2 spots 3 guys

[icehole3]

The Reds will sent Gary Majewski and Bobby Livingston to Triple-A and place Bill Bray and Elizardo Ramirez on the DL to begin the year.
Either Matt Belisle or Kirk Saarloos will be the fifth starter, with the other pitching in middle relief. This also means the Reds will keep two relievers from a group of Victos Santos, Jon Coutlangus and Rule 5 pick Jared Burton.

Which 2 would you take between Victos Santos, Jon Coutlangus and Rule 5 pick Jared Burton?

[Joseph]

Coutlangus and Burton.

[BRM]

I'd take Coutlangus :p: and Burton but I'm confident Coutlangus :p: gets sent down and Santos will make the squad.

[flyer85]

I think it's one spot and three guys unless someone is getting traded

Harang, Arroyo, Milton, Lohse, Saarloos, Belisle, Cormier, Hermanson, Weathers, Stanton, Coffey. - that's 11, leaving just one open spot.

I think they are trying really hard to get rid of Frenchie.

[Joseph]

Good point on Hermanson. Maybe Belisle is the 5th starter and gets optioned?

[BRM]

I think it's one spot and three guys unless someone is getting traded

Harang, Arroyo, Milton, Lohse, Saarloos, Belisle, Cormier, Hermanson, Weathers, Stanton, Coffey. - that's 11, leaving just one open spot.

I think they are trying really hard to get rid of Frenchie.

That's one veteran bullpen.

[flyer85]

That's one OLD bullpen.fixed

[Danny Serafini]

I'd take Burton, send down Coutlangus and Santos and keep the Belisle/Saarloos loser as long relief. Otherwise there's no one in the pen who can pitch long relief.

[redsupport]

santos has a zero era

[flyer85]

I'd keep all three of them.

[MississippiRed]

santos has a zero era

One more reason, in a long list of them, to trade some old guys and give these young guys a shot.

[BRM]

I'd keep all three of them.

Instead of Cormier and who? Hermanson?

[Heath]

santos has a zero era

so did dennis ribant and keefe cato, you know?

(Sorry - I got caught up in the redsupport web)

:D

[IamWallaman]

Reports we saying yesterday that the 5th slot was between Belisle and Saarloos

...and the final bullpen slots (2) were between Burton, Coutlangus and Santos

That seems to indicate that Belisle gets optioned (because that would never happen with Saarloos)

So we're either looking at:

Belisle, Saarloos, Burton
or
Saarloos, Burton, ...and probably Santos

[texasdave]

santos has a zero era

The circle of life. His ERA is exactly the same as his chance of being on the Reds' roster on Opening Day. :(

[BRM]

What's the latest word on Hermanson's velocity? Is he up in the 90 range now?

[bucksfan2]

Santos gets sent down because he said he would accept that. Also he wont get much work early in the season so to keep him sharp a stint in AAA probably would be best. If Burton has the kind of stuff they say he does he has to stay on the major league roster. I do envision him spending 2-3 15dl stints.

[redsupport]

thanks heath keefe cato was the ne plus ultra of middle relievers

[Red White]

Instead of Cormier and who? Hermanson?

Milton

[BRM]

John Fay thinks Belisle is the 5th starter.


Narron said afterward that they still haven't made a call on the fifth starter. Still, think it's going to be Belisle.

Rotoworld says the choice is clear.

http://www.rotoworld.com/images/pixel.gif


Matt Belisle surrendered three runs -- two earned -- in 2 2/3 innings Friday in a win over the Rays.

Kirk Saarloos relieved him and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Still, Belisle holds the clear ERA advantage (2.87 to 4.32) in the competition to become the Reds' fifth starter. The other will be carried as a middle reliever.

[pedro]

I think Belisle is the better starting candidate, but he also profiles better from the pen than Saarloos.

[TC81190]

Instead of Cormier and who? Hermanson?

I'd dump Cormier. For anything. Cause I'd love to keep the trio of Santos, Coutlangus, and Burton all 3 on the roster.

[OnBaseMachine]

Burton and Coutlangus are my two choices.

[pedro]

I'd dump Cormier. For anything. Cause I'd love to keep the trio of Santos, Coutlangus, and Burton all 3 on the roster.

Cormier is a better pitcher than Santos IMO, spring results not withstanding.

[redsupport]

based on what

[MartyFan]

When are they expected to announce the final 25 man roster? Tonight? Tomorrow?

[Kc61]

based on what

Lifetime performance? By a mile?

[Always Red]

Hermanson has been terrible of late; he will start out on the 25 man, but he might not last very long...

[reds44]

Can someody tell me what Hermnason has done to earn a spot on the team, much less the closer?

[jamess697]

They are only trying to buy there time with Hermanson until Eddie gets back. Unless Hermanson does some kind of lights out performance.

[Always Red]

Can someody tell me what Hermnason has done to earn a spot on the team, much less the closer?

All I can figure is that he's proved that his back is no longer an issue. Whether he can get hitters out or not is another matter. He pitched lights out for about 75% of the White Sox 2005 world championship year, but had not pitched like that before then.

It's a total gamble, and also an indication to me that WK doesn't feel like the Reds are close to being in the playoffs. A closer is a must in the playoffs, or even to get there. The fact that this team won't spend for one tells me that the FO doesn't feel they are that close yet.

Hermanson will probably start out being the closer, and if he fails, I hope they allow Coffey the next chance. Burton is intriguing, but doesn't have nearly the experience that Coffey has.

[reds44]

They are only trying to buy there time with Hermanson until Eddie gets back. Unless Hermanson does some kind of lights out performance.
Why can't the buy time with Coffey or Coutlangus or Burton or anybody but Hermanson?

[Always Red]

They are only trying to buy there time with Hermanson until Eddie gets back. Unless Hermanson does some kind of lights out performance.

I don't expect Eddie to be back this year, to be honest. He's a gamer, but he had Tommy John surgery at the end of last year; if he's ready to pitch again by mid-August, that would be a very quick, uneventful recovery. And Eddie is no spring chicken anymore; older guys take longer to heal.

Eddie was also losing his game when he came to the Reds. He pitched well, but not everyone was convinced that he had great stuff anymore; he got by on knowing how to pitch, and absolutely embracing the job.

I hope Eddie makes it all the way back, and can pitch effectively again, but I, for one, will not count on it.