Here's why. Lecure has a 2.51 K/BB rate in his minor league career. Much better than Ramon Ramirez or other similar pitchers. He also has been a starter throughout, the Reds so far haven't shifted him to the pen. As a starter at AAA last year, he had almost 8 Ks per nine innings and fewer than 3 walks per nine. His lifetime WHIP is about 1.33, which is fine for a starter. These are all very solid numbers.
Lecure has to reduce his fly ball tendencies, like Maloney does. But as a number 30 prospect? SL makes that cut easily IMO.
Many of the lower level phenoms will be lucky if they ever perform at the AAA level as well as Lecure. As experience shows, some will flame out by next year's list. Of course, Lecure's behind guys like Chapman and Leake, but to put him behind some of the other A-ball prospects IMO underrates him. Lecure generally makes the Reds top thirty lists by various publications.
The Reds have consistently kept Lecure on the 40-man roster. He had stretches at AA when he was just dominant. He had two dominant stretches in 2008. Injuries have always seemed to end those streaks.
I expect him to get a shot with the Reds, perhaps in middle relief or as a fill-in starter, this season. If he were traded, I believe he would have good value as a major league ready BOR starter or potentially solid mid reliever.
That's why.