Dustin Hermanson - WHY?

[edabbs44]

I think we have enough Wayne. Please stop.


Free agent Dustin Hermanson is working out for teams this week in Arizona.

The Phillies and Reds are among the teams interested in seeing the 34-year-old right-hander in action. "We're working on getting someone over to see him," Reds GM Wayne Krivsky said. "He's going to throw a couple of times."

[flyer85]

let's see he's over-the-hill, doesn't miss bats ... and he MUST be really scrappy.

[reds44]

This is starting to get rediculous. I've never seen something like this before. At least JumBo collected semi-talented outfielders instead of old relief pitchers.

[flyer85]

WK has been consistent in continually going after the wrong type of player.

If you just looked at his moves you would say the Reds are a team with a good shot of contending and have been signing veterans to fill very targeted roles, when as it turns out the exact opposite is true. WK is signing these guys with little talent left and no upside to play significant roles on a bad baseball team.

[BRM]

WK has been consistent in continually going after the wrong type of player.

If you just looked at his moves you would say the Reds are a team with a good shot of contending and have been signing veterans to fill very targeted roles, when as it turns out the exact opposite is true. WK is signing these guys with little talent left and no upside to play significant roles on a bad baseball team.

He does seem to really favor veteran relievers who don't miss bats.

[flyer85]

He does seem to really favor veteran relievers who don't miss bats.with no upside. Relief performances are in general, highly volatile from year to year. And yet WK has brought these guys in to pitch in roles that are way beyond their skill levels. These guys should pitch limited innings and in limited situations. They should not be anywhere near the back end of the bullpen yet that is what these guys are signed to do, it is doomed to end very badly. Makes absolutely no sense unless one truly believes that Weathers, Cormier and Stanton are going to pitch well in these roles which they are ill-suited for.

[Johnny Footstool]

I'd rather have Hermanson than Weathers, Cormier, and Stanton combined.

[BRM]

I'd rather have Hermanson than Weathers, Cormier, and Stanton combined.

That's like choosing a busted lip over a black eye.

[flyer85]

That's like choosing a busted lip over a black eye.if you want to take a chance, do it one someone with some decent upside potential. Pineiro is a good example. He was a very good reliever a few years back and though he is coming off some are problems he still isn't very old(28). In addition, he could have been had for a lot less than the Geritol brigade.

[forfreelin04]

Did they sign him? Not yet. By the looks of it, you guys think he already has. There just seeing if he's got any upside. Maybe fill a gap until Guardado is healthy. If he is regressing since his injury, then they won't. Big Deal

[dunner13]

Hes 34 or 35 not to bad. Plus when healthy in 05 he had an ERA of 2.04 in the American League and 34 saves. If healthy he could hold down the closers role until eddie is ready to go. I see no problem with this move as long as he comes cheap. Not like someone is just going to give us a great young closer so we have to fill with something.

[Johnny Footstool]

if you want to take a chance, do it one someone with some decent upside potential. Pineiro is a good example. He was a very good reliever a few years back and though he is coming off some are problems he still isn't very old(28). In addition, he could have been had for a lot less than the Geritol brigade.

My choice this off-season was Octavio Dotel. The Royals signed him to a cheap 1-year deal -- their best move of the year, IMO.

Pineiro is another guy I'd love to have seen the Reds get.

[BRM]

My choice this off-season was Octavio Dotel. The Royals signed him to a cheap 1-year deal -- their best move of the year, IMO.

Pineiro is another guy I'd love to have seen the Reds get.

It would be interesting to know if Wayne pursued either of those guys this offseason. Maybe he was outbid, maybe he flat wasn't interested. I'd like to know but I doubt we'll ever find out.

[RedLegSuperStar]

Glad names like Burton, Livingston, Medlock, Salmon, Shackelford, Ramirez, Dumatrait are over looked.. Just what we need another bum arm in the pen.. When we have a hand full of guys already on the 40 man roster who could fill the same spot.

[Dracodave]

Glad names like Burton, Livingston, Medlock, Salmon, Shackelford, Ramirez, Dumatrait are over looked.. Just what we need another bum arm in the pen.. When we have a hand full of guys already on the 40 man roster who could fill the same spot.

We're gonna need those guys to mop up for Loshe and Milton..plus act as the fifth starter, plus we're looking at Jerry Narrons bullpen again.

Aging relivers that can do a number of roles, not kids that can be shaped to fit a role. Does it take much brain work to go "Uhm, lets try Salmon and Livingston, if they suck we have Burton and Medlock.."

[Johnny Footstool]

It would be interesting to know if Wayne pursued either of those guys this offseason. Maybe he was outbid, maybe he flat wasn't interested. I'd like to know but I doubt we'll ever find out.

I could see him getting outbid for Piniero, who signed with the Red Sox.

