Anyone else excited about Maloney?

[Hoosier Red]

7 innings 1 run yesterday.
He is 2-2 since coming over with a 0.71 whip, 2.38 ERA, and a 39-3 K/bb ratio.

What's not to like?

Or is this all just batter's unfamiliarity with him?

[Prf15]

My one concern with Maloney is he gives up way to many homeruns.

I love this though......
10 K's
9 K's
9 K's
11 K's

Great pickup by Wayne!

[SMcGavin]

Yea, I guess a K:BB ratio of 11 is pretty good...

I'm very excited about the kid but I have heard he's the type who may have trouble as he moves up (four solid pitches with control, but no out pitch). Let's let him and Cueto carry the Lookouts to the playoffs, then start them off in AAA next season.

[11larkin11]

With Maloney, the Phillies had him as their next guy to start for the Major Leagues if one of their starters went down.

[camisadelgolf]

Krivsky robbed Philadelphia. I'll renege my statement if Maloney never makes it to the Majors, but as far as I'm concerned, you can pretty much mark him up as a slight upgrade over Bobby Livingston. If the Reds have Harang, Arroyo, Bailey, Cueto, and Maloney in 2009, maybe the Reds can convert Livingston to a utility player.

[fearofpopvol1]

I like more than anything else that he's a lefty. We are seriously lacking left-handed pitching in our farm system. I think he's going to be another Livingston type. A guy that lives off of control and if he has it, he'll be great and if he doesn't, it could be bad. Though he does seem to have more pitches than Livingston so that is a plus.

[Aronchis]

Maloney's k/9 will probably be the key. Sowers fell into the sea after his promotion to AAA(unless a degenerative injury is the cause). If he can hold it above 8 for 100 innings, that may be a good sign.

[Degenerate39]

I'm pretty excited those strikeouts get me pumped. But he's either going to be a 5th starter or in the pen by the time he gets called up.

Harang
Arroyo
Bailey
Cueto
And a list of candidates that include: Belisle, Dumatrait, Livingston, Maloney, and Rameriez

[dougdirt]

Im not overly excited about him. Honestly the only thing he has going for him is that he throws left handed. He doesn't throw hard enough and he has no out pitch that will translate to the majors. I fully expect a Sowers esque drop off in his K rate when he gets to AAA. Hope I am wrong, but I wouldnt put him in the top 15 Reds prospects.

[mth123]

Im not overly excited about him. Honestly the only thing he has going for him is that he throws left handed. He doesn't throw hard enough and he has no out pitch that will translate to the majors. I fully expect a Sowers esque drop off in his K rate when he gets to AAA. Hope I am wrong, but I wouldnt put him in the top 15 Reds prospects.

I like him, but I'm not sure he isn't fools gold. I think he's a guy to pump up and use in a trade package for an established guy. The Reds need to get a solid starter who has a recent history of major league success and they need to try and find a way to get one without giving up Cueto or Bailey in the process. Maloney and some other stuff could be the ticket. A fly ball park would suit him well. I do like 6-4 220 and the fact that he threw 168 Innings in 2006 and already 146+ this year. He is a starter in the system that actually seems capable of and ready for handling the load.

I also hesitate to say this, but he looks very similar to some one else. Pretty good in many ways (Ks, Walks, BA Against, Low WHIP, etc.) offset by those HR and Fly Ball tendancies. This 6-4 220 pound LH is similar to another LH who was 6-3 220 Pounds that the Reds acquired after a stint in Philly. Maloney didn't cost 3 years at $25.5 Million, but his profile is very similar to Eric Milton's (I don't think he throws as hard as a young Milton did). I guess if the Reds could get a 1999ish Milton type season from Maloney for cheap that wouldn't be so bad, but I'm skeptical of Maloney at GABP.

[AmarilloRed]

He has done very well at AA, but he gives up too many home runs. This will be acceptable at GABP if he is able to keep runners off base. I will watch him closely at AAA next year.

[dougdirt]

He surely doesn't throw as hard as a young Milton, who was throwing 94 in his prime.

[SMcGavin]

Im not overly excited about him. Honestly the only thing he has going for him is that he throws left handed. He doesn't throw hard enough and he has no out pitch that will translate to the majors. I fully expect a Sowers esque drop off in his K rate when he gets to AAA. Hope I am wrong, but I wouldnt put him in the top 15 Reds prospects.

I've heard a lot of Sowers comparisons, but Maloney has a better K rate at both A and AA than Sowers did. He is no sure thing by any means but I'd certainly put him in the top 15 prospects in the organization. When you post a K/9 over 9 at every level you've ever been at, you deserve that.

[camisadelgolf]

I believe Matt Maloney has a better K/9IP than even Johnny Cueto. I'm sure Maloney's Ks will come down as he advances, but I think his K/9IP rate will be twice as high as Sowers's anemic 3.2 MLB.

[dougdirt]

I believe Matt Maloney has a better K/9IP than even Johnny Cueto. I'm sure Maloney's Ks will come down as he advances, but I think his K/9IP rate will be twice as high as Sowers's anemic 3.2 MLB.

I hate to say it, but I will believe it when I see it. I just don't think you can strike out that many batters with no real out pitch in the majors and you can't break 88.