Turn Off Ads?
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 41

Thread: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    West Virginia
    Posts
    38,000

    Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    On the Beat
    Midweek Update
    by John Perrotto

    Gambling may be prohibited in baseball, but Brandon Phillips has a tip for those who like to place futures wagers. "We're the team to beat in the National League Central in 2010," the Reds second baseman said.

    No, Phillips wasn't kidding. He said it with a straight face, even though the Reds are wrapping up their ninth consecutive losing season. And yes, Phillips has the reputation for saying just about anything when he gets excited. Still, it's a free country, and everyone is entitled to voice their opinion, so why not at least let Phillips give his rationale on why he thinks the Reds can get to the postseason in 2010 for the first time since 1995?

    "For one thing, we have a pretty darn good team when we're all healthy," Phillips said. "The problem is we never had our whole team together this season. Then I look at all the guys who have been called up when we've had to use the disabled list and those guys can play. So, I figure when we get to spring training next year, it's going to be very interesting. We're going to have all our regulars healthy. Then we're going to have all the guys who got thrown into the fire this year and that's going to give us better depth. That's why I look at it and say we're the team to beat. We've got a lot of good players."

    We won't know until this time next year if Phillips' logic is sound. However, at least he sounds convincing. Reds manager Dusty Baker also has an optimistic outlook for a team that is 75-82, which is progress for a franchise that last had a winning season in 2000, when it dropped a tie-breaking play-in game to the Mets for the NL Wild Card. However, Baker's hopefulness comes from his belief that the Reds might be on more even economic footing with their division rivals when next season begins. The Reds opened this season with a $73-million payroll, which was fifth in the six-team division behind the Cubs ($134 million), Astros ($102 million), Brewers ($80 million), and Cardinals ($77 million) and ahead of only the always-thrifty Pirates ($48 million). Owner Bob Castellini isn't expected to raise the payroll significantly next season but Baker is hopeful other NL Central team will curb spending in a tough economy. "Hopefully, some of the other clubs have spent so much money that they can't add any more money," Baker said. "I've heard it's a sub-par free-agent year. That might make it better for us, too."

    With the Reds having little financial flexibility to add a significant player in the winter, Baker is hopeful a move made at the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline this season will pay off big. The Reds raised plenty of eyebrows when they traded for third baseman Scott Rolen despite being 45-56 and 9½ games behind the Cardinals. However, Rolen had asked Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi to send him to a team closer to his home in Indiana, and the Reds looked at the trade as a two-year move. The Reds' biggest need is a right-handed hitter with power, and Rolen was once that player. However, he is clearly in the decline phase of his career at 34 years of age, and he has managed just a .259 EqA and two home runs in 144 at-bats since the trade. Still, Baker believes Rolen can be a difference-maker in 2010. "He will be with us from spring training and he'll be adjusted to being back in the National League again," Baker said. "I think he can be a big player for us."

    The Reds' offense needs a boost as it is just 12th in the NL with an average of 4.1, runs scored a game; take out the park effects and use team-wide Equivalent Average, and they're 15th in the league, ahead of only the Giants. The unit hasn't had many bright spots except for first baseman Joey Votto continuing his march toward stardom, with a .325 EqA in his second big-league season. Retread outfielder Jonny Gomes posting a .295 mark after being non-tendered by the Rays in the offseason.

    More happily, the Reds sit in the middle of the pack in pitching, standing eighth in the 16-team NL by allowing 4.5 runs a game despite losing ace Edinson Volquez to Tommy John elbow surgery in May. Arroyo has 5.3 SNLVAR and closer Francisco Cordero (3.16 WXRL) heads a strong bullpen that has also gotten significant contributions from right-hander Nick Masset (2.71) and ageless left-hander Arthur Rhodes (2.55). "We've really missed Volquez because the rest of our pitching has been so good," Phillips said. "He was our ace. He was our guy. If he doesn't get hurt, it's a different story for the Cincinnati Reds in 2009."

    Instead, it has been the same old story for the Reds this year. However, Phillips isn't the only one in the clubhouse who believes 2010 holds promise. "Trading for Rolen showed that Bob Castellini and (general manager) Walt Jocketty believe we can win next year," Arroyo said. "We're going to get a chance to prove ourselves. It's time for all of us to step up. We've lost for too many years here, and I think everyone knows it's either time to starting winning next year, or management will blow this team up and start over again."

    http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=9601


  2. Turn Off Ads?
  3. #2
    Member top6's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    cincinnati
    Posts
    1,683

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    which is progress for a franchise that last had a winning season in 2000, when it dropped a tie-breaking play-in game to the Mets for the NL Wild Card.
    Wrong.

