2024 Starting Rotation - Is It Good Enough?

[*ochocincos*]

(08-24-2023, 12:52 PM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: If memory serves me though, Chapman had a nice slider and change up he could throw to keep hitters off balance. He didn’t use them nearly as often as the fastball, but they were effective and it kept his fastball effective. Greene doesn’t have that, and he’s getting tattooed due to it, in my opinion.

Sort of side thought / question here but why aren’t we drafting, developing, and signing pitchers better suited for GABP? Instead of the high strikeout guys, why aren’t we looking for more “career groundball rate” guys? Why aren’t we working with players like Greene, to develop a sinker / downward movement on those high-spin-rate fastballs? Maybe we are, and I’m just not seeing the behind the scenes work?

Those pitchers are usually not the guys with the highest potential and thus aren't drafted super early in the 1st round, which is when the Reds had been drafting.

As for if/how much Greene is working on extra pitches, I would assume those aren't going to be attempted much in games until a pitcher feels confident in throwing them where/how they want consistently. But you have to really assume they are working on these things in practice between games to some extent at least. Although maybe that's not something during the season you get much chance to work on and have to wait until offseason.