Loading ...–Corey Patterson and Paul Bako have filed for free agency. So has David Weathers. (I know I’m in the minority, but I’m tired of Weathers and I hope he isn’t resigned.)
Also filing were Jerry Hairston, Jr., Kent Mercker, and Javier Valentin. That’s a lot of free agents, but not a ton of talent in that group. Other than Jeremy Affeldt and Mike Lincoln (who already filed), and possibly Hairston (if signed as a backup), I’m not that interested in retaining any of the others.
–Are the Reds planning to upgrade the Great American Ballpark scoreboard in the off-season?
–Former major leaguer David Bell — whose father and grandfather both played for the Reds — will be managing the Reds’ AA affiliate in the Carolina League.
You really don’t want both Lincoln and Weathers to walk because then the Reds will have a fairly inexperience pen. I bet there is a naive GM out there that will offer Hairston a multi year deal.
I don’t care if our bullpen is inexperienced as long as it’s good!
Cool that the videoboard is getting an upgrade.
A lot of free agents but in my opinion the only guys they should go for is Affeldt and Lincoln. I don’t see Affeldt coming back and Lincoln was pretty good although he fell off at the end but that could’ve been exhaustion from not having pitched a full season in a while. Hairston if he’ll come cheap.Serve as a back-up or maybe a platoon split somewhere in the outfield.
True. But, what are the chances of a combination of Roenicke, Masset, and the cast of thousands at L’ville making 60-65 appearances without having some serious growing pains in ‘09? I’d go with vets in the pen that are used to pitching in all kinds of situations.
I mostly fear of Gary Majewski. Hope he can do well but it has yet to feel like that will happen.
re: bullpen, it depends whether you are going for it in 2009 or building for 2010. They also have the option of converting to the bullpen some of the 5 candidates fighting for the 5th rotation spot. A lot of successful closers were previously starting rotation prospects.
Majewski will be non-tendered.
He better be non-tendered.
The Reds should pick up Cliff Floyd. The Rays didn’t pick up his option, and he’d be a much better option off the bench than someone like Valentin.
Cliff Floyd? I dunno. His career might be over because of knee problems.
Floyd would be very expensive for a pinch hitter, which is all he could be at this point in his career.
I don’t know if he’d be very expensive given his injury history. If he’s available for close to the minimum, it’s worth exploring, at the very least.
I agree let Weathers walk. We need dominating set up men. I really like Joe Beimel on the Dodgers, he did a helluva job against us when we went up against them. I think if we can shorten the game to 7 innings, with our improved starting pitching we become extremely dangerous. One good bat, and at least one good set up man is needed this off season.
One sign of a good GM is the ability to put together a solid bullpen without wasting valuable resources (in the Reds case, $$). Krivsky obviously couldn’t do that, as evidenced by the Cordero signing. Let’s see if Walt can.
Or the wasted money on Cormier, Stanton, Hammond, etc. They have 5 young starters vying for 1 rotation spot. Looks like an opportunity to see if anyone can help at the back end of the bullpen.
Beimel is available via free agency. I really like that guy. I say sign him and between him and Burton and hopefully Roenicke we have tremendous set up for Cordero. I want this bullpen to be a strength… its been a weakness forever.
What’s the price tag on Latroy Hawkins?
Beimel has the stuff to be a closer, and will probably not only command that type of money, but I’m not sure he would want to be a set up guy. I think he would like to go someplace where he could compete for a closer’s job at the least. Tampa comes to mind.
I agree his stuff is excellent and I would love to have him, but I’m not sure the money is there for an expensive set up guy.