But KC got Dotel for only $5 million. If Krivsky wanted him, that kind of money should have been readily available.

[Degenerate39]

Good lord we have enough relief pitchers.

[BRM]

Good lord we have enough relief pitchers.

A wise man once said, "you can never have enough bad pitching".

[MrCinatit]

Who is to say this will be nothing more than a minor-league contract?
Sorry, I cannot convince myself to get worked up over this.

[dsmith421]

Who is to say this will be nothing more than a minor-league contract?
Sorry, I cannot convince myself to get worked up over this.

Because when your GM spends the entire offseason dumpster-diving, it makes you wonder whether or not he had any inclination to, you know, make moves that improve the team.

[redsmetz]

Who is to say this will be nothing more than a minor-league contract?
Sorry, I cannot convince myself to get worked up over this.

Apparently we're at the point, two weeks away from the beginning of spring training, where all we can do is get worked up. We're close to reaching the point of eating our young around here. Argh! :bang:

[Gainesville Red]

Apparently we're at the point, two weeks away from the beginning of spring training, where all we can do is get worked up. We're close to reaching the point of eating our young around here. Argh! :bang:

Yep. Soon we'll have all the Andy Abad's and Rob Stratton's of the world to think (and ***** about) about rather than Dustin Hermanson's and Scott Eyre's or whoever else. Tough to relax until then.

[TeamSelig]

Dustin Hermanson (when healthy) is a pretty good pitcher (closer candidate for us), but it seems like our bullpen is already full of aged relievers. I don't see him signing just a MLC, but who knows?

[Heath]

Who is to say this will be nothing more than a minor-league contract?
Sorry, I cannot convince myself to get worked up over this.

Couldn't agree more. Post of the Day.


Because when your GM spends the entire offseason dumpster-diving, it makes you wonder whether or not he had any inclination to, you know, make moves that improve the team.

If casual fans recognize that we are in a hitter's park, will quality pitching ever come to Cincinnati. Also, maybe Wayne did make contact with "quality" non-dumpster divers (your words not mine) and they didn't want to come to Cincinnati. I don't believe there are untouchables in the FA market, but that's the reality of the situation. Plus, the buzzards of RZ would go nuts if a good FA was signed and he failed because "it was a bad move since WayneK did it."


Apparently we're at the point, two weeks away from the beginning of spring training, where all we can do is get worked up. We're close to reaching the point of eating our young around here. Argh! :bang:

Some people have ate their young, regurgatated it, ate it again and their undies are in a wad. For goodness sake's people, this place isn't going to get fixed overnight. Plus, the age old argument, of putting your money where your mouth is, is relevant here. Quit the whining and don't come to games, don't renew a season ticket package, or don't watch them on TV, or buy the EI package or XM packages. Management is not going to notice unless people don't show up. Apathy never killed anything but itself.

Don't worry. Come Opening Day, this place will be blooming with the spring flowers from the manure spread around here this winter. Never fails.

(BTW - while as artificial as it was, was this team in a pennant race last year even in September?)

[Always Red]

^ great post, Heath!

Hermanson had a great year for the White Sox just 2 years ago, and back problems last year. He's 34, since when is that old?? You guys sound like Bill DeWitt trading away an "old" Frank Robby!

Last I looked, there is no closer down there, amongst all the bodies in the bullpen. If Hermanson has anything left and his back is sound, I'd have no problem with WK signing him (as long as it's not a 2 year deal! :eek: ). Who knows if Guardado will make it back or not- he's no sure bet after TJ surgery.

Sure, it'd be great to have a bunch of young studs in AA and AAA, just ready to come in and take over. But they aren't there. O'B was getting a lot of kudos yesterday on these pages for his drafting, but I don't see much down there in the way of relief pitching.

I like the depth of this bullpen, as compared to years recently past. No, there are not any studs down there, but there are a lot of arms who have proven in the past that they can pitch. And competition is always a good thing! It cost WK a lot of grief and Cast a lot of money, and they probably did overpay for some, but if the Reds can add a decent closer (I think they will add someone during ST), I think they may have improved to an average bullpen.

[Bigredfan#1]

My choice this off-season was Octavio Dotel. The Royals signed him to a cheap 1-year deal -- their best move of the year, IMO.

Pineiro is another guy I'd love to have seen the Reds get.

I agree, I am a firm believer in having a strikeout pitcher for a closer and Dotel fits the mold. They should have given him a chance, I would feel a lot better about the season with a closer of that potential.

[edabbs44]

I like the depth of this bullpen, as compared to years recently past. No, there are not any studs down there, but there are a lot of arms who have proven in the past that they can pitch. And competition is always a good thing! It cost WK a lot of grief and Cast a lot of money, and they probably did overpay for some, but if the Reds can add a decent closer (I think they will add someone during ST), I think they may have improved to an average bullpen.

