Reds Offseason Thread

• thavoice

  Heretic;1716122 wrote:I disagree with Phillips on this, but if you sift through things, he does kind of have a bit of a point. I think that with so many of the Reds hitters being streaky guys who can hit like crazy for a while and then go into an extended slump, there are times when Votto's "look for the perfect pitch" approach does need to be more aggressive. At times, when a lot of guys are struggling (or taking a day off and being replaced with one of those .210 utility guys that always seem to stick around because of "grit"), I think you'd rather have your best overall hitter be more aggressive instead of courting walks and then being stranded three straight times.

  I agree with the idea of wanting JV to be more aggressive. I have not problem with that,but man if someone gets on base as much as he does how can ya fault that? I do think JV is getting the type of $$$ that means more RBI's and such, but the basic idea in baseball is to not make an out and he does that as good as anyone
• Heretic

  

  thavoice;1716236 wrote:I agree with the idea of wanting JV to be more aggressive. I have not problem with that,but man if someone gets on base as much as he does how can ya fault that? I do think JV is getting the type of $$$ that means more RBI's and such, but the basic idea in baseball is to not make an out and he does that as good as anyone

  I don't think there would be this problem if we were talking about MVP Votto, where he's hitting over .300 with great production and also getting walked like crazy. But with the injury issues, he's been pretty much an average guy who just happens to get walked a lot. So I think some of the frustration might be along the "JEBUS!!!! Take the bat off your shoulder and make something happen like you used to do all the time!!!' lines.
• thavoice

  Heretic;1716240 wrote:I don't think there would be this problem if we were talking about MVP Votto, where he's hitting over .300 with great production and also getting walked like crazy. But with the injury issues, he's been pretty much an average guy who just happens to get walked a lot. So I think some of the frustration might be along the "JEBUS!!!! Take the bat off your shoulder and make something happen like you used to do all the time!!!' lines.

  I concur.
  His BA with RISP that season was amazing, and really something that couldnt be sustained. To compare BP and JV, BP approach drives me much more crazy than Votto's. BP seems like he tries to hit a grand slam even with no one one base.......but yeah, he is jealous Votto got the $$$.
  At redsfest a couple of years ago Arroyo threw a couple of jabs at JV and his $$ as well. Couldnt quite tell if he was just joking or not, but stilll. Votto, in the 3 hole, making that much needs to drive in close to 100.
• thavoice

  Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  
  79 wins?
• Ironman92

  

  Picked last by ESPN Magazine
• SportsAndLady

  

  Ironman92;1717460 wrote:Picked last by ESPN Magazine

  In the entire MLB? Or just in the central
• Ironman92

  

  5th in the central
• SportsAndLady

  

  Central is tough but I doubt they finish last. Their lineup is too good they'll be around .500 and 3rd or 4th in the central.
• Ironman92

  

  Was given tickets for opening day...I've never been to one and they are 400 level but will likely head that way Monday
• thavoice

  They wont finish last. They will finish ahead of the Astros.
  
  Oh wait.
  
  
  Never been to opending day. WOuldnt mind going one year but the weather can be brutal. For football games, I prefer late season, shitty weather, but for baseball....not having it!
• Azubuike24

  

  Haven't been less excited about a season in probably a decade. I hope it proves me wrong, but it's incredible where this organization has gone (for the worst) in a span of 5 years. Before the 2010 season, they looked promising, but even more so, had a wealth of talent near the major leagues. They had seemingly started to get away from the model of retread starters, a scrapped together bullpen and a roster that tries to simply hit more home runs than everyone else. 5 years later and...well...blah.
• thavoice

  Chapman left after 1 batter because of a hammy yesterday....
• TedSheckler

  

  Are you kidding me?!?! The Reds cut Sam LeCure.
  
  This team...
• sherm03

  

  TedSheckler;1718262 wrote:Are you kidding me?!?! The Reds cut Sam LeCure.
  
  This team...

  I was coming to post this. They didn't "cut" him. They outrighted him to Louisville. Not sure why he would start the season in Louisville. I can't figure that out.
  
  Looking at the pitchers left in camp, they have 4 left handed pitcher: Manny Parra, Sean Marshall, Chapman, and Cingrani. All four of those are in the bullpen. How often does a team have a rotation that is ALL right handed pitchers?
• TedSheckler

  

  And Hoover is still on this team.
  
