Future starting rotation

[ed the red]

Just think of our rotation in the coming years:

Harang(need to lock up long term)
Arroyo(see above)
Ramierez(see above)
Bailey(still too early for long term)

we need relief pitching!!!!!!

[MrCinatit]

agreed - a reliable fifth starter would not be bad, either.
At least in the pen, we do have Coffey...though I honestly am not sure what in the minors we can rely on.

[Mario-Rijo]

You can put Travis Wood in there after I seen him pitch today (Dragons TV on my digital cable, channel 1111 if anyone has it) This guy is for real. Has a nice smooth delivery (Traditional Overhand LH delivery), keeps the ball down, has 3 pitches he can throw for strikes already. Plus he's athletic which translates into a plus defender at his position (had 1 very good play and 1 spectacular defensive play in his debut this season) and has major league composure and maturity (doesn't speed up when he gets in trouble but slows it down a bit). Barring injuries he's gonna make it and he's not too far away!

[Razor Shines]

Milton has one bad outing since he's been back from the DL and we're ready to write him off? And that one bad outing after three very good ones was against the best team in baseball. You may be right but I'll give Milton a little more time, because I think he could be that reliable fifth starter.

[dfs]

Travis Wood is interesting to watch. Most prospects have a pitch or maybe two that you see and they just stop you in your tracks. Bailey dials up that fastball and everybody in the park new it. Snare would drop that curve in there and it was a thing of beauty. Every now and then Dumatrait dials it up and the batter doesn't stand a chance.

There's none of that with Wood. He looks less like "a pitching prospect" than any pitcher I remember watching in Dayton. All he does is string together innings where the other team doesn't score. It will really be interesting to see how he fares as he's pushed forward.

[CTA513]

Milton has one bad outing since he's been back from the DL and we're ready to write him off? And that one bad outing after three very good ones was against the best team in baseball. You may be right but I'll give Milton a little more time, because I think he could be that reliable fifth starter.

Milton hasnt really pitched good with the Reds and he also has bad knees.
The Reds should let him walk once his current contract is up.

[RedEye]

Milton has one bad outing since he's been back from the DL and we're ready to write him off? And that one bad outing after three very good ones was against the best team in baseball. You may be right but I'll give Milton a little more time, because I think he could be that reliable fifth starter.

I can't see Milton being part of our "future" rotation. He's been solid this year, I agree, but he'll be too expensive to keep if we also want to nail down Arroyo and Harang.

[savafan]

Milton hasnt really pitched good with the Reds and he also has bad knees.
The Reds should let him walk once his current contract is up.

Have you been watching Milton this year? He's looked pretty good more often than not.

[Red Leader]

Travis Wood is interesting to watch. Most prospects have a pitch or maybe two that you see and they just stop you in your tracks. Bailey dials up that fastball and everybody in the park new it. Snare would drop that curve in there and it was a thing of beauty. Every now and then Dumatrait dials it up and the batter doesn't stand a chance.

There's none of that with Wood. He looks less like "a pitching prospect" than any pitcher I remember watching in Dayton. All he does is string together innings where the other team doesn't score. It will really be interesting to see how he fares as he's pushed forward.

He does kind of ho-hum his way through scoreless innings, but his changeup is definately a plus major league pitch. He made all kinds of hitters look stupid with that pitch in three games that I saw him pitch.

[OldXOhio]

Milton has one bad outing since he's been back from the DL and we're ready to write him off? And that one bad outing after three very good ones was against the best team in baseball. You may be right but I'll give Milton a little more time, because I think he could be that reliable fifth starter.

I assume when the word "future" is used, we're talking about 2007/2008 and beyond. Unless Eric Milton wants to stick around Cincy for a deep, deep discount, I can't see how he'll be a part of that.

[paulrichjr]

In the next couple of years (and this one to some extent) we might not be talking about starting pitching being the problem with the Reds. What would it feel like to have a great starting staff? I don't know and I have been a fan since 1977.

[oneupper]

Milton hasnt really pitched good with the Reds and he also has bad knees.
The Reds should let him walk once his current contract is up.

I'll do you one better. Hopefully we can get something for him at the 2007 deadline (sooner is doubtful).

[UPRedsFan]

Arroyo, Harang, Ramirez, Bailey, (and whoever we can get for Lopez)! Improves our defense and our pitching. That's a recipe for an NL penant

[CTA513]

Have you been watching Milton this year? He's looked pretty good more often than not.

Yes I have watched him.
Hes pitching good this year, but that really doesnt make up for last year.
Hes a fly ball pitcher that costs alot and has bad knees.
I would let him walk once his contract is up.

[Reds Freak]

Arroyo, Harang, Ramirez, Bailey, (and whoever we can get for Lopez)! Improves our defense and our pitching. That's a recipe for an NL penant

This isn't the right thread for this discussion, but why is everyone so ready to get rid of Lopez? Was he not considered the next great Reds shortstop following in the footsteps of Larkin and Concepcion? I'm not ready to write him off after a somewhat slow start to 1 season.