12-03-2023, 02:52 PM
(12-03-2023, 02:31 PM)samhain Wrote: Same here. Getting one year of a frontline starter with red flags for precious prospect capital seems less than brilliant. Bieber has elbow inflammation last year. He could be TJ surgery waiting to happen.I like your idea on Aro, but feel like Benson / Fraley have earned the LH at bats. I really like Benson. He vastly improved his approach after his terrible start and subsequent send-down. He's a patient hitter with a good eye, and I would really hate to bench him in favor of a full time RF. I would say just move he and Fraley to LF but Benson doesn't play good defense or take decent angles out there compared to RF.
The Reds have at least 6, maybe 7 candidates for the rotation going in to 2024. Greene, Abbot, Ashcraft is a solid 1-3. There are only 2 spots left for Lodolo, Williamson, Martinez, Phillps, etc. Lowder may or may not rise through the ranks by the end of the year.
The smart money, to me, would be spent on one more high end LH reliever and a RH power bat than can play every day in RF. Prepare the pen as if you're going to use them a lot, because you most definitely are. Take pressure off of the young staff and let them develop on cheap rookie deals. Get guys that can come in after 4 or 5 innings and steady the ship for a few innings. You use these guys every day in high leverage situations and they come at a far less steep price than frontline starters.
Developing pitching is the key to sustained success. If you can do it in house, you save a ton of money and can sustain success even in smaller markets. You avoid the risk of giving huge contracts to proven FAs.
If I unload prospects of significance, I want Arozarena. You get him to play in RF every day for the next 3 years. Huge impact on the overall roster. He makes the batting order lethal. I'd also be okay with signing Teoscar Hernandez and keeping the prospects.
One more RP and a no-doubt stud RF would be the best way forward IMO.
