Kyle Lohse

[remdog]

Originally Posted by redsgabp

had we not gave Bronson Arroyo a bigger contract he would of left...

if we dont pick up dunns option then we have next to no offense.

i could see us picking up 1 big name person next year to make a playoff run.

most of our team will be dirty cheap...
such as...
homer bailey
josh hamilton
joey votto... assuming all goes right
elizardo ramirez... assuming all works out
matt belise

the best thing about 08's season is that i think it will be griffeys last!

a outfield of these three will look pretty good...
hamilton CF
dunn LF
Jay Bruce RF


this team is starting to build something special down the road.
i just hope we can blossom a little early and make it in this year.

You're asking for just about everything to go right.

We could have waited till this off season to resign Arroyo. If he has a great season you're in a bidding war, if not you save a lot of money to spend elsewhere. (shrug)

Dunn is pretty much in the boat same as Arroyo.

Consider that Arroyo/Harang suffer an injury or have had a career year in '06. Bailey, Bruce and Votto don't live up to expectations. Dunn walks. Hamilton had the peak of his career in ST of '07. The Reds don't have a major league catcher on the roster. How do ya' like me now say the Reds?

Do I think the scenario I just posted will happen? No. But it's just about as realistic as the one that was described looking through rose colored glasses. (shrug)

Rem

[Willy]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

That's why Cincy always seems to plateau and doesn't make any huge leaps...any contracts coming off the books are already devoured by upcoming salary increases. It would be nice once in a while to have $10 or 15 million to blow on a free agent.

I heard the Yankee's are looking for fans

[kbrake]

No one seems to have minded the strike zone today but I have to wonder would you all feel the same had we lost 1-0? Not only that but had Dunn played he probably would have k'd looking 4 times at pitches below his knees. That was a real real tough zone today.

[Highlifeman21]

Originally Posted by redsgabp

i doubt we will have loshe next year.

i could be wrong but next year i see our rotation as
1)Aaron Harang
2)Bronson Arroyo
3)Homer Bailey
4)Matt Belisle
5)Elizardo Ramírez

color me with rose glasses but i think this would be a very good 1-5

Homer will be cheap along with Elizardo Ramírez and Matt Belisle

this will free up a new contract for adam dun i hope!

2 things concerned me with this post....

1. Adam Dun(n) has a contract.

2. Elizardo Ramirez has about as much business pitching in the Reds' rotation about as much as I do. The kid is a mop up guy at best. He has zero upside.

Aside from that, great post....

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by Reds Freak

I loved the umpire's strike zone today. Obviously MLB hitters didn't like it because they are used to strike zone's the size of a shoe box. No wonder home runs have gone up in recent years because pitcher's have to throw it right down the belt to get a called strike. It's time that umpires start calling the whole plate giving some advantage back to the pitcher. I was watching one of the Reds 1990 playoff games this past winter and was amazed at how big the strike zone was back then. It was at least an inch bigger on all sides then it is now. And hitters still managed to hit the ball.

When it is cold like today, the zone gets big!!!:

[remdog]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

When it is cold like today, the zone gets big!!!:

Yeah, it does seem that way, doesn't it!?!

Rem

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Willy

I heard the Yankee's are looking for fans

Sorry...didn't know it was too much to ask for a team to look to improve and make a serious run rather than plugging holes with players who are one or two years away from retirement.

[thatcoolguy_22]

Originally Posted by kbrake

No one seems to have minded the strike zone today but I have to wonder would you all feel the same had we lost 1-0? Not only that but had Dunn played he probably would have k'd looking 4 times at pitches below his knees. That was a real real tough zone today.

the bottom line about the strike zone today was it was consistently large. That is all most major league hitters will say that they ask for in an ump;consistency. Everyone knew by the end of the 3rd inning how it was and Lohse just took advantage of it.

Why should he be throwing a pitch over the outer half when he can still get the call 3 inches outside? You can not hold it against. He pitched exceptionally well TODAY and I hope he can keep it up.

Also Dunn might have been able to adjust...

Originally Posted by remdog

You're asking for just about everything to go right.

We could have waited till this off season to resign Arroyo. If he has a great season you're in a bidding war, if not you save a lot of money to spend elsewhere. (shrug)

Dunn is pretty much in the boat same as Arroyo.

