Walt needs to do something

[Will M]

Walt Jocketty needs to make some move(s) to shore up the offense or kiss the 2009 season good bye. The Reds are pitching very well & losing way too many low scoring games. They are painfull to watch at times.
The team ERA+ is 113 (!) but the team OPS+ is 89.

Hernandez & Hanigan make a fine catching duo but Ramon at 1B has to be one of the weakest 1B bats in baseball.

Gonzo is hitting .211 at SS.

We don't know when EE & Votto will return.

Walt doesn't have to pull some mega deal but IMO he needs to do something to boost the team's offense. Buy low on Garret Atkins? DeRosa?? Call up Alonso from AA???

I really really hate the idea of trying to 'hang in there' until EE & Votto return.
The Reds season could be long over by the time they do.

[Edskin]

I really really hate the idea of trying to 'hang in there' until EE & Votto return.
The Reds season could be long over by the time they do.

We might just need to accept that reality. Not much (realistically) Walt can do right now. A DeRosa or Atkins is not going to make a huge difference at this point.

Bottom line: We were a limited offensive team when healthy, and right now, our best hitter is not playing and another guy who adds pop to the line-up is out as well. The team was not built to be able to afford those losses to the roster--you can blame Walt for that, but I see a plan unfolding here and we just so happen to be at an "in between" stage.

The pitching has been better than advertised and as a fan, it is frustrating as heck to see us lose so many games we seemingly "deserve" to win, especially after begging for this type of production from the pitching staff for years.

But there is no room or need for Walt to panic right now and make a move for the sake of making a move. The ONLY way this team is going to be in contention come September is if Votto and EE return and play effectively. All of the Garrett Atkins in the world can't save us otherwise.

Now, IF those guys return then maybe we can round out the line-up with a DeRosa type-- but if our big boppers aren't there, it's a moot point.

[reds44]

Alonso is hitting .200 at AA right now. Not going to happen.

[Will M]

Alonso is hitting .200 at AA right now. Not going to happen.

i am not specifically asking for Alonso.

i want the Reds management to do something to help the 2009 team because the way the team is currently arranged it is not going to be successfull.

[Will M]

We might just need to accept that reality. Not much (realistically) Walt can do right now. A DeRosa or Atkins is not going to make a huge difference at this point.

Bottom line: We were a limited offensive team when healthy, and right now, our best hitter is not playing and another guy who adds pop to the line-up is out as well. The team was not built to be able to afford those losses to the roster--you can blame Walt for that, but I see a plan unfolding here and we just so happen to be at an "in between" stage.

The pitching has been better than advertised and as a fan, it is frustrating as heck to see us lose so many games we seemingly "deserve" to win, especially after begging for this type of production from the pitching staff for years.

But there is no room or need for Walt to panic right now and make a move for the sake of making a move. The ONLY way this team is going to be in contention come September is if Votto and EE return and play effectively. All of the Garrett Atkins in the world can't save us otherwise.

Now, IF those guys return then maybe we can round out the line-up with a DeRosa type-- but if our big boppers aren't there, it's a moot point.

one of my points is that if Walt doesn't do something now then it won't matter as the Reds will be way too far back to catch up later when Votto/EE are healthy.

[kaldaniels]

Walt Jocketty needs to make some move(s) to shore up the offense or kiss the 2009 season good bye. The Reds are pitching very well & losing way too many low scoring games. They are painfull to watch at times.
The team ERA+ is 113 (!) but the team OPS+ is 89.

Hernandez & Hanigan make a fine catching duo but Ramon at 1B has to be one of the weakest 1B bats in baseball.

Gonzo is hitting .211 at SS.

We don't know when EE & Votto will return.

Walt doesn't have to pull some mega deal but IMO he needs to do something to boost the team's offense. Buy low on Garret Atkins? DeRosa?? Call up Alonso from AA???

I really really hate the idea of trying to 'hang in there' until EE & Votto return.
The Reds season could be long over by the time they do.

Our MVP caliber 1st baseman is on the 15 day DL...are you suggesting the Reds make a move for an above average 1st baseball bat? We'd all agree Ramon is below average in terms of a 1st baseman bat, but isn't this a temporary situation that the team has to get through.

If a good move is to be made, make it, but the Reds can't be desperate at this point. If you want to single out a position, I'd have to start in the outfield myself.

[Will M]

Our MVP caliber 1st baseman is on the 15 day DL...are you suggesting the Reds make a move for an above average 1st baseball bat? We'd all agree Ramon is below average in terms of a 1st baseman bat, but isn't this a temporary situation that the team has to get through.

