6-8-10 Giants at Reds

[FlyerFanatic]

The June swoon is well under way.

yep. might get some wins this weekend, but we go out west which is never good for us.

[COM2010]

That would be nothing but a mistake. Yes, he has been awful this year. But he was incredible last year and a true shutdown pitcher in the late innings. You give him plenty of time to get things back on track.

But that doesn't include continuing to bring him in for close games. At this point he becomes the 11th/12th guy on the staff. If you can work out a phantom DL trip and a month long rehab assignment in the minors, fantastic. But you don't release him.

It just seems like the entire dang bulllpen is the 11th/12th guy on the staff. I don't know that the line could go any further back, they're already standing against the wall. Why isn't he already on the DL with a phantom injury? I do agree with you that they should not release him.

[NeilHamburger]

These games against St. Louis and the Giants should be very eye opening for the Reds. As much as some people want this to be a 90 win team they simply aren't good enough, and simply don't have good enough players to be that.

Earlier this year most people thought this was a 75-85 win team depending on how things broke.

I still they they split in the middle of those predictions and win 80. They simply don't have the talent to be better.

[TC81190]

It just seems like the entire dang bulllpen is the 11th/12th guy on the staff. I don't know that the line could go any further back, they're already standing against the wall. Why isn't he already on the DL with a phantom injury? I do agree with you that they should not release him.

That is a problem. They are all pitching like 12th men, but I think Masset is the highest profile blow up of all of them. He's clearly got talent in the arm, but is all kinds of broken in the head right now.

I would say pitch Del Rosario a little more, he's looked good. Perhaps Micah Owings. But a move to add an arm clearly needs to be made and soon.

[COM2010]

Note to dusty baker start using micah owings more in 7th and 8th innings.

I was sitting there thinking that if Gomes and Hernandez were able to get on, that the ONLY person walking to the plate should be Micah. This offense needs a jumpstart. He could do that while mopping up innings.

[TC81190]

I also think it was a huge mistake not retaining Jeremy Affeldt a couple years ago. I would feel pretty good with him at the end of the pen right now.

[COM2010]

That is a problem. They are all pitching like 12th men, but I think Masset is the highest profile blow up of all of them. He's clearly got talent in the arm, but is all kinds of broken in the head right now.

I would say pitch Del Rosario a little more, he's looked good. Perhaps Micah Owings. But a move to add an arm clearly needs to be made and soon.

And that won't happen because of the whole "do we spend more money" versus "which of the guys coming off the DL can we stick in the pen?" thing. Mark my words, NONE of those pitchers coming off the DL (or rehabbing) will jump back into the rotation. I'll eat crow if they do. The rotation is FAR from being the problem of this team, and I never though I'd see the day when I'd think that (after the last decade).

[NeilHamburger]

yep. might get some wins this weekend, but we go out west which is never good for us.

Yep. 3-6 in their last 9. I predict they're under .500 after the Rockies series after the all star break.

[TC81190]

And that won't happen because of the whole "do we spend more money" versus "which of the guys coming off the DL can we stick in the pen?" thing. Mark my words, NONE of those pitchers coming off the DL (or rehabbing) will jump back into the rotation. I'll eat crow if they do. The rotation is FAR from being the problem of this team, and I never though I'd see the day when I'd think that (after the last decade).

I think it would be a bit early to send Bailey to the pen, but yeah, Volquez will likely spend any part of 2010 that he spends pitching in the bullpen. He could be a shot in the arm, but I don't think it would be quite enough. I think at least one arm if not two needs to be added, to push some of the lesser arms off the roster (Looking at Ondrusek and Herrera.) Not to mention a turnaround from Cordero and Masset.