equally frothy in the value department)?

It's a tough call but most of me doesn't buy the Homer's turned a corner thing. If he has I think Headly at 3B, Frazier in LF for the next 5+ years is a good consolation.

Yeah, but why would San Diego do that? Hell, as long as we are living in the land of make believe, let's trade Homer for Mike Trout.

OK, that was a smart ass response. Yet Headley and Bailey both become free agents at the same time, and both will be paid similarly. So no real trade off in the contract area. All that is left is performance, and Homer is no where near Headley's performance. Heck, pick a year, and Headley is better. It would make no sense for the Padres to make that deal.

Oh, and Headley is only under control for 2 more years (as mentioned, the same as Homer). So Headley would not be at 3B for the next 5+ years unless the Reds suddenly strike oil.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Yeah, but why would San Diego do that? Hell, as long as we are living in the land of make believe, let's trade Homer for Mike Trout.

OK, that was a smart ass response. Yet Headley and Bailey both become free agents at the same time, and both will be paid similarly. So no real trade off in the contract area. All that is left is performance, and Homer is no where near Headley's performance. Heck, pick a year, and Headley is better. It would make no sense for the Padres to make that deal.

Oh, and Headley is only under control for 2 more years (as mentioned, the same as Homer). So Headley would not be at 3B for the next 5+ years unless the Reds suddenly strike oil.

There were major rumblings of SD willing to trade Headly all through last year.

Link

It may take a package but those two could be the principles in a fairly reasonable chance at success kind of deal. Hell I'd throw in Leake, a lower level bullpen arm or a suitable prospect if I had to.

As far as extending him and money I quit trying to guess along with that. There are obviously resource pools in play that we as fans are unaware of.

This team needs more offense. Headly at 3B with Frazier in LF gives you that and might be enough to carry the dead sticks at SS and CF until you can unfuck CF.

 

[scott91575]

There were major rumblings of SD willing to trade Headly all through last year.

Link

It may take a package but those two could be the principles in a fairly reasonable chance at success kind of deal. Hell I'd throw in Leake, a lower level bullpen arm or a suitable prospect if I had to.

As far as extending him and money I quit trying to guess along with that. There are obviously resource pools in play that we as fans are unaware of.

This team needs more offense. Headly at 3B with Frazier in LF gives you that and might be enough to carry the dead sticks at SS and CF until you can unfuck CF.

No offense, but I think you are reaching. I am not saying they wouldn't trade Headley, I am saying you are off on his value. First of all, Leake has little value. Next, if they really want to trade Headley it's because they want something more long term. That means more top of the line prospects. You would be probably looking at them demanding Hamilton, and at the very least settling for Stephenson and Corcino (with Leake probably thrown in). That is at the least. That would absolutely gut the Reds pitching, and when Arroyo leaves they would be stuck praying Cingrani and his 1 pitch can start in the majors.

 

[Jaxbuck]

No offense, but I think you are reaching. I am not saying they wouldn't trade Headley, I am saying you are off on his value. First of all, Leake has little value. Next, if they really want to trade Headley it's because they want something more long term. That means more top of the line prospects. You would be probably looking at them demanding Hamilton, and at the very least settling for Stephenson and Corcino (with Leake probably thrown in). That is at the least. That would absolutely gut the Reds pitching, and when Arroyo leaves they would be stuck praying Cingrani and his 1 pitch can start in the majors.

I'm not going to argue too hard about it one way or another. No one knows how attractive Homer would be or exactly what the Pads would want back or if they would do it at all. If they view Homer as a legit TOR starter then its not that far off. If they asked for Homer and half the farm then obviously you tell them to have a nice day.

Walt's pulled off some really big deals in his day and he's also left us with Willy Tavaras and Cory Patterson so who knows.

The most likely scenario for this off season to me is a repeat of the past couple, they won't do shit.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Another off the wall thought;

Could Gerardo Parra fill the leadoff role form LF? He put up a .374 OBP in 153 AB's as the leadoff hitter for AZ this year. He's also young and a GG defender in LF.

The con is you still have noodle dick out in CF and are giving up a corner OF big bat to solve the leadoff issue (if he can even do it).

Not sure I'm even convincing myself here but thought I'd run it up the flag pole (it beats working).

 

[Mike80]

My guess, seeing as this is the Reds, is they will trade Bailey and keep Leake in the rotation.

Otherwise, I could see them putting Chapman into the rotation and moving Leake into the long relief/spot-starter role. I don't think they are going to let Leake go this quickly.

 

[jlb1705]

Another off the wall thought;

Could Gerardo Parra fill the leadoff role form LF? He put up a .374 OBP in 153 AB's as the leadoff hitter for AZ this year. He's also young and a GG defender in LF.

The con is you still have noodle dick out in CF and are giving up a corner OF big bat to solve the leadoff issue (if he can even do it).

Not sure I'm even convincing myself here but thought I'd run it up the flag pole (it beats working).

I don't know much about Parra, but if he plays LF that well couldn't he at least be serviceable for a year or so in CF?

 

[scott91575]

I don't know much about Parra, but if he plays LF that well couldn't he at least be serviceable for a year or so in CF?

He played as much CF as LF. I don't know a ton about his defense, but from his metrics (take it for what you will) he is a good left fielder and an average to slightly below average center fielder. Of course despite what some people think, Stubbs is just an average center fielder too.