relief

[Wally Mo Pena]

Rick White, Mike Burns, Chris Hammond, and David Weathers are all struggling, to say the least. I have the most confidence in weathers to bounce back, but he certainly isn't closer material. I think the other three should be cut right now, and here are some guys at louisville who could probably do better.

player     ERA  IP   K   WHIP
Germano    3.86 11.2 7 1.20 
Gosling    1.64 10.0 8 1.00 
J. Hall    1.69 10.2 4 1.03 
Shack      0.00 5.1  6 0.94 
Wagner     3.60 5.0  7 1.60

shack seems like a no-brainer at this point. He's basically been unhittable at AAA. Wagner has a nasty whip, so i worry about him, but he's still probably better than burns, who's terrible ERA doesn't even show how bad he is since he lets alal of his inherited runners score. and then i'd take one of the starters up to be a long reliever in place of white. Maybe hall.

[missionhockey21]

I'd call up Loveshack, Wagner and Germano. I know Germano could probably use the starts in AAA, but it wouldn't be bad for him to get his feet wet in a relief role up here.

Rick White and Chris Hammond are over the hill bums and Mike Burns is a nothing, all should be cut. Weathers is an ok relief pitcher, but I think Todd Coffey has shown he can work out of jams and is developing closer like stuff.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

Call up Germano put Dave Williams in the bullpen sounds like a good experiment to me..

[missionhockey21]

That would be my intent of calling him up to the bullpen but I don't think the Dave Williams experiment is over yet.

[Geki Ace]

DFA: White, Hammond, Williams (Because he's a fat piece of shit)
Call up: Germano, WAGS, LOVE SHACK

Do it now, O'Krivsky.

[redsrbetter]

Do what you guys are saying plus trade LaRue for more relief pitching and get Burns out of there?

[Geki Ace]

There.

Is.

No.

Market.

For.

LaRue.

[NFLman2033]

after the walk off yesterday I said outloud and too myself, this is what happens when you don't pay enough attention to your bullpen, I have been saying it since day one that it was too weak for us to even dream about competing.

IMO they need to try someone else, Right now I don't think I would have any problems with reversing Coffey and Weathers.. let Weathers set up for Coffey, Coffey got out of some good jams this past weekend, Weathers isn't hte future at the CP spot and shouldn't even be considered at this point, its like Todd Jones, ok not that bad, but still.

Honestly, I think the best thing to do is convert one of our wouldbe starters into a closer right now, most of them do pretty well, look at Gagne he wasn't a great starter, but became a fantastic closer.. Reitsma was a good starter and became a great reliever.. I think a closer is almost as important as a good starter and if you can convert a good starter to closer it works a hell of a lot better than what we tried with Graves.

Something needs to be done, Hammond needs to go for sure, Rick White, well i don't know, he will probably fall off, Belise can do alright, and I think Coffey can do it.. but what do i know right

[NFLman2033]

Do what you guys are saying plus trade LaRue for more relief pitching and get Burns out of there?

well like gecki said not much market value for LaRue, there would definately need to be someone worth getting, i hear a package deal Aurillia, LaRue, and maybe a prospect, that is one of those things that we would have to be on the inside to know who could be moved and for what, we have nothing that can get us a closer thats for sure, and I think that is our problem, if we can get someone who can be a closer, obviously from within, move weathers back to a set up role, we could certainly improve our standings, and then for for someone in the offseason.. my idea is still to convert someone, probably a starter who is usually only effective one or two times through the order

[CincyRedsFan30]

I think some put WAY too much into the whole idea of a "Closer." I just want someone effective in the bullpen who can help preserve wins late in games the majority of the time. I would prefer someone with a live, power arm who can strikeout batters. The whole notion of the "Closer" though is a bit overrated, IMO. The "Save" is very overrated as well. I just want someone effective who can help us win the tight ones after the starter has come out of the game.

[Wally Mo Pena]

I just want someone effective who can help us win the tight ones after the starter has come out of the game.

that's what a closer is.

[missionhockey21]

Same here, and I think Coffey could be that guy if given the chance (Wags too, if he hammers down his control and regains his velocity of his rookie season.)

[CincyRedsFan30]

The idea of a "Closer" is overrated. It's an overpaid position. The team simply needs someone who can get batters out by missing bats. It doesn't have to be someone who is "known" as a "Closer" or who would always even pitch the 9th inning. Whenever the team needs that player most late in the game, that player should come in. If the team has a 3-run lead in the 9th against a weak part of the opposing lineup, I don't think they have to go to a particular "Closer."

[missionhockey21]

That's the reason I always have advocated that the Reds target those guys big on stuff, but low on success (IE, the pitchers a winning team might not be confident in handing the ball to in the 9th.) Not that they would neccesarily be great or even our closer, but just for the risk that they might. Because like you mentioned, anyone with the closer title attached is going to cost a heck of a lot more in trade and or free agency.

[ghettochild]

why are people so sold on "love shack"... 5.1 innings isn't much to be sold on guys. and he wasn't really that impressive when he was called up/spring training