Novel Idea for the Lame Duck Rotation

[Benihana]

Outside of Arroyo, every starting pitcher on the Reds appears to be getting worse by the outing. Harang and Cueto look dramatically worse every time they take the hill, leading me to suspect that they may be injured. Owings and Volquez are already injured. Why not allow Harang and Cueto to join them on the DL, and bring up the entire also-ran staff from Louisville?

This season is clearly in the tank. Don't risk damaging Cueto for the future or Harang's future trade value by letting them continue to deteriorate before our eyes. Bring up Justin Lehr, Ben Jukich, Matt Maloney, Ramon Ramirez, and (if you can trade Arroyo) Sam LeCure. We have to figure out what to do with those guys before next season anyway, as there will be guys like Stewart, Wood, Smith, possibly Buck and eventually Leake ready to take their place in the Louisville rotation. I can't imagine any of them have very much trade value that could be hurt by exposing them to major league pitching. Bailey should be a AAA pitcher right now anyway, so might as well let the rest of his minor league bretheren join him in the Cincy rotation. Who knows? Maybe one of them sticks and you have your 2010 Ron Villone/Steve Parris, or better yet- you have another chip to trade.

(The sad thing is, I'm only half kidding)

[Falls City Beer]

I'd wager that replacement rotation would do considerably better than the current horse feces on the 25 man.

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by Falls City Beer

I'd wager that replacement rotation would do considerably better than the current horse feces on the 25 man.

Obviously it couldn't do much worse than what we've seen since the Break.

[Reds1]

We'll see Lehr tomorrow and we already have Homer here so we aren't as far off as you think!

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by Reds1

We'll see Lehr tomorrow and we already have Homer here so we aren't as far off as you think!

Lehr is pretty much the presumptive ace of the staff till someone can knock him off the pedestal.

[Degenerate39]

Who would read a book about this rotation?

[Highlifeman21]

Janish doesn't get much playing time as is...

Give him the ball every 5th day...

[bucksfan2]

Mario Soto better be on a plane tonight to come up and help Cueto.

[CTA513]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Mario Soto better be on a plane tonight to come up and help Cueto.

The Reds shouldn't have to keep flying Soto in to fix these guys.

[OnBaseMachine]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Mario Soto better be on a plane tonight to come up and help Cueto.

I'm not sure what Soto can do to help him. I think Cueto is just tired. He pitched winter ball in 2007 and then threw 174 innings last season. Then he followed that up by pitching winter ball in 2008, plus spring training was longer this year because of the WBC, that adds even more innings to his workload. I just think he's worn down. I'm hoping the Reds skip a start here and there to keep his innings down. Oh, and don't allow him to pitch winter ball.