"In the past" is a big part of your statement. And I agree that if they add a decent closer in ST (which I seriously doubt they will) then the bullpenn won't be that bad.

My biggest problem is that WK has spent so much time, energy and money on the bullpen that it is starting to get out of hand. He has added numerous older arms for the BP while neglecting the lineup and starting rotation. A bullpen is useless without those other parts. When these newly acquired guys are spending most of their time stopping a deficit from expanding rather than holding a lead, the ridiculousness of WK's masterplan will be exposed.

[Jim]

Being immersed in White Sox nation, I've seen my fair share of Hermanson. He's a very good reliever that excelled during the WS season for the Sox. I believe he went a dozen games before giving up a run. His problem is his back. Last year, it was apparently bad enough that he was contemplating retirement. That doesn't seem like a very safe option to me.

[Always Red]

"In the past" is a big part of your statement. And I agree that if they add a decent closer in ST (which I seriously doubt they will) then the bullpenn won't be that bad.

My biggest problem is that WK has spent so much time, energy and money on the bullpen that it is starting to get out of hand. He has added numerous older arms for the BP while neglecting the lineup and starting rotation. A bullpen is useless without those other parts. When these newly acquired guys are spending most of their time stopping a deficit from expanding rather than holding a lead, the ridiculousness of WK's masterplan will be exposed.

Here's how I see the run production problem: it's impossible to explain away "the big trade" of last summer; unless Bray and Majewski step up and dominate this year, it will always be a loser. But I can see a silver lining... Other teams are going to be looking for mediocre bullpen arms during and at the end of ST. The Reds can keep whoever they figure will help them the most, and try to package the rest as best they can, probably for a bat. SP is going to be hard to find, and I think the Reds are going to go with what they have right now, perhaps adding Bailey in May or June if he forces the issue. And that would be a good thing!

But compared to the past few years (and I think it's only fair to do that), the starting pitching is better, the bullpen is better, the defense is better, and I think the overall depth of the entire team is better. But the everyday lineup is weaker, no question. If EE steps up big this year, and Votto makes it into the everyday lineup by 2008, that will help a lot. In fact, Encarnacion needs to step up this year; the Reds are counting on his bat this time around. Bruce is also on the near horizon for an OF spot.

[bianchiveloce]

Hermanson needs to be avoided like the plague. He has chronic back problems going all the back to the 2003 season and probably before that.

I don't care how cheap he might be had for, we could use that money for more useful things such as practice balls and hand held sunflower dispensers like Pez dispensers.

[redsfan30]

^ great post, Heath!

Hermanson had a great year for the White Sox just 2 years ago, and back problems last year. He's 34, since when is that old?? You guys sound like Bill DeWitt trading away an "old" Frank Robby!

Last I looked, there is no closer down there, amongst all the bodies in the bullpen. If Hermanson has anything left and his back is sound, I'd have no problem with WK signing him (as long as it's not a 2 year deal! :eek: ). Who knows if Guardado will make it back or not- he's no sure bet after TJ surgery.

Sure, it'd be great to have a bunch of young studs in AA and AAA, just ready to come in and take over. But they aren't there. O'B was getting a lot of kudos yesterday on these pages for his drafting, but I don't see much down there in the way of relief pitching.

I like the depth of this bullpen, as compared to years recently past. No, there are not any studs down there, but there are a lot of arms who have proven in the past that they can pitch. And competition is always a good thing! It cost WK a lot of grief and Cast a lot of money, and they probably did overpay for some, but if the Reds can add a decent closer (I think they will add someone during ST), I think they may have improved to an average bullpen.

My feelings exactly.

[BEETTLEBUG]

I Saw On Roto World (padres) That He Won't Be Going Back There. It Said That He Would Be Better Option Than Hermanson. What Does Anybody Think?

[redsgabp]

i read in the cincinnati enquirer that the reds might be looking at him to sign him.

he was awesome in 2005
2005 CWS w2 l4 era2.04 34saves 39SVO
2006 he had bad back problems

I think we could sign him for the cheap side to a minor league contract like we did eddy. and if he would come up from spring training he could get a incentive laid contract like eddy's.

what do you guys think?

[BEETTLEBUG]

Has anybody heard anything about Hermanson lately?

[RedLegSuperStar]

The Reds are the most likely destination for Dustin Hermanson, but Rosenthal quotes one exec saying he was only throwing 85-87 mph in his recent workout. In a fantasy league, I'd still lean toward Bill Bray for saves in Cincy.

This from MLBTradeRumors.com & Obviously Ken Rosenthal.

[reds44]

85-87? That's what he was throwing the year the White Sox won the W.S. and he was the closer for much of the year. He could be a steal if his back doesn't fall off.