Bronson Arroyo agrees to two-year contract extension

[Matt700wlw]

Originally Posted by M2

And that plan is?

build a team around pitching and defense.

Sexy? No..chicks dig the long ball...and 10-9 games are fun.........but having a team of all slug and no glove has gotten the Reds where, exactly?

Will it work? I don't know. As much as fans (myself included at times) clamor for this, that, or the other....KrivDog stays the course of HIS plan.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

build a team around pitching and defense.

Sexy? No.........but having a team of all slug and no glove has gotten the Reds where, exactly?

Every animal has a backbone, if baseball was an animal then defense would be its backbone.

Winning teams run, and you need a backbone to run.

But first you have to take a step forward.

[Benihana]

Thank you Dan Wilson, Bobby Ayala, and Reggie Sanders!

[Matt700wlw]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Every animal has a backbone, if baseball was an animal then defense would be its backbone.

Winning teams run, and you need a backbone to run.

But first you have to take a step forward.

I think this is a step forward.....the package isn't complete yet, but I think it's a step forward.

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by M2

And that plan is?

Isn't it obvious?

1. Collect old relief pitchers
2. ???
3. Profit

[dsmith421]

Just saying "pitching and defense" is facile and explains nothing.

Krivsky's plan, as I see it, is to put together a core of players who can challenge for honors beginning in 2008 and more seriously in 2009-11. The resignings of Harang and Arroyo clearly indicate a desire to create a window during which the current ML core (Harang, Arroyo, Dunn if re-signed, Encarnacion, maybe Coffey and Phillips) mesh with our highest-rated prospects (Votto, Bailey, Bruce, Cueto).

Before the signings of Harang and Arroyo this was in no way evident.

If this is the aim, then I'm all for it. But it still does not justify tying up as much money as the club has recently in old relief pitchers, bench players who can't hit, and Kyle freaking Lohse. Those moves make me question whether Krivsky will be able to identify the complementary pieces to plug in if the above plan comes to fruition.

[fisch11]

I was stoked the other day that we would have Harang and Arroyo for 2 more years together, now it's 4. Homer comes up and we have a solid front 3 in the rotation. Now fix the bullpen.

[NYMoose]

Originally Posted by M2

And that plan is?

Maybe he is actually Fred Tuttle - "A Man with a Plan"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Tuttle

[M2]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

build a team around pitching and defense.

Sexy? No.........but having a team of all slug and no glove has gotten the Reds where, exactly?

Hmm, I think if I were building a team around pitching and defense and I were the Reds GM, I'd be trying to bring in more young arms so that the team might, you know, actually pitch well as a whole. Extending Harang and Arroyo is a good idea and it buys the club more time to put itself together, but the Reds literally might need to find another 8-10 pitchers to go with them (near-term and long-term).

I'd probably also look into finding a corner OF with a good glove and perhaps a young catcher with some unrealized promise. I for sure wouldn't allow Ken Griffey Jr. to patrol CF.

I give Krivsky credit for having done some things on the pitching and defense front when his immediate predecessor let those things go to pot, but I think it's little more than lip service to call it a full-fledged plan at the moment.

[Matt700wlw]

Originally Posted by M2

Hmm, I think if I were building a team around pitching and defense and I were the Reds GM, I'd be trying to bring in more young arms so that the team might, you know, actually pitch well as a whole.

I think he wants to develop those in the minor leagues...

So for the time being, he brings in experienced pitchers and crosses his fingers.

[BRM]

Is the 2007 Reds defense that much better than last year's version? I see Gonzo but what else has Wayne done that would constitute a defensive upgrade? I know moving Griffey out of CF would be a BIG sign that he's serious about improving that area. We'll find out if that happens in the next couple of months.

[M2]

Originally Posted by NYMoose

Maybe he is actually Fred Tuttle - "A Man with a Plan"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Tuttle

Tuttle may have been the greatest politician of the 20th century.

[Yachtzee]

I think its a great move!

Also, I wonder how much the fact that the Reds seem very willing to promote his music career played in his mind. I think the biggest change I've seen from the Bob Castellini regime is a willingness to promote the players beyond the traditional game-day give aways.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

I think he wants to develop those in the minor leagues...

So for the time being, he brings in experienced pitchers and crosses his fingers.

Ahem. Dan O'Brien says hi.

And that's not praising DanO, but it's the same plan.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by M2

Tuttle may have been the greatest politician of the 20th century.

Tuttle died of a heart attack after a day spent digging potatoes, at his home in Tunbridge, Vermont. He was buried in his overalls, with a pen in his pocket for autograph signing and a can of Moxie by his side.

The Moxie was probably included to kill him in case he really wasn't dead when he was buried.