Reds Sign Luke Weaver

[WrongVerb]

Dennis Weaver also played the strange motel manager in Touch of Evil.

[757690]

Minor projected to be decent, he was decent for years earlier. But he was injured for 2022, which was the main cause of his decline.

Weaver is different. He’s been a decent starter most of his career, but was bad last year as a reliever. However, he had decent peripherals, so he’s a bounce back candidate. He may not, but most projection systems think he will. He’s a gamble, but a cheap gamble. The Reds didn’t have to give up a reliever to get him, nor pay him $10M a season.

[herbdizzle]

Luke Weaver is fine for the role. A fungible cheap arm the Reds can ride till it falls off. The quartet of Weaver, Cessa, Overton and Dunn will be competing for the 4th/5th SP roles. I hope it's Weaver and Cessa.

[Kingspoint]

They have to get through a 162 game season without ruining the decent pitchers they do have. I think Weaver can give them 5 innings per start with an ERA in the 4.50 to 4.75 range. The Reds have no one else in house other than Greene, Lodolo and Ashcraft that I think is capable of doing that in 2023. He's not the kind of guy I'd seek out for my rotation, but he's still an upgrade to the alternatives.

I think Dunn is a 6 ERA waiting to happen. My hope is that he pitches zero innings for the Reds this year. I thought he should have been non-tendered.

I don't see him getting through that 5th inning without at least two on board. Half the time both runs will score as it's the time we don't use one of our three best Relievers. Just can't see him with a WHIP below 1.6 and an ERA below 6. Using up four Relievers every time he starts puts more pressure on the other Starters to go futher than they should.

The Manager is just going to have to punt and stick with a pitch limit on the core pitching staff, our best pitchers, not to overuse them. If it leads to 120 losses, so be it. It shouldn't cost him his job. If anything, he should be rewarded for keeping the future healthy.

[InsaneinthBrame]

I don't see him getting through that 5th inning without at least two on board. Half the time both runs will score as it's the time we don't use one of our three best Relievers. Just can't see him with a WHIP below 1.6 and an ERA below 6. Using up four Relievers every time he starts puts more pressure on the other Starters to go futher than they should.

The Manager is just going to have to punt and stick with a pitch limit on the core pitching staff, our best pitchers, not to overuse them. If it leads to 120 losses, so be it. It shouldn't cost him his job. If anything, he should be rewarded for keeping the future healthy.

Not seeing the 1.6 whip and 6 ERA unless he is unlucky and or injured. He has good stuff and command. Career 4.75 ERA with 3.96 whip. So expecting him to his career average I do not think is too much to expect. I think for 2M this may not be a bad bet he is only 28 way younger than Minor.

[HokieRed]

Weaver hasn't thrown more than 65 innings in a year since 2018. You're still going to get to see a lot of starts from Overton, Cessa, Dunn et. al. I'm hoping they're still waiting on the market to thrown them one more arm relatively cheaply--a Chris Archer or Dylan Bundy for instance.

[mth123]

I don't see him getting through that 5th inning without at least two on board. Half the time both runs will score as it's the time we don't use one of our three best Relievers. Just can't see him with a WHIP below 1.6 and an ERA below 6. Using up four Relievers every time he starts puts more pressure on the other Starters to go futher than they should.

The Manager is just going to have to punt and stick with a pitch limit on the core pitching staff, our best pitchers, not to overuse them. If it leads to 120 losses, so be it. It shouldn't cost him his job. If anything, he should be rewarded for keeping the future healthy.

That's why I'd want somebody else. What you describe is still better than I think the in house alternatives can do.

- - - Updated - - -

Weaver hasn't thrown more than 65 innings in a year since 2018. You're still going to get to see a lot of starts from Overton, Cessa, Dunn et. al. I'm hoping they're still waiting on the market to thrown them one more arm relatively cheaply--a Chris Archer or Dylan Bundy for instance.

I hope you are right, but I gave up on the Reds actually doing anything smart, so I'm not holding my breath.

