If the Reds are trying to improve pitching, the Free Agent lists on MLB.Com show a long list of bullpen free agents. I'm not talking just closers. This pitching coach from Milwaukee assembled the best bullpen in baseball in 2018. There are bullpen names Reds can afford. Let this new coach from Milwaukee pick out some pitchers that HE likes. We should Trust his judgement. He seems to know more about pitching than anybody on Reds in the last 20 years.

Not many teams giving a lot of money for a reliever. The new trend is to spread the money out more and use several specialists instead of on big hammer.

(11-16-2018, 05:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Not many teams giving a lot of money for a reliever.  The new trend is to spread the money out more and use several specialists instead of on big hammer.

As I said, I'm not talking Closer.  Reds Bullpen Sux.  So does Starters. Reds.com now says Reds looking for Free Agent Starters.  Let this Milwaukee Pitching Coach bring in some Bullpen help also.  The Reds have an OK Closer. That is about all they've got.  This Milwaukee coach built a Nasty Boys bullpen. Let him do it in Cincy. Hit Free Agency. No weak links in the bullpen. There is a long list of reliever free agents, some might not be all that expensive. Reds can NOT keep using the same awful pitchers. Not that much help in minors for 2019.

(11-17-2018, 11:13 AM)kevin Wrote:  Reds can NOT keep using the same awful pitchers. Not that much help in minors for 2019.

Agree 100%

Reds General Manager said Reds want starters via Free Agency or Trades. They should also be wanting a better bullpen. So I'll give a date when things might start to happen on Reds. DECEMBER 13th. By that date you have a lot of players not offered contracts. You have the Executive Meeting. You have the Rule 5 where teams can pick up other teams minor league players but they have to keep them on their 25 man roster. I look for Reds to make trades and player moves quick and fast around December 13th into Holidays. The Reds will want to do this in December to have players to take to camp early in February.

So look for Reds to make Trades, Pick up Free Agents, Maybe even grab into the Rule 5 pool. Being a last place team, they need to make moves. Reds already made moves bringing in new Manager, Pitching Coach, Hitting Coach. Now they need some new Players. New Coaches alone will not get Reds out of Last Place.

Again, I would be willing to make trades. At Executive Meeting I would offer Votto and Bailey in a package deal. Whoever wants Votto takes Bailey, but they have to pick up their contracts. What Reds get in return would be not that important to me. The main thing is dumping half the payroll. Then use that payroll on pitching and a less expensive but productive first baseman. I'm not saying Reds General Manager does this, I'm just saying I would even trade Votto if I thought it would get Reds out of last place.

The Reds General Manger promises player moves by trades and free agency. DECEMBER 13th, things should start popping on the old Hot Stove of Reds Winter player moves. There is already a long list of Free Agents at every position. November 30th is last day for teams to tender a contract and it will throw many more good players into the open market. December 13 is the Rule 5 throwing even more talent on open market. Reds could steal a player from another team provided they put him on 25 man roster. The best player they can steal to be the last player on team sounds good to a last place team. We could even see Reds make moves November 30th. Certainly the Executive Meeting around December 13th. Reds promise player moves, so it's just when and who now.

I'm hoping from Manager on down, that it's a whole new Reds team in 2019. I would be excited to watch the Reds again.

I just hope the Reds do something. This do nothing attitude will keep them in last place.

No team is taking Bailey's contract in a trade. They would laugh at the Reds for even suggesting it.

Votto is a perennial MVP candidate. You won't find a guy that productive for cheap, and, again, no team is going to want Votto's contract that pays him $25 million a year until he is 39.

(11-18-2018, 03:08 PM)guyofthetiger Wrote: I just hope the Reds do something. This do nothing attitude will keep them in last place.

We can't make a lot of trades because we don't have prospects in the minor leagues to step up and fill holes.  Senzil is the only ML ready prospect so we could trade Suarez, Gennette, or maybe even Hamilton and have Senzil fill the hole.  But we couldn't get much of anything for Hamilton.  

And we don't have a lot of money to sign big name free agents.  Matt Harvey may sign cheap, and then sign a middle of the rotation guy like Nathan Eovaldi.

This team will never make any big strides until we start producing some players from our own minor league system.

I think the bullpen staff is fine and got a potential boost from a rookie who was just added to the 40-man roster, Jimmy Hegert.

Locks:
Iglesias
Lorenzen
Garrett
Hughes
Hernandez

Potential on roster:
Hegert
Reed
Mella
Wisler
Sims

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25341817/reds-closer-raisel-iglesias-agree-3-year-deal

Reds have extended Iglesias for 3 years

(11-23-2018, 11:47 AM)Goalpost Wrote: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25341817/reds-closer-raisel-iglesias-agree-3-year-deal

Reds have extended Iglesias for 3 years

I don't follow baseball salaries close enough to know if this was a good deal or not, but look at our bullpen without him. 

(11-23-2018, 09:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I don't follow baseball salaries close enough to know if this was a good deal or not, but look at our bullpen without him. 

Looks like it puts him 12th among relievers.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/rankings/average/relief-pitcher/

By avoiding arbitration, and locking him up for 3 years, it should benefit his trade value, as we always seem to be listening to offers on him.

(11-23-2018, 09:30 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I don't follow baseball salaries close enough to know if this was a good deal or not, but look at our bullpen without him. 

Looks like a good deal, pretty affordable and takes care of the rest of his arbitration eligibility. My guess is, they just assumed what his arbitration value would be each of the next 3 season.

I hope the team is serious about competing next season, but if they are still a year or two away, this deal would make trading Iglesias pretty easy.

Quote:Again, I would be willing to make trades. At Executive Meeting I would offer Votto and Bailey in a package deal. Whoever wants Votto takes Bailey, but they have to pick up their contracts. 

You've obviously got a rocket ship ready for blastoff to another far away planet full of baseball morons, right? 50+M a year for one aging 1st baseman with trade clauses he has to approve of AND possibly the worst pitcher ever who also probably has the same clause and is owed around the same amount of money Votto is..   Yep! I'd jump all over that trade. The ONLY team that could POSSIBLY want Bailey at any price would be one that WANTS to buy the first pick of the draft ..for a couple of years straight .

The thing about baseball and sports in general really is its tough to predict how any player will perform a year down the road much less the next game..
There have been many players who underperformed for years then the light switch goes on and VIOLA! They have a great season and quite the opposite happens a lot..Player destined to the HOF just falls off the edge of the earth and never regains their former selves..
Most guys who make it to the major league level already have the potential to be really good and most fail for any number of unforeseen reasons, injury, mental makeup, piss poor management, etc. 
Even Homer Bailey could probably thrive and be a great pitcher at a different level in baseball, A ball for example, but at the major league level he's toast. Hell, there's even a remote possibly he could throw back to back no hitters again and then fall right back off the face of the earth all over again.. (By the way  in no way am I predicting even one more no hitter out of Homer much less two..), but it's not beyond the realm of possibility .