Reds 2016 opening day lineup

[NKY Bandit]

It's easy to look at the minors and forecast that some of those guys will be ready for 17. The pitching may be ready to go by then so you may not want to throw away another season with young guys.

 

I'm ready to move Mesoraco to LF. I'm ok with a Pena/Barnhart platoon until Wallach is ready. Got to find a solution for center, even if it means Dejesus/Winker/LaMarre/Rodriguez.

[UKMustangFan]

It's easy to look at the minors and forecast that some of those guys will be ready for 17. The pitching may be ready to go by then so you may not want to throw away another season with young guys.

 

I'm ready to move Mesoraco to LF. I'm ok with a Pena/Barnhart platoon until Wallach is ready. Got to find a solution for center, even if it means Dejesus/Winker/LaMarre/Rodriguez.

 

There is a 100% chance that Votto is on the team in 2017. His exclusion on your list gives it no chance of happening.

[NKY Bandit]

There is a 100% chance that Votto is on the team in 2017. His exclusion on your list gives it no chance of happening.

 

You don't see a scenario where a veteran Votto forces a trade to a contender or the Reds are blown away at the deadline with a deal too good to pass up? if the pitching is going to be as bad as it looks, your odds of playing post season baseball are null. Your GM has no experience rebuilding a team, always been a front runner. Your owner wants nothing to do with anything negative being said about him 'not trying' to win. Your manager may be the perfect guy for this scenario- good with young pitching and patient but not the type to motivate.

[UKMustangFan]

You don't see a scenario where a veteran Votto forces a trade to a contender or the Reds are blown away at the deadline with a deal too good to pass up? if the pitching is going to be as bad as it looks, your odds of playing post season baseball are null. Your GM has no experience rebuilding a team, always been a front runner. Your owner wants nothing to do with anything negative being said about him 'not trying' to win. Your manager may be the perfect guy for this scenario- good with young pitching and patient but not the type to motivate.

 

Come 2017 Votto is going to be a 33 year old veteran making $22M that season and $25M per for the next 6 seasons. No team is going to take on that contract. It just isn't going to happen.

 

Not sure where you get the pitching is going to be so bad in 2017 either....

[NKY Bandit]

Maybe the pitching will be 'improving'. Not sure that it's going to be good enough to keep a poor hitting team in most games.

[UKMustangFan]

Maybe the pitching will be 'improving'. Not sure that it's going to be good enough to keep a poor hitting team in most games.

 

I'm not sure where you're getting the pitching is so poor (starting pitching that is). Holmberg sucks. He won't be anywhere near the rotation after this season. Iglesias has shown he's got the stuff and potential to be a #2 starter IMO. Disco is a solid #3 or #4 in rotations. Lamb has the makings and the stuff to be in the same boat as Disco. The main thing this team needs is a top of the rotation bonafide ace. I believe, and I think others do as well, that Stephenson is a legit top of the line starter. It may take him a year or two to get into that, but he's got the makeup. When you add Homer back in, if healthy, the roation could come together quite nicely.

 

1 - Stephenson

2 - Bailey

3 - Iglesias

4 - DeSclafani

5 - Lamb

 

And that's not even taking into consideration the other arms that are getting close in Finnegan, Reed, Travieso, Garrett, Romano, Mella, Crawford, Howard, etc, etc.

[nkufan23]

I'm not sure where you're getting the pitching is so poor (starting pitching that is). Holmberg sucks. He won't be anywhere near the rotation after this season. Iglesias has shown he's got the stuff and potential to be a #2 starter IMO. Disco is a solid #3 or #4 in rotations. Lamb has the makings and the stuff to be in the same boat as Disco. The main thing this team needs is a top of the rotation bonafide ace. I believe, and I think others do as well, that Stephenson is a legit top of the line starter. It may take him a year or two to get into that, but he's got the makeup. When you add Homer back in, if healthy, the roation could come together quite nicely.

 

1 - Stephenson

2 - Bailey

3 - Iglesias

4 - DeSclafani

5 - Lamb

 

And that's not even taking into consideration the other arms that are getting close in Finnegan, Reed, Travieso, Garrett, Romano, Mella, Crawford, Howard, etc, etc.

 

I think Mahle has a chance to make some noise in the rotation competition in 2017. If I were ranking the Reds prospects right now I'd have him above Romano, Crawford and Howard. He's making a case to crack the Top 10 of Reds prospects and maybe even some national lists.

[malachicrunch]

Agree with you on De Jesus. I just don't think we should give up on Hamilton yet. He is still young (24/25?) and can be a HUGE asset to the team once he learns to bat .275 and draw a walk here or there. He has 51 stolen bases this year already with an OBP below .300.

 

I just think Reds Fan's give up on some players too quickly like they did with Bruce, Votto, and Hoover last year. Go look at their numbers this year. Votto is batting above .300 and .400+ OBP while hitting near .500 since the ASG. Bruce is hitting .260 (which is one of the best in his career) and it is still going up. Hoover had the lowest ERA for a relief pitcher in the NL at the ASG. Yes, thats including Chapman. My point is just we, Reds Fans, are quick to give up on guys and not let them work through a rough year or let them develop. Do I think Hamilton will be a HOF center fielder? No. But I do think he can be a very good center fielder.

 

Wrong on Bruce.