Reds Off-Season Thread

• justincredible

  

  Ryan Ludwick to the Reds, according to Ken Rosenthal.
• TigerNation10

  

  Like this a lot.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Doesnt he play RF?
• justincredible

  

  1 year, $2.5m
• TigerNation10

  

  SportsAndLady;1055299 wrote:Doesnt he play RF?

  Plays both corner positions. Remember him in left in St. Louis and he played left for the Pirates last season.
• justincredible

  

  Ludwick has been on the decline the last three seasons. Since his awesome year in 2008 he hasn't OPS'd over .775.
• Midstate01

  

  This reds team COULD BE really really good!!
• jordo212000

  

  Not in love with the Ludwick move. Seems like his skills diminish more and more each year
• Midstate01

  

  jordo212000;1055346 wrote:Not in love with the Ludwick move. Seems like his skills diminish more and more each year

  
  He's still better then what we have in left. I like heisey a lot but he proved nothing when he got starts.
• justincredible

  

  Ludwick's career OPS is the exact same as Gomes' OPS with the Reds. Also, he sucks against LHP.
• dave

  I like this move. $2.5mil is basically nothing these days. Surround him with guys like Votto, Rolen, BP and he should hopefully get his stroke back. GABP won't hurt his numbers either.
• jordo212000

  

  dave;1055699 wrote:I like this move. $2.5mil is basically nothing these days. Surround him with guys like Votto, Rolen, BP and he should hopefully get his stroke back. GABP won't hurt his numbers either.

  
  I'm not worried about the money. I knew they were going to get him for cheap. Personally I think Heisey can give us what Ludwick will provide next year. The bonus with Heisey is that he could still develop some. Ludwick is creeping closer to retirement
• se-alum

  

  We needed some outfield depth after trading Sappelt. Not a big Ludwick fan, but he's cheap enough to where it really doesn't matter. I still think Heisey will get the majority of the starts in Lf.
• se-alum

  

  So, lets start setting a lineup.
  
  Phillips
  Cozart
  Votto
  Meso
  Bruce
  Rolen
  Stubbs
  Heisey
  Pitcher
• TigerNation10

  

  Phillips
  Heisey
  Votto
  Rolen
  Bruce
  Stubbs
  Meso
  Cozart
  Pitcher
• dave

  se-alum;1055753 wrote:So, lets start setting a lineup.
  
  Phillips
  Cozart
  Votto
  Meso
  Bruce
  Rolen
  Stubbs
  Heisey
  Pitcher

  This is about what it should be. Dusty will probably put Stubbs back at the top, Rolen in the 4 hole, and Mes down at 7 or 8.
• SportsAndLady

  

  You guys like Mes that high in the lineup? Not saying it's wrong, I just didn't think he was cleanup hitter on a division favorite good quite yet. Very awesome to see.
• dave

  jordo212000;1055724 wrote:I'm not worried about the money. I knew they were going to get him for cheap. Personally I think Heisey can give us what Ludwick will provide next year. The bonus with Heisey is that he could still develop some. Ludwick is creeping closer to retirement

  Ludwick isn't that old. Heisey isn't that young either. He can play all 3 OF spots, he'll get his ABs.
• Azubuike24

  

  SportsAndLady;1056035 wrote:You guys like Mes that high in the lineup? Not saying it's wrong, I just didn't think he was cleanup hitter on a division favorite good quite yet. Very awesome to see.

  Logistically, the lineup makes the most sense, in an ideal scenario.
  
  CF Stubbs
  2B Phillips
  1B Votto
  3B Rolen
  RF Bruce
  C Mesoraco
  LF Ludwick
  SS Cozart
  
  However, that is assuming a lot.
  
  1. Rolen is 100% and back to what he was in 2010. Slim to none chance.
  2. Stubbs can actually grasp the idea of bunting and plate discipline. Slim chance, but he has the contact skills to lead off. His OBP sucks, for the most part, because of the K's. His AVG/OBP split is not awful.
  3. Mesoraco is ready from the get-go. Knowing Dusty, Hanigan will get a lot of the early PT, which will change the lineup.
  4. Cozart is 100%. If he is, he's clearly the option to lead off if Stubbs is struggling, or bat 2nd if Phillips is forced to hit 4th or 5th due to a Rolen injury (both of these scenarios are likely)
• dave

  I don't think Stubbs can ever be a leadoff hitter.
  
  I'd prefer
  
  Cozart
  Stubbs
  Votto
  Phillips
  Bruce
  Mes
  Rolen
  Ludwick
  
  BP has always tried to do too much in the 4 hole, but usually that's because he hasn't had anyone decent hitting ahead of Votto. Stubbs needs to have someone in front of him with decent speed. Rolen needs to be down in the lineup where there isn't so much pressure on him, I know he's a vet but it's got to be hard on him when he can't deliver while Votto is getting on 40% of the time. That will weigh on anyone. The key to the whole lineup is Bruce though , if he can be more consistent you can't really go wrong assuming guys are healthy.
• Terry_Tate

  

  I like Stubbs leading off because with his K's if he leads off and K's its a lot better than batting 6th with 2 on and striking out. He was 2nd in runs in the NL around midseason last year I think as well. His numbers don't justify leading off but it seemed like if he got on he got in last year.
• Azubuike24

  

  His role in MLB, if he's going to pan off, is as a lead-off hitter. He is not a run producer and can't be counted on to make contact in key RISP situations. So, IMO, this is a "make or break" year, where he either establishes himself as a core part of the franchise, or he's in the category of a guy the team will cut ties with. If you are "going for it", like Walt appears to be, it has to be with Stubbs in the lead-off hole to start the year.
  
  As Terry Tate said, if he isn't going to change, then he isn't going to last, and I'd rather him take those at-bats in the top spot instead of AFTER the best OBP guys (Votto, Rolen, Mesoraco...).
• dave

  They just traded away Sappelt, Stubbs will be here for a long time. There is no other option, Heisey obviously isn't one in management's eyes.
  
  If he can't hit in the 1 or 2 hole he could certainly be an above average 7 or 8 hole hitter, the problem was they needed more than that the last 2 years.
• se-alum

  

  I can't believe people want Stubbs leading off, especially with how good BP was in the leadoff spot last year. I think BP will ask to leadoff, and Dusty will let him. Stubbs is a 7 or 8 guy, that can occasionally provide you with some power, same with Heisey. I don't know that Meso will bat 4th, but I know Dusty will use a right handed bat to break up Votto and Bruce.
• mhs95_06

  I think you start the season with these fixtures:
  
  1) Phillips
  2) Cozart
  3) Votto
  7) catcher
  8) pitcher
  9) Stubbs
  
  The other four you pencil in day to day depending on the situation. Don't want to hamstring the top 3 so much when the #9 spot leads off an inning(Tony LaRussa's lasting strategical mark on baseball). If Cozart proves un-worthy or Meso proves worthy to move up, then make a change.