I assume you are just talking about pitching? I dare you to find a franchise with a top 3 in the minors on the same level as Bailey, Bruce and Votto. True, the Giants did churn those guys out, but they also gave up on Liriano (and Bonser in the same deal). The Marlins and A's are pretty good at churning out pitching, but after them, who else is even competent? Bottom line is, unless you are one of the above two franchises, pitching is hard to come by. When you look around baseball, the teams that have good young pitching usually has to identify it on other teams, then go out and acquire it. You can maybe develop one ace, developing three or four is damn near impossible.
Go BLUE!!!
Okay, Lowry's a #2.
Jeez you guys can be pedantic. My point is to refute the point that teams don't churn out ace-level arms with some regularity; some do. Having one Homer Bailey is nice, but really, again, it's one arm--one pitch away from a rotator cuff tear.
Fans seem to want to almost will Bailey to be more than he might be. You never know, Bailey's ceiling may just be a Lowry--which is to say, a roaring success. It's really hard to be a great MLB pitcher.
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
“And when finally they sense that some position cannot be sustained, they do not re-examine their ideas. Instead, they simply change the subject.” Jamie Galbraith
im sorry, but noah lowry is not a #2. its that simple.
I think you're absolutely right.
However, the reverse is also true with pitching -- sometimes it is a who-cares round draft pick that ends up putting it all together and becoming an effective #3 or #4 man in a rotation. Develop a few of those and all of sudden you don't have to hit the FA market agressively looking to pay the Jeff Suppans of the world $40 million dollars for marginally above average production in the middle of a rotation.
The key, as with anything in baseball, is acquiring as many good, talented arms as possible. I think Doug is right in his assessment that the Reds finally seem to be doing that -- there are quite a few guys in this system that have pitching talent. I like the fact that there are a couple of projectable relievers in AA. They, like the #3/#4 prospects, are the guys that save you money and headaches looking for people like them in FA. History tells us the majority of them are going to hit a ceiling or flame out before they throw one major league inning -- but the more you have the better your chances of beating the odds.
I think you're right to say that its foolish to say Homer Bailey solves the Reds problems -- but he is a step in the right direction and I certainly wouldn't hold it against him that he's the best of what's around.
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
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