  SMH
• thavoice

  Unlesss he is a little dinged up. Looked at his stats.....not bad for the spring. 3.24 era but that doesnt tell a whole lot. 3-1 K to BB ratio (12-4) in 8 innings is pretty good.
  
  Ya would think 4 Lefties in the pen would be overdoing it...especially early on.
• Heretic

  

  TedSheckler;1718278 wrote:And Hoover is still on this team.
  
  SMH

  J.J. Hoover cannot be stopped. He will be there, giving up homers in key seventh inning situations until the end of time.
• thavoice

  It was an atrocity that Hoover stayed on the team as long as he did last year. The front office was idiotic to keep him up, and Price was just as dumb in using him.
  
  
  March 10th he gave up 2 ER, but other than that he was lights out this spring. .95 WHIP, opp avg under .200.
  
  I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt (cannot believe I said that) but it is vital he starts strong.
• se-alum

  

  thavoice;1718279 wrote:Unlesss he is a little dinged up. Looked at his stats.....not bad for the spring. 3.24 era but that doesnt tell a whole lot. 3-1 K to BB ratio (12-4) in 8 innings is pretty good.
  
  Ya would think 4 Lefties in the pen would be overdoing it...especially early on.

  Marshall won't be in the pen. He'll start the season on the 60-day DL, and probably never come off it.
• Ironman92

  

  I don't mind it......but remaining trash in the bullpen will be a problem I'm sure.
• Azubuike24

  

  LeCure cleared waivers because they owe him 1.85M. If he can't make a shitty pen like the Reds, I doubt another team wanted to put him on their 25-man and pay him that much. I'll bet he's pitching for the Reds within a month.
  
  The travesty here is some of the other names that made it. Gregg. Hoover. Marquis. God help me.
• Terry_Tate

  

  Wait, JJ Hoover is still on the team this year? Seriously? This isn't a fucking joke just to piss me off?
• Ironman92

  

  Terry_Tate;1718368 wrote:Wait, JJ Hoover is still on the team this year? Seriously? This isn't a fucking joke just to piss me off?

  He worked hard and improved his time to first by .2 seconds
• thavoice

  se-alum;1718297 wrote:Marshall won't be in the pen. He'll start the season on the 60-day DL, and probably never come off it.

  Yep. On the 60 day.
  
  Need to cut bait on this guy.
  Or will he be like Billy Bray....on the DL forever but finally came back and pitched very well for a time.
  
  Right now though, Marshall has just been complete shit.
• mhs95_06

  Azubuike24;1718363 wrote:LeCure cleared waivers because they owe him 1.85M. If he can't make a shitty pen like the Reds, I doubt another team wanted to put him on their 25-man and pay him that much. I'll bet he's pitching for the Reds within a month.

  He's now off the 40 man roster. He has to report to Louisville to be sure he gets his 1.85M. I agree with Price's assessment:
  
  
  LeCure cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. He had Minor League options left, but the club needed the 40-man roster space. Reds manager Bryan Price clearly had emotions about the move.
  
  "The LeCure thing, I never could have seen that coming when we began Spring Training," Price said. "I think it breaks all of our hearts that he's not on this ballclub right now. We anticipate him being back. I think we feel he's not at his best where he needs to be to help us right now."
  LeCure, 30, is owed $1.85 million in 2015, the second year of his two-year contract. To collect that money, he would have to report to Louisville, which he indicated he would do.
  
  LeCure has the third-most appearances for the Reds from 2010-14, and he's long been viewed as a key middle-to-late-inning reliever. But last season wasn't as strong of a year for LeCure, as he went 1-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 62 games and struggled at times during the second half.
  LeCure had a 3.24 ERA this spring in seven Cactus League games, but this was a case where he didn't pitch as well as the numbers may have indicated.
  "His velocity is down a little bit, but the concern isn't the velocity," Price said. "The concern is fastball command. … His bread and butter we've seen over the last five years is being able to locate that fastball with that off-the-body comebacker on lefties and freeze down and away on the right-handers. It's a signature pitch for him. He's been a little erratic with that since the second half of last season."
  
  
  Seems to me like he must have a physical problem, and it might not have a remedy. I'm guessing shoulder, and once he gets to Louisville he may be on the DL most of the season.