Is Harang being stashed on DL?

[JKam]

Or is he really still injured? It seems with all the pitching depth, Harang has been on the DL for a long time without any prospect of being activated. If the Reds make the playoffs, it would be sad that he would still be on the DL. After all, he has been the Reds ace through some very lean years, so it would be nice for him to enjoy the success. At the same time I can't really see taking out one of the guys starting to put Harang back in there. Even the bullpen is looking like there is no space for him.

Pretty sad if he ends his Reds career on the DL if he's not really injured.

[webbbj]

pretty sad yes. yes but he is a liablity in the rotation. i wouldnt mind him pitching in the minors on rehab and come up sometime in september and become a reliever in the playoffs.

[Votto4MVP]

I hope he never starts another game for us...now come 9/1 if they wanna take him off the DL and let him pitch in the bullpen I could deal with that. Maybe in game 4 of the WS when we are up 3 games to 0 against the yankees and have a 5 run lead in game 4 they can bring him in to close it out.

Although I dont want him on the playoff roster.

[DocRed]

I actually have him chained up in my basement per Reds contract. He gets 3 meals a day, has cable TV and a clean mattress to sleep on. It's not so bad....

[LeDoux]

I am certainly no roster expert, but I am assuming Sept 1st will see a number of changes. I am guessing they are holding several players hostage until they can be sure they will not end up on a rival's team heading into the home stretch.

[Captain13]

I agree with everything Votto said. Right now he is our 7th best starter. Also, since his 1st inning is his worst, I don't want him in the pen either.

Aaron, thanks for the good seasons when we were terrible. Good luck in the future.

[GIDP]

Hes still on rehab but they are probably just going to wait until september so they dont have to make a roster move.

[knoonan991]

I agree with everything Votto said. Right now he is our 7th best starter. Also, since his 1st inning is his worst, I don't want him in the pen either.

Aaron, thanks for the good seasons when we were terrible. Good luck in the future.

I feel pretty much the same way.

If he's on the DL, why complicate things even more on an already crowded roster filled with 25 deserving players?

Unfortunately, Harang is not what he used to be, in spite of that the Reds are finally winning. On good and winning teams, feelings have to be hurt in some way. We have too many guys that can contribute, and Aaron should understand that if his performance isn't up to par, or at least 5th best, he won't be seeing much time on the mound.

[bshall2105]

Does anybody else think that if Harang is on the playoff roster he will be starting Game 1? I know it doesn't make any sense, but Baker has started him the last two opening days when there were better options.

[knoonan991]

Does anybody else think that if Harang is on the playoff roster he will be starting Game 1? I know it doesn't make any sense, but Baker has started him the last two opening days when there were better options.

I think Walt will take the best 25, I'm confident Harang won't be among that group.

But if he is?

[redssince75]

Does anybody else think that if Harang is on the playoff roster he will be starting Game 1? I know it doesn't make any sense, but Baker has started him the last two opening days when there were better options.

Uh, no, even Baker isn't going to take a pitcher who hasn't started in months (or started very little, in September) and start him Game 1 of the playoffs.

[bshall2105]

Uh, no, even Baker isn't going to take a pitcher who hasn't started in months (or started very little, in September) and start him Game 1 of the playoffs.

I know but they show so much loyalty to some people, especially Harang.

[New York Red]

I agree with everything Votto said. Right now he is our 7th best starter. Also, since his 1st inning is his worst, I don't want him in the pen either.

Aaron, thanks for the good seasons when we were terrible. Good luck in the future.

I hate to say anything negative about a player who gave such effort for miserable Reds teams, but I have to agree with the above post. If it's all about winning, and making a serious playoff run, then I can't see where Harang fits in right now.

[FlightRick]

In an effort to be the Voice of Reason, this would be a good issue to look at some actual stats, rather than just going on gut feel. Subjectively, you may not find Harang as exciting an option as some of our younger guns, but objectively, there are right and wrong answers in this world...

The issue isn't really where Harang is in his overall career trajectory or the pitcher he's been in 2010, because if you throw out his first four rocky starts in April (a time when ALL Reds' SP were having troubles, before things suddenly smoothed over and it seemed like Bryan Price's system finally clicked with the staff), here's what Harang has done in 2010:

13 GS
8 QS
79 IP
60 K
22 BB
4.12 ERA
1.40 WHIP
6-4 W/L Record (7-6 team record in his starts)

And those numbers are EXACTLY in line with his 2009-as-a-whole season stats, which means it's not some kind of aberration. It's entirely more likely the four crappy starts before these 13 start were the aberration.

It should be noted that 2009's Aaron Harang was a 2.5 WAR player (and the Reds best SP, despite an incongruous W/L record). If that is still the same Harang who exists in 2010 -- and these numbers suggest it is -- that makes him a perfect #3/#4 starter. His post-April stats make him Leake's equal in 2010, and better than Bailey, and far better than Volquez (sample size not-withstanding on Edinson). You do *not* go out of your way to "stash" a guy like that on the DL, you go out of your way to find a spot for him on your roster.

The question, however, is if we actually get this post-April 2010 version of Harang back, once he's activated from the DL. His rehab/recovery program has been a hot mess, with stops, starts, and setbacks galore... and then his first rehab start in Louisville was a trainwreck.

Like I said: I'm not worried about Harang in terms of his overall career trajectory, but if the guy who comes off the DL is *not* the same guy who went on it after a VERY serviceable May/June, then we've got problems... and *that* is when you start thinking about ways to keep him from screwing up what we got going.

But not until you know that that is, in fact, the case... the Reds are lucky to have the time (and alternatives) to proceed cautiously and make a careful examination of things before making a decision.


Rick

[Vottomatic]

I just get tired of watching Aaron try to hit the outside corner with what seems like every pitch. It's like his velocity is down. His other pitches aren't working. And all he can do is throw a fastball and try and hit the outside corner. And if the ump isn't giving it to him as a strike, he's pretty much done for the day.

I agree with the above. Thanks for quality years while playing on a lousy team. And I wish you well.