11-05-2022, 06:23 PM
(11-05-2022, 09:28 AM)samhain Wrote: I fail to see the downside of spending a little to make the roster a bit less of a laughingstock.
The more seasons they have like 2022, the farther they fall in terms of public interest. I definitely fall into the category of fans that are excited for the young talent in the minors, but watching the big league team flail around for 162 games is sad. They've already bailed a ton of cash from the books. The total spend gets even lower after 23 when Moose and Votto have their obligations fulfilled.
I hope like hell that guys like De la Cruz and Marte are as advertised. I have a decent amount of faith that they are. The big 3 young pitchers look promising, too. Unfortunately, even with this in mind, I have difficulty being overly positive about the long-term outlook.
For every team like the Astros that became a powerhouse through tanking and selling off, you have teams like the Pirates. The Pirates are an indisputable joke of a professional organization. With that in mind, they have been far from bereft of young talent over the years. Cole, Frazier, Bell, Reynolds, Hayes, Morton, and others have all been productive. More than half got sold off by a budget-minded front office with zero real interest in building a winning team.
To put it more concisely, what happens IF and when the Reds' mega prospects do pan out? Do they become cornerstones to build around with supplemental free agents? Do they become capital in trades for a future that never becomes reality? I know what I think the answer is. The Cubs and Astros both added when their young stars matured. So did the Braves. The Braves have been doing a decent job of locking up their young stars long-term. I don't know if the Reds brass has that kind of drive or foresight.
You summed up exactly how I feel about this team and organization right now. I would like to see them, at minimum, fix the bullpen. A team relying on, while developing at the same time, a young rotation is going to need a good bullpen. I’m actually surprised Lodolo pitched as many innings as he did last year, seeing how few he tossed the season prior. They didn’t have much of a choice, and he handled it well for the most part. They need to have other aspects of the team settled in and squared away for WHEN they start calling up this young talent they acquired. Bullpen was so terrible the past couple years because they fill spots with bargain bin guys and comeback type players. And thats fine to fill a spot or two for guys in low leverage situations but you need bona fide horses at middle, set up, and closer. There are a couple guys from last year I’d consider keeping but overall, it all needs rehauled.
If they half ass it again this coming season, look for even less fan attendance than we had THIS year, people have found “somewhere else to go”, Phil!