  4. #3
    Rally Onion! Chip R's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
    Posts
    41,751

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by top6 View Post
    Wrong.

    Yes and no. The last winning season was in 2000 but the playoff game was in 99.
    Quote Originally Posted by Raisor View Post
    I was wrong
    Quote Originally Posted by Raisor View Post
    Chip is right

  5. #4
    High five!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    6,976

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    And I only had Arroyo's SNLVAR at 5.1.



    (What's SNLVAR?)

  6. #5
    Socratic Gadfly TheNext44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    4,230

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    And I only had Arroyo's SNLVAR at 5.1.



    (What's SNLVAR?)
    Sometimes I think that BP just makes up stats with funny names to keep people paying for subscriptions every month.

    It looks like a a text message abbreviation. Maybe it's short for "So Not Loving Votto's Acid Rock"? Arroyo is more into classic rock, I believe.
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein

  7. #6
    Box of Frogs edabbs44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    16,358

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    And I only had Arroyo's SNLVAR at 5.1.



    (What's SNLVAR?)
    Might have something to do with Saturday Night Live, but no one really knows.

  8. #7
    Member klw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    15,120

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    And I only had Arroyo's SNLVAR at 5.1.



    (What's SNLVAR?)
    Wasn't Snlvar the cousin of Worf the Klingon on Star Trek: Next Generation?

  9. #8
    High five!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    6,976

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by TheNext44 View Post
    Sometimes I think that BP just makes up stats with funny names to keep people paying for subscriptions every month.

    It looks like a a text message abbreviation. Maybe it's short for "So Not Loving Votto's Acid Rock"? Arroyo is more into classic rock, I believe.
    Rgr, it looked like something I'd make up.

  10. #9
    High five!
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    6,976

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by klw View Post
    Wasn't Snlvar the cousin of Worf the Klingon on Star Trek: Next Generation?
    Or Gandalf's high school sweetheart.

  11. #10
    Member top6's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    cincinnati
    Posts
    1,683

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by Chip R View Post
    Yes and no. The last winning season was in 2000 but the playoff game was in 99.
    I know, but the sentence was still wrong.

  12. #11
    Et tu, Brutus? Brutus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    10,904

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    And I only had Arroyo's SNLVAR at 5.1.



    (What's SNLVAR?)
    Some
    Non-existent
    Loosely
    Valued
    Acronym
    Ranking

    SNLVAR
    "No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda

  13. #12
    Member RedsManRick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Guelph, ON
    Posts
    19,441

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    SNLVAR: Support Neutral Lineup-adjusted Value Above Replacement

    In layman's terms, all else being equal, how good has this guy pitched?
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

  14. #13
    Socratic Gadfly TheNext44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    4,230

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Quote Originally Posted by RedsManRick View Post
    SNLVAR: Support Neutral Lineup-adjusted Value Above Replacement

    In layman's terms, all else being equal, how good has this guy pitched?
    Hey, hey, hey... enough of that. No need to bring real knowledge into this... we might actually learn something. :
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein

  15. #14
    Socratic Gadfly TheNext44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    4,230

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Originally Posted by klw
    Wasn't Snlvar the cousin of Worf the Klingon on Star Trek: Next Generation?
    Quote Originally Posted by nate View Post
    Or Gandalf's high school sweetheart.
    Wow, a Harry Potter and a Star Trek reference in the same post. If you can figure a way to sneak The Lord Of The Rings into the conversation, you'd have the Dork Trifecta.


    Wait a minute, it was posted on Redszone, so it all ready has the Dork Trifecta... nevermind
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein

  16. #15
    Flash the leather! _Sir_Charles_'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    11,563

    Re: Baseball Prospectus on the Reds

    Ummm...gandalf IS lord of the rings. It's Harry Potter that's missing. :O)

    <----Dork with kids


Turn Off Ads?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

Thank you, and most importantly, enjoy yourselves!


RedsZone.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball


Contact us: Boss | Gallen5862 | Plus Plus | Powel Crosley | RedlegJake | The Operator