What should the Reds brass do? Part 1 Pitching

With yet another Reds starter going down to injury (Ramon Hernandez, joins Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez, and Alex Gonzalez), it is time to consider the future of our beloved Cincinnati Reds. There are technically 6 starting pitchers, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, and Micah Owings.

Frankly, Aaron Harang should be lionized by this tow; he is in a league with Anthony Munoz as far as character and charitable work. Baseball, however, is not football and the prospect of any player playing out his entire career with a small market team like the Reds is remote.

As a pitcher, Aaron Harang seems to need a bigger ballpark as he ages. Once dominating Harang has been prone to giving up one big inning and at least one (and very possiblely more) homerun in that bad inning. The Reds are not a team that can afford this type of performance. Pitching in Great American Ball Park must be lights out, and Harang has not been that way since 2007. Harang seems to have lost 3-5 mph on his fastball and some sharpness and depth on his down breaking slider; this is a poor combination. Harang needs to spend some quality time developing a change -up in the next off-season if he is to remain a top of the staff pitcher.

There are managers who would give up a lot to secure Aaron Harang and frankly, the Reds should comply. Harang is a very valuable commodity for some like the Philly’s or Dodgers. The Reds should ask for a power hitting right handed bat or top of the organization power pitching prospects.

I think that all knowledgeable baseball people will agree that Bronson Arroyo does not have top of the rotation type stuff; however, the guy just keeps winning his fair share of games. Frankly, Arroyo is another pitcher that would be better outside GABP than at home. There are games that Bronson will drive team crazy giving up double digit runs and maybe 5 bombs. Other times he looks like the second coming of Bob Lemon mixing his pitches and befuddling hitters. Which pitcher is he? Frankly, he is both. He is also a very valuable commodity, he rarely misses starts, and pitches over 200 innings per year and over the long haul will break even on wins and losses. In a more forgiving park like Dodger stadium he might significantly improve, but GABP is a poor place for Bronson’s home park. Bronson is also very popular, like Harang, but he is also aging. There are always teams looking for a pitcher to get them over the hump and Bronson is the guy who can do it. Once again the Reds should ask for top pitching prospects from any interested teams.

All-Star Edinson Volquez had a poor start to the year and then things got worse with his elbow tendonitis. Frankly, If the Reds are sellers then he should not throw another inning this year. Edinson is a very valuable pitcher who can succeed in GABP do to his overpowering stuff. In the vernacular of our day, he's a keeper.

Johnny Cueto has all-star level stuff. He is young, has brain cramps, (throwing an inside fastball to Prince Fielder with 2 strikes), and top of the rotation stuff! He is a definite keeper. I would personally shut him down at 200 innings not matter what.

Homer Bailey also looks great one night and scary the next. Some of this may have to do with who is umpiring the game. Umpires with small strike zones are not "Homer friendly." Still he has come up with a new very effective split finger pitch and revived his big down breaking curveball, even his slider has improved and he seems to be able to throw them all for strikes on some evenings. Did I mention the upper 90's speed fastball? A nice little option to have in your back pocket, that. After being beaten unmercifully the first few times in the big leagues, Bailey shows a real aversion to losing. In fact, it is safe to say that Bailey get's really ticked off about losing, as a fan I really like that, another definite keeper.

Micah Owings is a pitcher without an out pitch. His fastball tops out around 90 and really does not have much of what pitching pros call Live Ball Factor (LBF). His breaking stuff is worse than ordinary, so much so that throwing it to an opposite side hitter is a sure fire recipe for long ball fun by the Reds opponents. Yet Owings wins games. Owings needs to spend some time with Change-up master Mario Soto, and frankly should talk to Homer about teaching him that split finger pitch he developed (His curve and slider are THAT bad).Still he’s a winner and a keeper.

Uncle D, if you deal Harang and Arroyo that only leaves 4 starting pitchers. (I agree and can add) so for the 5th guy or 4th since I regard Micah as the #5, I would like to see Nick Masset get a shot at starting. His mid 90's heat, and knee buckling curve make him an excellent choice for GABP.

So what is the pitching profile for GABP I keep harping on? Starting pitchers must either be overpowering or ground ball specialists. This in my opinion is all that will work over the course of the year for the Cincinnati Reds. Looking at the 40 man roster, pitcher Matt Maloney shows promise of being a ground ball pitcher ala Tommy John. Robert Manuel also looked good in his stint here.

Frankly there are a number of guys to try and this year should be scraped, but with an eye for the future, the near future, rather than other years pipe dreams. Make no mistake; our Reds are close, very close indeed.

Big D