Reds July 2023 thread

[CJD]

(07-06-2023, 01:03 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I get what you're saying dawg, but. In the end I just feel our pitching will be our downfall. The top teams every season, or dang near every team always has upper tier pitching. And I'm just afraid this magic on offense isn't going to be enough down the road.

AS I've said a thousand times it seems, LOL. I realize it's probably next year before we're a true contender for the big show, but... I'd hate to be just on the cusp this season and falter because the pitching staff just doesn't have it. Bullpen is exhausted by Sept. and so on.

That's true. I'm just worried about the asking price.

When we traded Tyler Mahle, he had 1 and a half seasons left of control and his stat line for the season was 5-7 W-L, 4.40 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.9 K/BB, 9.83 K/9 and and ERA+ of 102 (100 being average). 

Those numbers were right around his average career numbers at the time as well. 

That player cost the Twins Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, as well as a third player that we flipped for Will Benson (plus a 2022 2nd round draftee). 

At the time, those were the Twins' #7, #18 and #23 overall prospects. CES was the #23 prospect but, at the time, he was hitting .333/.400/.685 in AA ball after being promoted following a .296/.370/.599 campaign in A+. The rankings only had him that low because they had not yet caught up to how amazing of a prospect he was, which he promptly showed this year.

If we were to trade for a similar pitcher, it may end up costing us something along the lines of Chase Petty (or CES, they are our #7 and #6 prospects, respectively), Austin Hendrick (2020 first round pick, #19 prospect), and Lyon Richardson (#27 prospect but, like CES last year, the rankings have not caught up to his success this year, currently sporting a 2.25 ERA in 13 starts in AA).

It's definitely a tough decision. I wouldn't want to be in Nick Krall's shoes for the decision of whether or not we go for it this year.