2008 Pitching staff

[HokieRed]

Tonight's game should put to rest any thoughts we've had of "contending." Time now for serious discussion of next year's roster, starting with the pitching staff. As I see it, we have 2 starters, one long shot starter (Belisle), and three promising young pitchers, none of whom can be counted on--Bailey, Cueto, Maloney. What do we do?
Bullpen: Weathers, Bray, Burton are probably going to be on the opening day roster, Coutlangus is a strong possibility, Majewski a somewhat weaker possibility. Where do we go from there?
How much is it going to cost to put us in competitive shape? What do we have to give up to get the money to do so?

[jmac]

As I see it, we have 2 starters, one long shot starter (Belisle), and three promising young pitchers, none of whom can be counted on--Bailey, Cueto, Maloney.
Bullpen: Weathers, Bray, Burton are probably going to be on the opening day roster, Coutlangus is a strong possibility, Majewski a somewhat weaker possibility.

Agree with these statements.
Also I hope whoever moves Burton to try closing in ST and that would allow Weathers to throw some one and two innings set up games.
Of course lots more work needs to be done.

[Maldez]

I have to believe that the Reds strong finish so far under Pete Mac's management will give the front office enough incentive to bump the '08 Budget up a notch and pick up a starting pitcher. I love the players we're putting on the field now and the way they're playing for Mackanin, but it'll all be for naught if Cincy doesn't shore-up the pitching next year.

[AmarilloRed]

The Starting Rotation for next year is Harang and Arroyo and pray for rain. The bullpen will have a foundation of Bray, Burton, Weathers, and possibly Majewski. I have been disappointed with Gary's recent outings. The rest will fight for roster spots.

[Muggerd]

Anything that involves people under 40 and havent been considered a soft tosser

[stevekun]

If we don't go out and sign or get through trades at least 2 "good starting pitchers" there are gonna be a lot of Reds fans very mad

[HokieRed]

How much will 2 starting pitchers cost? Have we been forced into a position where we must trade Adam Dunn--no matter what he brings--just in order to get the money we need to get anywhere close to signing 2 pitchers?

[AmarilloRed]

I would imagine we need to pick up at least 1 good SP in free agency, no matter the cost.

[HokieRed]

What's the market going to be like? I happened to check in on Kyle Lohse's numbers this afternoon. 4.54 ERA for 162 and 2/3 innings; right below him in the Phillies stats is Adam Eaton, 6.23 ERA. Eaton got 32 for 4 years last year, I think. What's that make a Kyle Lohse worth? Do we want to spend 40 million, say, for 4 years for Lohse?

[Muggerd]

We dont need a pitcher who gives us 9 ip one night and 3 the next outing, so that removes lohse from the list

[texasdave]

The Reds' don't have any starting pitchers in their farm system that they can count on for 2008. They have several maybes (Bailey, Cueto and Maloney). But those three are as likely to not help the big club next season as they are to help it. So they either have to overpay for a free-agent or trade for someone. Overpaying doesn't doesn't strike me as a very appealing option. The question is which everyday player is going to get you an acceptable arm in return? And are you willing to give up that player? It could be 2007 (or almost any year after the start of the millenium) all over again.

[kaldaniels]

I would imagine we need to pick up at least 1 good SP in free agency, no matter the cost.

"No matter the cost" is not a term that any good GM should use. Starting pitching is a premium...yes, but if what you give up offsets or is not worth the return, it is a poor move.

[texasdave]

Cincinnati was giving up 5.30 runs per game coming into Saturday's game against the Cardinals. If that average holds for the rest of the year that will be approximately 860 runs given up. Using the Pythagorean Theorem the Reds would have to score 925 runs to win 86 games next year, if the pitching is the same in 2008 as it is in 2007. This franchise has little in the way of pitching in the minors that can be counted on. They do have two hitters in Votto and Bruce who appear closer to helping the big club than anything they have in the way of pitching. If the Reds aren't gonna pony up some cash for free-agent pitching over the winter, then it seems likely they are going to have to trade a regular player to acquire pitching. Who, among the regulars, has the trade value to bring in the pitching talent this team desperately needs? How many fans do you risk alienatating by keeping Votto and Bruce in AAA to start the 2008 season (while the pitching continues to be putrid) if you are unwilling to deal that player(s)? Speaking only for myself, I am almost to the point where I wouldn't care what happens to the Reds next season if they don't make a serious attempt to improve the pitching staff over the winter. They can't win with the pitching staffs they have been throwing out there for the past five or six seasons. Something has to change.

[GoReds33]

Just wondering, but does Carlos Silva help this team in your minds? I would love to see him in a Reds uniform. I think he could put up a solid 3.8 to 4.2 era in GABP. He's usto pitching in the pinball machine that is the Metrodome, and the transition to the NL should bring down his ERA a little. I think maybe 4 years, and 42 million would do it. Any takers?

Some quick stats on Silva via ESPN:
REC 10-13
ERA 4.33
WHIP 1.30

[HokieRed]

Agreed, Texas, and this is the worst failing of the Krivsky term. Starting pitching is no better now than at beginning of 2007 and promises, without significant spending, to be no better at beginning of 2008. We have 2 and a half starters, Bailey's no closer to the majors now than he was a year ago, nobody else is ready. We don't even have Lohse, who, despite his ups and downs, is a proven major league starting pitcher--in a way that Shearn, Dumatrait, Ramirez etc. have not come even close to showing themselves to be.