Loading ...Wanna waste some money? Sure, we all do!
The Reds will at least explore signing left-hander Mark Mulder, whose option was turned by the Cardinals last week. “I’ve got to see what the medical situation is,” Jocketty said. “I traded for him and re-signed him. I obviously liked him.”
Mulder has been limited to 12 2/3 innings over the last two years by shoulder problems. He was 97-50 with a 3.87 ERA before his shoulder problems began three years ago.
Mulder’s career as an effective pitcher is over. Move on, Uncle Walt.
Two things we don’t need:
4. Management acquiring players because they liked them 4 years ago when they worked for another team.
2. Starting pitching.
Two things we also don’t need:
3. Injured soft-tossing lefties.
7. A swift kick to the head.
(Sorry Kevin… I just enjoyed your formatting…)
If we can sign him to sign a minor league deal for the minimum, what would it hurt? It’s not like we’re depending on him or anything, we have enough SP as it is. If he comes back healthy then it’s just a bonus.
Being pessimistic (I can’t happen, it has been a long new century), where it could hurt is if he is given 10-12 starts to prove he is done that should be going to one of the younger pitchers. I would vote we let someone else take the chance.
I’d be fine with a minor league deal where he would have to prove himself before he’s allowed to touch an MLB mound. Not much else though.
Not a minor league deal that morphs into a $3 million deal though!
*cough* Patterson *cough*
I saw this guy pitch vs Reds at GABP and they lit him up. Dunn hit one to the smokestacks as I recall. Mulder was barely cracking 80 on the radar gun.
PASS!
I wouldn’t object to this minor league deal where he would have to prove himself before he’s allowed to touch an MLB mound You can also get creative with contracts like this…if he’s not on the major league roster by May 31, he has the right to become a free agent. That gives Reds an exclusive look and he doesn’t have to take starts away from the younger guys in April or May. If he bounces back, he’s one of the AAA options to replace an injured starter.
It also would make sense to grab a couple of rotation options if they are serious about trading Arroyo. But if they are trading anyone, there would appear to be little room for many starting pitcher pickups this offseason
If he can still do something useful and we can sign him for a cheap amount then I have no problem bringing him in.
You can never ever have too much starting pitching.
I thought the plus side to having the young pitching studs was supposed to be not having to side old pitching stiffs. What’s next? Inviting Paul Wilson back to camp? Maybe Pete Harnish is available.
Are you kidding me!?
I read a report in SI about the Reds (although being a longshot) might be in the running for Derek Lowe. His stuff would definitely fit well in GABP, but I’m not sure he is worth his asking price, especially since the Reds aren’t in position to win right now.
Although Lowe’s a little bit old, I wouldn’t mind signing him for 2 years or something if it’s not too expensive, since we might have some money to spend and it looks like our offensive acquisitions aren’t coming from the free agent market anyway. Mulder on the other hand, I wouldn’t like to spend more than 300,000 on.
How much is Derek Lowe going to cost?
Some website that mlbtraderumors.com linked (fangraphs) says this:
I’d put the expected range of his salary at about $15 million per year.
I think I changed my mind, unless we unloaded Arroyo’s contract in a trade, but I think I’d rather see how Arroyo pans out than give up on him, he’s really pretty young and after seeing his second half performance this year, I have a good feeling about him. Who knows…Sorry for three posts about thinking Lowe wouldn’t be a bad idea and then changing my mind.
I’d like to see a lefty (not named Muldar)
If Mulder is healthy he could help. Since we don’t know the answer to that one it is worth a low-cost gamble with incentives.
Can you say Grant Balfour!
Grant balfour throws 97mph… Mulder is a soft tosser who barely throws over 80. His best years by far were in the large dimensions of Oakland. he’d be pitching batting practice at GABP.
The BAlfour reference was that we took him as a reclamationproject. Reclamated him then gave up on him and he would have cost the Reds little or nothing. It was worth a gamble then and Mulder is worth a gamble now.