Consider that Arroyo/Harang suffer an injury or have had a career year in '06. Bailey, Bruce and Votto don't live up to expectations. Dunn walks. Hamilton had the peak of his career in ST of '07. The Reds don't have a major league catcher on the roster. How do ya' like me now say the Reds?

Do I think the scenario I just posted will happen? No. But it's just about as realistic as the one that was described looking through rose colored glasses. (shrug)

Rem

your right about arroyo, we would of been in a bidding war.
and you know the NYY would pay a golden boston boy a good 15+mil a year.

arroyo has already proven himself.

next year we have to pick up the option to have dunn, after that he will be a free agent.
i wouldn't mind getting him in for a longer contract, especially after miltons contract comes off the books.

arroyos 05 boston numbers are as good as his 06 reds numbers minus the SO's. so i wouldn't say he had his year of his lifetime last year and will now drop off the radar.

harang was better in 06 than 05 but i don't think he is a risk to turn into milton.

Bailey and Votto are living up to expectations now!

Bailey, if he keeps up the numbers he has started out, will be up here at some point this year.

votto will be a good replacement for our aging 1st base. (hopefully next year)

the scenario you posted would be if hell came and everybody turned into eric milton. LOL

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

That's why Cincy always seems to plateau and doesn't make any huge leaps...any contracts coming off the books are already devoured by upcoming salary increases. It would be nice once in a while to have $10 or 15 million to blow on a free agent.

Wayne had over 30 million to blow this past offseason He just spread it out among many players. He could've easily signed a 10-15 million guy if he wanted to.

[REDREAD]

Also, I don't mind that Wayne extended Arroyo earlier than he had to.

Sure, it was a risk, but it was a smart risk. It's nice to keep Arroyo happy. I'm sure the other players noticed to. It's nice to see the front office/ownership change from its old philosphy of waiting until the 11th hour to negotiate and then when the player bolts, calling him greedy, a bad seed, or whatever.

Sure, extending Arroyo might come back and bite us in the rearend, but it was a risk worth taking, IMO.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

Also, I don't mind that Wayne extended Arroyo earlier than he had to.

Sure, it was a risk, but it was a smart risk. It's nice to keep Arroyo happy. I'm sure the other players noticed to. It's nice to see the front office/ownership change from its old philosphy of waiting until the 11th hour to negotiate and then when the player bolts, calling him greedy, a bad seed, or whatever.

Sure, extending Arroyo might come back and bite us in the rearend, but it was a risk worth taking, IMO.

I'm in no way, shape or form comparing the two...but I said the same thing about Milton. I was happy with the signing, not because of Milton, but because they actually went out and spent some cash.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Arroyo re-signing. While it did give the team a better top 2 starters than we've seen for a long time, it's just a lot of money for someone who had a career year last season. I might be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But I thought dealing him at his peak, if possible, would have been a smart move this off-season.

Originally Posted by edabbs44

I'm in no way, shape or form comparing the two...but I said the same thing about Milton. I was happy with the signing, not because of Milton, but because they actually went out and spent some cash.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Arroyo re-signing. While it did give the team a better top 2 starters than we've seen for a long time, it's just a lot of money for someone who had a career year last season. I might be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But I thought dealing him at his peak, if possible, would have been a smart move this off-season.

look at arroyos boston numbers...

while last year may have been his best year, his numbers from bean town are great too.

look at him already this year, he has looked great.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

That's why Cincy always seems to plateau and doesn't make any huge leaps...any contracts coming off the books are already devoured by upcoming salary increases. It would be nice once in a while to have $10 or 15 million to blow on a free agent.

Its as if you are upset with the salary increases....take alook around the majors, that is the structure of multi-year deals....please reconsider your statement. I understand you wish the Reds had money to spend, but you also have to lock up core guys with escalating deals. Every team in the major league deals with that, so your first sentence goes for all mid to small market clubs, not just Cincy as it seems you imply.

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by membengal

Right. I agree. I am NOT saying the Reds will HAVE Lohse next year. I was musing that IF he is focusing like he never has before because he is in his free agent walk year that the Reds might benefit. That's all.

And the same goes for Milton!