Loading ...As seen in the comments below, there’s a pretty good article about the Reds up and coming pitching staff over at SI. Lots of great stuff in there, but I especially liked this part about our fifth starter candidates:
Still, his brief time with Cincinnati has already been beneficial. A minor arm injury was causing his arm to sag during his windup, and he wound up leaving too many balls in the middle of the strike zone as a result. Almost as soon as Pole saw him, he noticed the problem and began stressing to Owings that he slow down his motion to ensure that he stays on top of the ball through his delivery. According to Owings, the positive effects of the change were nearly instantaneous, though it remains to be seen if that will carry over to a live game situation.
Bailey, meanwhile, spent most of the winter working out in Austin, Texas, with, among others, tennis star Andy Roddick. The Lone Star State native began working with University of Texas pitching coach Skip Johnson at the recommendation of his agent, and the two worked on developing a more consistent approach to hitters. Bailey is already one of the more thoughtful players on the team — he’s one of the few big leaguers who prefers reading actual books in the clubhouse, his current selection being Undaunted Courage, a Stephen Ambrose book about the Lewis and Clark expedition. “I don’t get to read it as often as I’d like,” he says with a shrug.
You never know what you are going to get with pitchers…but the potential of this pitching staff makes me smile.
They better lock up Volquez long term so he doesn’t share his pitching secrets with other staffs.
The first time I can remember in a long time I’m not too worried about the staff headed into a season.
If Volquez and Cueto perform very well this year, I would be very surprised if they are not locked up and one (or more) of the veteran large contracts are moved.
Arroyo is the only guy I see getting moved in the next 2 seasons, and that’s only if Bailey is ready.
Speaking of the pitching…how good has it been the last couple of weeks. Volquez and Cueto are dominating and all the others have looked respectable to good (not counting the back field games). I think the Reds rotation potential just as good as anybody’s in baseball.
“I think the Reds rotation potential just as good as anybody’s in baseball.”
Agreed. And I like the bullpen as well. Now if we can just score some runs we might be in the hunt late in the season.
This offense is going to be really frustrating, but how nice is it for a change to have the rotation be a true strength. And they’re pretty young and deep. Now let’s just get a decent line-up put together and this will be a playoff team.
Bring on April 6th! I’m so tired of ST games.
The nice thing is that staff has the potential to get so much better. Cueto, Owings and Bailey all still have signifcant upside and Harrang and Arroyo could both bounce back. Even if Volquez regresses a littlr, they should be much better overall.
Now, if we just can get someone on base…
So do we horde the pitching and wait for Frazier/Alonso/Valaika in a year or two, or do we deal some off for soome immediate offensive punch? I think we have enough pitching we could deal off one of the fringe arms. I’d look for a deal for an OF. I wouldn’t want to waste a full season of a potentially good pitching staff.
That’s a pretty good book that Bailey is reading lol
Anyway, I like our pitching staff now, both rotation and bullpen. Now we just need some runs!
“On paper” this should be a very good pitching staff. Its going to have to be, because it sure looks like the offense is going to be challenged this season.
I enjoyed this article in the St Petersburg Times on the changeup:
“The changeup is all the rage in Tampa Bay Rays camp”
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article987799.ece
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Saturday, March 28, 2009
PORT CHARLOTTE — James Shields calls the changeup the “great equalizer,” his best pitch and a key ingredient in making him the choice as the Rays’ opening day pitcher for the second straight year.
For reliever Joe Nelson, “If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be here right now.” Andy Sonnanstine said if he can make his above-average, it could “take me to the next level.”
And for touted prospect David Price, it’s a pitch the Rays want him to work on as he prepares to move into the major-league rotation.
Several Rays have been working on their changeups during spring training, from starters Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir to rotation hopeful Jeff Niemann. The offspeed pitch is one of deception — intended to look exactly like a fastball coming out of the hand but arriving 8 to 10 mph slower, a lot of times with movement.
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