If a good move is to be made, make it, but the Reds can't be desperate at this point. If you want to single out a position, I'd have to start in the outfield myself.

1. no one knows when Votto will return. assuming that he can get his stress/anxiety issue fixed in 15 days is a poor assumption.

2. find a guy who can play 1B and somewhere else (when Votto comes back).
Atkins? DeRosa?? someone else???
Or get a third baseman (Beltre?) & play Hairston at SS.
Be creative. But do something.

3. if you want to fix the outfield DL Taveras (or just get rid of him!) and see if Stubbs or Heissey can play CF now. Or at least see if they can play CF vs LHP and platoon with Dickerson.

[kaldaniels]

1. no one knows when Votto will return. assuming that he can get his stress/anxiety issue fixed in 15 days is a poor assumption.

2. find a guy who can play 1B and somewhere else (when Votto comes back).
Atkins? DeRosa?? someone else???
Or get a third baseman (Beltre?) & play Hairston at SS.
Be creative. But do something.

3. if you want to fix the outfield DL Taveras (or just get rid of him!) and see if Stubbs or Heissey can play CF now. Or at least see if they can play CF vs LHP and platoon with Dickerson.

There are only so many moves Walt will be able to make. What position would you like to be the primary one that would be upgraded? I know the variables about trades are infinite, but what one position would you like Walt to key in on.

[Will M]

There are only so many moves Walt will be able to make. What position would you like to be the primary one that would be upgraded? I know the variables about trades are infinite, but what one position would you like Walt to key in on.

Shortstop is the obvious one but improving this would be very hard mid season.

if Walt were to make one deal to try & help the team survive i would focus on getting a third baseman.

[camisadelgolf]

Alonso is hitting .200 at AA right now. Not going to happen.

. . . after six games. SSS

I'm not condoning calling up Alonso, but if the Reds were in win-now mode with a full 40-man roster and wanted to stay in-house, Yonder Alonso and Drew Sutton are the only legitimate chances for an upgrade in the offense imo.

[Highlifeman21]

2009 was DOA.

Our pitching will come back to Earth, our offense can't possibly continue to be this bad, but with worse pitching and slightly better offense, we're still going to be a team that resembles the 2006 squad b/c we'll seem like we're in the division race until possibly mid August, and then we'll show our true colors and roll over and die.

[kaldaniels]

2009 was DOA.

Our pitching will come back to Earth, our offense can't possibly continue to be this bad, but with worse pitching and slightly better offense, we're still going to be a team that resembles the 2006 squad b/c we'll seem like we're in the division race until possibly mid August, and then we'll show our true colors and roll over and die.

Any specifics on what pitching will come back to earth. I could actually see the staff getting better.

[redsmetz]

Any specifics on what pitching will come back to earth. I could actually see the staff getting better.

Thank you for asking this, because it seems to always be the belief around here that we are completely and rigidly locked into numbers and that we're incapable of improvement that will last.

This is going to be a tough season, particularly if Votto and Encarnacion are going to be out for an extended length of time. I think if we'd have had the full compliment of our offense, it's a more than adequate offense; not great, but it may well have been sufficient.

That said, we're going nowhere if we don't get some of the other guys hitting. Today's game was heartbreaking. So many opportunities to win it and we didn't. This team can ill afford to give away games like this. We know that much.

[traderumor]

I sense that folks are uncomfortable with ballgames that hang around the 4-5 run mark instead of the 6-7 mark (or higher). So do something, Walt.

[Highlifeman21]

Any specifics on what pitching will come back to earth. I could actually see the staff getting better.

We've already seen Cueto start to come back to Earth.

Arroyo won't continue to rack up Ws with his numbers. Would anyone have guessed he'd have 7 Ws right now with those kinda numbers?

We'll continue to see 5th Starter by Committee, and while I don't expect someone to go Josh Fogg on us, I think we'll see the 5th SP crew post an ERA North of 5, and possibly even as high as 5.50. Owings will contribute to that, as I don't see him keeping his ERA under 5.

Now, to the bullpen.

Cordero (currently 6th on the team in IP, does that seem WAY too high to anyone else?), Herrera, Masset, Weathers, Rhodes and Fisher will all watch their ERAs increase. Does anyone think that Rhodes and Masset will keep their ERAs under 1? Does anyone think that Cordero and Herrera will keep their ERAs under 2? Does anyone think that Weathers and Fisher will keep their ERAs under 3?

So while it's remotely possible that the rotation might improve (I mean if they get any worse, yuck. I don't wanna think about how quickly we'll go South in the standings...), it's completely unreasonable to think that the pen will keep doing what they're doing. They can't maintain this status quo. They have nowhere to go but up.