I sort of like this move, if only as an acknowledgement from the FO that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. I've been saying from day one that Miley needs to step up to the plate, as far as his authority will take him, and send guys out the door when they don't give their absolute best, or just can't do the job. It is no secret that part of the un-doing of the bullpen is the over-doing of the bullpen. They are cooked. I suspect their confidece is, too. How many games can you, where you are down by five runs before the third inning rolls around, before the whole system begins to crumble? It isn't realistic to expect the offense (not even on the Yankees, for Heaven's sakes) to put up 5+ runs every game, just to give the team aOriginally Posted by Puffy
chance. You can't keep running the bullpen out there in the 5th or 6th inning and expect it to miraculously pull a can of whoop-ass out of a magician's hat. Relief pitchers aren't conditioned for that, mentally or physically. At the rate they're going, why not just flip the whole dang pitching roster upside down and see how things work out? Maybe they'll get shelled after the first two or three innings, and Cory Lidle can come in and relieve for 6 innings or so. What the Reds really need to be doing is going after a #1 starter and a solid reliever, or get maybe two #2-3 pitcher. The bullpen will finally be able to run on a full tank.