[Slyder]

So, from Krall's interview, it looks like Weaver will start the season as the fifth starter.

That gives the Reds Greene/ Lodolo/ Ashcraft/ Cessa/ Weaver as a rotation on Opening Day, with Overton/ Dunn/ Williamson/ Stoudt (likely in that order) behind them either in AAA or as swing-men in the bullpen.

90+ Losses here we come again!!!

[UPRedsFan]

Wondering if there’s any chance Antone can start. Maybe as a 3-4 inning guy building up to 5 or 6.
Is that easier on his arm to throw 75-80 pitches every 5 days for maybe 25 starts instead of pitching 60+ games in relief where he may be asked to heat up quickly in high leverage situations?

[Patrick Bateman]

Minor projected to be decent, he was decent for years earlier. But he was injured for 2022, which was the main cause of his decline.

Weaver is different. He’s been a decent starter most of his career, but was bad last year as a reliever. However, he had decent peripherals, so he’s a bounce back candidate. He may not, but most projection systems think he will. He’s a gamble, but a cheap gamble. The Reds didn’t have to give up a reliever to get him, nor pay him $10M a season.

Minor was injured when we got him. It was a horrendous acquisition


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[LeatherPants]

Wondering if there’s any chance Antone can start. Maybe as a 3-4 inning guy building up to 5 or 6.
Is that easier on his arm to throw 75-80 pitches every 5 days for maybe 25 starts instead of pitching 60+ games in relief where he may be asked to heat up quickly in high leverage situations?

He’s coming off his second TJS and hasn’t thrown a competitive pitch since August of 2021. He’s pitched a total of ~70 innings since the beginning of the 2020 season. He’s not going to start, and if he does, he’s going to give you maybe 10 starts at most in 2023. If he’s healthy at the deadline he’s being traded.

[RedsFanInMS]

I was hoping for Dennis Weaver.

Side note: My Father always called my uncle Dennis Weaver because he looked like him

[757690]

Minor was injured when we got him. It was a horrendous acquisition


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Which makes the comparison between Minor and Weaver even weaker.

[757690]

He’s coming off his second TJS and hasn’t thrown a competitive pitch since August of 2021. He’s pitched a total of ~70 innings since the beginning of the 2020 season. He’s not going to start, and if he does, he’s going to give you maybe 10 starts at most in 2023. If he’s healthy at the deadline he’s being traded.

I agree on the first part, Antone should not be starting, and I have major doubts if he will even be effective if healthy in any role.

However, I don’t understand why you think he will be traded at the deadline if healthy? 2024 is his first arbitration year, and he won’t be a free agent until 2026. The Reds kept Simms and Cessa in their arbitration years, they have been wiling to keep arbitration eligible relievers if they thought they would be productive. I see no reason why the Reds would trade Antone if he’s healthy.

[Kingspoint]

I wasn't sure which thread to place this question, but the Luke Weaver thread seemed appropriate for the serious fan, the punch-drunk fan and the fans who just don't care anymore...

Does anyone see any innings limitations for any of our Starting Pitchers? Who has and who doesn't have innings limitations?

I ask only because the state of the Mariners' staff caused me to think about it. They have two former 1st Round Starting Pitchers like the REDS, who are their #3 and #4 Starters in Kirby and Gilbert. (Ace Castillo is #1 for the next 5 years and Robbie Ray is #2 for the next 5 years). These two former 1st Rounders had innings limitations last season like Greene and Lodolo. Both Gilbert and Kirby have now reached the point where they no longer have any innings limitations.

I think Greene and Lodolo will be this season where Gilbert and Kirby were last season (which shows that the REDS should have been buyers this season adding a Starting Pitcher better than both Greene and Lodolo, but I'm not going to rehash that again, though I know the punch-drunk fans can take another beating). I don't think either has reached the point where an innings limit can be removed completely.

There's no plan in Cincinnati towards winning, now or in the future, or they wouldn't be wasting the early years of good pitching of Greene and Lodolo. But, as a punch-drunk fan, I can pretend to feign interest and try to look for something positive.