(06-03-2025, 08:26 PM)samhain Wrote: [ -> ]I'd probably keep Singer around at 10m. He's at the very least a solid 4 or 5 and can eat innings. Plus, if we've learned anything, there's never a such thing as too many starters. All the others are no-brainers. I like Nick Martinez a lot. I just feel like that 20m could be better spent elsewhere. I'd love to see a rotation of Greene-Abbott/Lodolo-Lowder-Burns-Singer. I might even dangle one of them for offensive help, ideally Lodolo if the return was impressive.
It's crazy to think about $10+ mill for a SP who is 4th or 5th in the rotation when the payroll for the Reds is usually between $100-120 mill.
That 6-year extension for Hunter Greene for $53 mill is looking like such a steal for the club.
Reds can't be spending $10+ mill on a 4th/5th and $20+ mill for a 3rd/4th guy in a rotation though.
They'll be stuck in purgatory at best.
They also can't be paying arguably utility guys with bad/inconsistent bats $15+ mill APY either (looking at you, Candelario).
Meanwhile, we see 5 teams with a payroll more than double the Reds (LAD, NYM, NYY, PHI, TOR).
I really do hate the lack of salary cap in MLB at times.
They just pluck all the good talent from these "poorer" teams and force those teams to have to keep catching lightning in a bottle in small windows to truly compete with them.
For GABP being such a hitters ballpark, you'd think the Reds want to prioritize really good hitters to take advantage.
I'm game for gambling on the likes of Greene, Abbott, Lodolo, Lowder, and Singer/Burns as the rotation for next year and turn that freed up $$ from Martinez and Pagan to hitters.
I think we've seen enough of these hitters to know most of these guys we just can't keep waiting for them to blossom and need some established hitters.
Plan for EDLC, Friedl, Hays, and Lux but it might be time to give up on the likes of Fraley, Steer, Espinal, CES. I'll keep the jury out on McLain and Marte, but the end of this year could seal the deal one way or the other on my feelings for them both.
Finding a reliable hitting 1B/corner OF/DH shouldn't be hard to do, even within the Reds' budget.