This post from Jeff got me thinking:
When the dust settles on the 2006 campaign, I would imagine Reds fans would have more hope for the future of this franchise than they’ve had in many a year.
Is that true? It has been a very fun year in many ways, though we must be honest and say that the season hasn’t been nearly as successful as many think it was (we have a losing record, folks). But the high points were very high, and we had a ton of fun following this team during the 2006 season, didn’t we?
But do you have more hope for the future than you’ve had in a while? I think my answer is yes, but it’s a qualified yes. With Bob Castellini at the helm, I’m very confident that the Reds will be winners at some point in the future. It didn’t happen this year, and I think there’s a very good chance that it won’t happen next year, but someday Castellini will be the owner of a legitimate playoff-caliber team.
I’m decidedly less-optimistic about the Reds’ short-term prospects. I fear that “The Trade” has done serious damage to the cause of a winning team next year. The offense is no longer the slugging wonder that it was, and the pitching hasn’t been improved one bit.
What do you think? Do you have more hope? Even for next year?
Let’s hear your opinions.
Our slugging wonders did not result in a winning campaign, or even come close. Yet, there are more slugging wonders on the way. I think the in-season re-tooling will be a downtime overhaul this winter.
I’m less optimistic now about next season. Originally I was willing to give Krivsky the benefit of the doubt, but “The Trade” was a huge mistake. It seemed like he was making moves just for the sake of making moves as the year went on.
I’m amused by the thought and mindset that “Castellini needs to open his wallet if we are to have a fair shot.” Really? Spending for whom, and what? Look at that free agent list and outside Soriano, who’s worth any sort of money, or is any sort of upgrade? As if spending big bucks for players (see Blue Jays, Toronto) is a cure-all.
As someone noted on Lancaster’s blog a little while back, it’s the small moves and the pinpoint moves that often make a difference.
I don’t see anything on the horizon for this team that makes me want to roll over in my crib and shit my pants. I am an old school kind of guy and I don’t pay much attention to batting stats. They are usually pumped up against weak pitching.
Show me players with some desire and some heart that will fight on every last play and every pitch. Not some jerk trying to pump up his numbers against somebody’s fifth starter for contract time. This team has very few players that can truly handle a bat and make a pitcher work hard for every out. It is not good at moving runners along and manufacturing runs.
If I hear one more time about the lost production from the trade I think I’ll puke. Sure they beat the hell out of 4th and 5th starters and then struck out 15 to 20 times against the 1, 2 & 3 starters. But man did they have some great stats. And the most important stat of all, Wins & Losses, has been a little heavy on the loss side.
The defense needs improving, particularly in the outfield. It is helping to kill the pitching. Not just the obvious errors but the mental mistakes and lack of hustle miscues that don’t show up on stat sheets. Improving the defense will significantly improve the pitching.
As a prime of example of misleading stats, Big Klu always had great defensive stats. But I watched him for a lot of years and anything hit 2 feet either side of him was through. Stats just don’t show the true picture.
I don’t see much help coming from the farm next year. Real help is at least two years away. Unless WK pulls two or three rabbits, and it will take two or three, out of the hat then next year will look a lot like this year.
The way I see it, most of Krivsky’s moves have panned out except “the Trade.” Broson Arroyo has upgraded our starting pitching, David Ross is no fluke at catcher, and Brandon Phillips was a true steal at second base. For next year, Krivsky will have more time to make these kind of pick-ups and more. He will jettison Jason LaRue and Royce Clayton, and use some of the cash gained from that infamous Kearns/Lopez deal to find us another decent starter and a bonafide closer. Then it’s just a matter of picking up another quality bat or two, from hopefully well-rounded players (i.e. guys that can also play D and hustle).
As a Reds fan you’re always optimistic but it means more now because we have positive ownership. The ‘stove’ this season will be hot because they’ll be big changes. This team has too many old guys and has to get younger to be on the road to the playoffs. LaRue, Hatteberg, Aurilia, Griffey, Weathers, should all be traded for what we can get out of them. Bring up Votto, Bruce and Bailey. Move Phillips to shortstop and either trade for a secondbaseman or put Harris there. Add a ‘stopper’ to the starting rotation. The relief pitching of Schoenweis, Bray, Coffey, Belisle, and Majewski is adequate. Not a playoff team yet but better than the ‘over the hill’ crowd we have now.
Chris, 15 GREAT players? Hand me a hit off that weed you’re smokin’. Dude. The only teams that ever had 15 GREAT players were the 27 Yankees, 30 A’s and 76 Reds, and that’s arguable for 15 GREAT.
I see the glass half-full. We have a core of young everyday players to build on (Dunn, Phillips, EdE, Ross). We have 2/5 of a good rotation, and enough filler (Milton, Lizard, Lohse, etc.) to make it respectible. Jr.’s willingness to move into right would go a long ways towards helping the OF defense. If we can “luck” into a good bullpen, this team could win the Central.
’52: agree that stats don’t tell the whole story, but fielding stats have come a ways. Metrics like Range would show Big Klu’s inability to get balls hit near him.
Daedalus,
Agree we need one more strong pitcher but I would rather see us pick up a good centerfielder.
Either Grif moves to a corner or out the door. Sure wuld be nice to move Dunn. His few HRs don’t make up for his inability to cover more than 100 sqft.
I have more confidence in this team because of Castellini. Everything I’ve read about him indicates that he is in baseball to win. That in itself is an improvement in the type of ownership the Reds have had in the recent past. I think the team is one position player, and 4 pitchers (2starters, 1 reliable set up man and one closer) away from being a contender. I realize that’s alot. I’m not trying to minimize the problems. It just seems to me that Castellini is willing to do what is necessary to get those type of players on board. I’m not sure when it will happen but I’m confident the will is there in the front office to try. That’s encouraging.
While so many mourn the Kearns/Lopez deal and insist that Bowden “owned” Krivsky, how is it that Washington is going nowhere fast and traded two young pitchers away from a staff that has an ERA over 5? And, Majewski and Bray are likely to help out our bullpen past this season. I guess when a trade breaks a rule of tradition (don’t trade relievers for everyday players, and yes I left out “middle” on purpose) it must be viewed as a bad deal. I really don’t see where either team was helped this year, and I would say the probability of the principlals (Majewski/Bray) making a difference next year is higher for the Reds holdovers than the National. In fact, I’ll be surprised if the new owners even hold over Kearns and Lopez.
If Washington is going nowhere, it’s not because they gave up two relievers for two plus position players. I do think that Maj and esp. Bray will help us next year and beyond, but the main goal of that trade was to help us out THIS year. Which clearly didn’t happen.
Chris, you are absolutely right. Dunn is not the problem. His strikeouts and low batting average stick out because he needs to be surrounded by other players with more consistent batting averages and less tendency to wear down at the end of the season. The whole team has a tendency to strikeout way too much.
His 40+ hrs, 90+ rbi seasons are something any winning team would want on the roster. His strenghts just needs to be complimented by players who can also make up for some of his weeknesses.
He is not yet the type of player that makes or breaks a team’s season..(ie Bonds or Ryan Howard) But if he cut down on those strikeouts and long batting slumps, he could be. The Reds are still several players away from being a consistent playoff caliber team, but Dunn is a guy I’d keep around. His upside is enormous.