I will never understand the hostility to Lohse. The Reds were a much, much better team when he was on the roster. Lohse finished 2007 30th in the NL in the ERA. That doesn't make him a superstar but given that there are 15 teams in the NL, that makes him a solid #3 starter; that is, last I checked, this team's biggest need.
Agreed, Lohse is a 3 or 4; he's better than the other available free agents. He's likely to be much more reliable this coming year than Bailey, Cueto, Maloney, or Volquez--even though all of those guys will, I hope and believe, be much better pitchers in the long run. If we get him on a decent contract, he's likely to be movable later on. If the young kids come along really well, in a year or so, he may give insurance that would enable a move of Arroyo. I think a very good case can be made for signing Lohse as the best alternative available to the Reds right now, the one that best increases the chance of competing this year while providing flexibility in the future.
Kyle Lohse reminds me of that little girl. When he is good he is very good, and when he is bad, he is simply horrid. He had 16 quality starts last year, and he also had 8 starts where he gave up 6 runs or more. He has good quality stuff, he just never learned how to use it.
Originally Posted by AmarilloRed
made me think about how girls are so gross when it comes to certain things.
Someone posted that they would rather have a cheap uncertainty than an expensive one. I couldn't agree more. I'd much rather see the Reds pay Bailey for a start that could go either way versus paying Lohse upwards of 7 million for one of his patented "Bad Kyle" outings. And besides, the more that the Reds run Bailey and the other up and comers out to the mound the quicker that they are going to find their grooves and potentially dominate the NL in the coming years. If they can do this at a discounted rate, I say that's the way to go.
Kyle Lohse is somewhat erratic from start to start but if you're interested in seasonal performance, he's not terribly erratic. He's pretty much reliable for 180-200 innings, and in around 190 innings for the Reds over two seasons, he put up a 4.58 ERA (threw 60 innings in 2006 of 4.57, about 130 last year of 4.58). If you come out of the gate this year with Harang, Arroyo, Lohse, and Belisle, you will have 4 guys in the rotation with a high likelihood of giving you a total of 700 innings (could actually be higher, depending on Belisle). There will not be many teams that solid going into the season, and it's also a tremendous help to the bullpen. Bailey, Volquez, Cueto, and Maloney can compete for the 4 and 5 spots, to begin with (I wouldn't consider Belisle a "given," though I actually think he's a decent 3-4). As that foursome, or some part of it, develops, the others become eligible to be moved. Lohse and Belisle, the most likely to be moved, will have value and can be moved. In fact, if one or more of the kids gets good enough, having a 190 innings guy like Lohse enables you to start thinking about moving an Arroyo.
I say use the money on Michael Barrett and see if he can return to the form he had when Dusty was his manager in Chicago. He hit .289 Under three seasons of Baker
I think the difference in defense between Ross and Barrett would almost make up for the difference, along with Ross's BABIP regressing to the mean. Technically Barrett would be worth more if he COULD return to that form, but its not a wise investment with a decent in-house candidate (Ross)...
Loshe is worth exploring if the price is right given what is available.
He makes us better and the upgraded pen may make him better.
Provides for good competition in spring training and gives the kids some time to mature.
How would the upgraded pen help him? He either throws 1 hit shut outs or cant make it through 2 innings. Id break my legs than have another season of that roller coaster
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3199511
Still think Lohse is not worth a shot?Pitcher Nate Robertson and the Detroit Tigers avoided salary arbitration when they agreed Wednesday to a $21.25 million, three-year contract.
Robertson was 9-13 with a 4.76 ERA in 30 starts with Detroit last season. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2009 season.
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