Bevy of Bullpeners

[coachw513]

With each passing day, the list of potential relievers grows...two questions...first if we assume Belisle (or Saarloos) as the long-man, Weathers, Stanton, Coffey, Bray and Cormier as the short guys, that takes us to 11...will Narron carry 12 pitchers???...if not, are we to believe that a trade might be in the works???...this list doesn't include Majewski (DL bound??), Hermanson, Salmon, Ligtenberg, Meadows, Shearn, etc, etc, etc...

How will this all shake out???

Not to mention Guardado upon good health...

Well, we definitely have quantity, if not quality

[wheels]

I know this: more than one deserving young arm will be written his ticket to the minors.

That's a nice problem to have if your team has good veteran arms.

I'm not sold on the idea that this is the case with the Reds. Maybe one or two of those vets can attract enough attention to garner something in trade.

[biggergipper]

Here's hoping Cormier and Milton get traded...I sincerely believe a team like the Mets could be persuaded to take both of them. if gil meche is worth $11M, I would think a big market team would take those two for $11M.

[biggergipper]

this would allow the lizard, kirk and or belisle to slide in two the last two slots and afford either a younger pitcher or Hermanson to fill that last slot in the bullpen. I wouldn't mind Hermanson if healthy, he had some good success with the White Sox the year before last.

[ND_redsfan10]

This year's pen is average at best. Dustin Hermanson was signed as a cast-off free agent as spring training began...and he's a potential closer? Find me more than a couple situations that bad elsewhere in baseball.

Stanton, Weathers, and Cormier are good veterans to have, but it's guys like these comprising a majority of the bullpen. How has the well run so dry? Hmm...it's a good thing we traded Chris Reitsma for Bong and Bubba (DUI). Whatever happened to our first round pick in 2003?

Guys like Coffey, Majewski, Bray, and Belisle really need to step it up this year or the bullpen will likely only get worse as the year goes on and the veterans start hitting the DL.

[biggergipper]

Guys like Coffey, Majewski, Bray, and Belisle really need to step it up this year or the bullpen will likely only get worse as the year goes on and the veterans start hitting the DL.[/QUOTE]

I agree that Bray has to step up over the next two years and assume the closer role. I fear any reference to 'the trade' because of the acrimony it creates on this site, but ultimately whether or not he evolves into this role is a big key to the judgement of that deal.

Hermanson in 2005 had 34 saves, 1.099 Whip, and a 2.04 ERA, no offense but that's worth a look and possibly a closer role. If not for a bad back he'd still be the White Sox closer, over the Human Krispy Kreme, Bobby Jenks.

[flyer85]

Hermanson is no more a closer than Weathers. His stuff is pedestrian and he had extremely fortunate BPIs that year, he is just another example that is isn't that hard to hold mutli-run leads for 1 IP. He back problem is not fixed, to fix it the surgery would have ended his career. He is simply dealing with his back issues day to day and is a DL waiting to happen and losing someone else to keep him would be a mistake.

A lot of teams worked him out before the Reds but no one saw anything worth tendering a contract.

I'd much rather keep the Rule 5 Burton because he does have some nasty stuff and at least has a decent upside.

[KoryMac5]

This year's pen is average at best. Dustin Hermanson was signed as a cast-off free agent as spring training began...and he's a potential closer? Find me more than a couple situations that bad elsewhere in baseball.

Stanton, Weathers, and Cormier are good veterans to have, but it's guys like these comprising a majority of the bullpen. How has the well run so dry? Hmm...it's a good thing we traded Chris Reitsma for Bong and Bubba (DUI). Whatever happened to our first round pick in 2003?

Guys like Coffey, Majewski, Bray, and Belisle really need to step it up this year or the bullpen will likely only get worse as the year goes on and the veterans start hitting the DL.

I would say that I will hold my opinion of how good the bullpen is until the season is underway. On paper it is full of some fill in veterans, Weathers and Stanton are average at best. Belisle has been inconsistent and Majewski has been hurt. Cormier and Shack are only situational relievers. I do feel that Coffey and Bray will blossom this year, while Salmon and Santos could both be a very nice surprise for the Reds. I feel most people say our bullpen is average because we don't have that flamethrower closer who strikes out the side. These guys are definitely not the Nasty Boys but they were a once in a lifetime deal. What we do have is an abudance of options which will give Narron some flexibility leading to less innings and less fatigue.

[KoryMac5]

Hermanson is no more a closer than Weathers. His stuff is pedestrian and he had extremely fortunate BPIs that year, he is just another example that is isn't that hard to hold mutli-run leads for 1 IP. He back problem is not fixed, to fix it the surgery would have ended his career. He is simply dealing with his back issues day to day and is a DL waiting to happen and losing someone else to keep him would be a mistake.

A lot of teams worked him out before the Reds but no one saw anything worth tendering a contract.

I'd much rather keep the Rule 5 Burton because he does have some nasty stuff and at least has a decent upside.

Good point on Burton his breaking ball against the Yankees was sic.

[ND_redsfan10]

KoryMac, I will give you that the absence of a flamethrower has a diminishing effect on the look of the team's bullpen. But giving Jerry Narron a surplus of "options" almost seems counterproductive.

[James B.]

I think that this bullpen is going to be pretty good. I think they are better than they have been for the last few years, but they still don't have that dominant closer. Hopefully someone will step up and take that role.

[HokieRed]

A midsummer bullpen of Guardado, Hermanson, Stanton, Weathers, Coffey, Bray, and Majewski could be reasonably solid. I'd also like to keep Burton, and I'm hoping that's been worked out with Beane as part of the Shafer for Sarloos, with PTBNLS on both sides.

[mth123]

A midsummer bullpen of Guardado, Hermanson, Stanton, Weathers, Coffey, Bray, and Majewski could be reasonably solid. I'd also like to keep Burton, and I'm hoping that's been worked out with Beane as part of the Shafer for Sarloos, with PTBNLS on both sides.

Except for the Hermanson, Stanton, Weathers and Majewski part.

And the jury is still out on Guardado, who likely won't be good in 2007 even if he comes all the way back.

[Z-Fly]

Here's hoping Cormier and Milton get traded...I sincerely believe a team like the Mets could be persuaded to take both of them. if gil meche is worth $11M, I would think a big market team would take those two for $11M.

I think you would have to agree that Gil had a better year than milton last year. I would imagine that we would have to pick up some, if not most, of his salary to send him somewhere else. With little or no return.

I say hold on to Milton. If someone else turns out to be a better option then cut him. He is on a contract year. I would think he is going to do whatever he can with in his power to have a good season. But , in all seriousness, what do I know.

Gil Meche
SPLIT G IP H R HR BB SO W L Sv P/GS WHIP BAA ERA
Season 32 186.2 183 106 24 84 156 11 8 0 103.1 1.43 .256 4.48

Eric Milton
SPLIT G IP H R HR BB SO W L Sv P/GS WHIP BAA ERA
Season 26 152.2 163 94 29 42 90 8 8 0 91.3 1.34 .269 5.19