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REDS 2024 baseball thread
#1
[Image: grahamashcraft05-750x400.jpg]
Reds pitchers report today: The battle for the starting rotation

Today is the day that spring training officially starts. Pitchers and catchers are due to show up today at the Cincinnati Reds spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. The catching position seems to be set as long as both Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile remain healthy. What doesn’t seem as set is the pitching situation.

The Reds spent the offseason upgrading their pitching staff over what they had in 2023. But while that did happen, what isn’t clear is exactly how all of it is going to play out. Today we’re going to take a look at the jobs that do seem to be locked up before taking a look at the ones that may be available.

One would imagine that if Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Frankie Montas are healthy that they will be in the starting rotation short of just an absolutely abysmal performance in spring training. I would argue that the same holds true for Graham Ashcraft, who outside of a 6-week stretch in the middle of May/June, pitched like a #1.

Depending on how you want to look at that, there’s one or two spots up for grabs in the rotation. The guys in play for that spot/those spots would include Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson, Nick Lodolo, Connor Phillips, and Nick Martinez.

Among that group it would seem that only Martinez would shift into a relief role with the club (at least to start the year) if he didn’t make the rotation. The others, if they lost out, would likely head to Triple-A to keep starting and provide options and depth for the rotation.

Ashcraft, Williamson, and Lodolo can all point to their past performance as a reason as to why they should get one of the spots. Ashcraft posted a 2.00 ERA in his first six starts last year before a 6-week stretch of eight starts with a 12.82 ERA. He got things going in his final start of June, and over his final 12 starts of the year posted a 2.58 ERA before a toe injury cost him the final month of the year. There was a long stretch of very good pitching for him at the end of the year and a shorter, but very good stretch to begin the season, too.

Brandon Williamson had a strong debut on May 16th, but he struggled for the next month after that and at the end of June his ERA was 5.82. But like Ashcraft, he turned things around and he made 15 starts from July through the end of the season with a 3.79 ERA. While his second half wasn’t as good as Ashcraft’s, it was still an above-average showing from the lefty and the sample size wasn’t exactly small (in the sense of small within a season).

For Nick Lodolo he’s not going to be pointing to any part of 2023. He made seven starts, and after the first few he was very bad. Of course we would later find out that he was pitching with a stress reaction in his leg and that injury would ultimately keep him off of the big league mound for the final five months of the year. He attempted to come back late in the year and pitched on a rehab assignment in Louisville, but his stress reaction returned and he was shut down. What Lodolo can do is point to his rookie season in 2022 when he made 19 starts with a 3.66 ERA and had 131 strikeouts with just 39 walks in 103.1 innings.

Nick Martinez has split much of his big league career between being a starter and a reliever, but his career in the big leagues is a tale of two parts – before and after he pitched in Japan. From 2014-2017 he posted a 4.77 ERA while making 68 starts and 20 relief appearances. Then he spent 2018-2021 in Japan. When he returned he signed with San Diego and he has a 3.45 since coming back to the big leagues while making 19 starts and pitching in 91 games out of the bullpen. With the Padres over the previous two seasons he’s posted a 3.41 ERA in 95.0 innings as a starter and a 3.48 ERA as a reliever in 121.2 innings. His peripheral stats are better as a reliever, but he’s found success as a starter in limited action in that role.

Connor Phillips doesn’t have big league numbers he can point at. And his numbers in Triple-A were merely solid at best. But Phillips has some of the best stuff of anyone in camp and if he comes out and performs (which in his case would involve consistently throwing strikes – the biggest issue he’s had in the minor leagues), then there’s a case to be made for him, too.

The depth is a lot better this spring than it was a year ago. But there are still some question that need to be answered for just about everyone, too. Frankie Montas, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft are all coming back from various injuries. Hunter Greene’s got to show a little more consistency in order to take that next step – speaking of which, he was one of the five pitchers that Eno Sarris of The Athletic picked as a potential breakout. Brandon Williamson and Andrew Abbott need to show that what they did last year was both real and that they can continue to adjust to hitters adjusting to them.

We’ll return to this later in the week and take a look at the bullpen, which has just as much depth and just as many spots of uncertainty
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#2
I think we should have good rotation this year, we got bit by the injury bug last year, so hopefully the law of averages will be in our favor.

Im excited to see if Hunter Greene can become the Ace we need him to become, and Abbott and Ashcraft both could be poised to take the next step.

Abbott should be stretched out this year too with less of a concern over how many innings he can pitch.
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#3
(02-13-2024, 12:37 PM)Beastdog Wrote: 69-93.

Uh, this ain’t the Indians thread to make prediction.  Fail troll attempt
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#4
I think we might be expecting too much from Frankie Montas with his injury history the last couple of years. If he's a #3 starter great, if not there is some depth on the team this year that can fill the void. I HOPE Lodolo can bounce back from a last season and his health concerns are behind him, but that's far from guaranteed. In any case, the Reds should be able to cobble together five reliable starters out of the mix with several backup options as needed.

The key to this season has always been the development of the four rookie infielders this season, who breaks out, how many, who regresses? This team will go as far as they take it and that is as frightening as it is thrilling.
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#5
(02-13-2024, 01:12 PM)Sanitarian2 Wrote: I think we might be expecting too much from Frankie Montas with his injury history the last couple of years. If he's a #3 starter great, if not there is some depth on the team this year that can fill the void. I HOPE Lodolo can bounce back from a last season and his health concerns are behind him, but that's far from guaranteed. In any case, the Reds should be able to cobble together five reliable starters out of the mix with several backup options as needed.

The key to this season has always been the development of the four rookie infielders this season, who breaks out, how many, who regresses? This team will go as far as they take it and that is as frightening as it is thrilling.

Maybe I missed it but who made any predictions on Montas or Lodolo?  They both have been hurt good bit.

The player who has lot to consider is Marte in the IF.  Was called up later and did fine but needs good spring.   I can see him playing more backup than others.  Candelario is the 3rd baseman and DH to rotate with Encarnacion Strand at first some.  

The amount of pitchers available is great.  Phillips and Richardson and Spiers all have lot to offer.  Martinez can start too.

The young IF will do well.  The OF is more key with Benson and Fraley and Friedl.   They produce look out.  Reds need good defense obviously from both groups.

Lot of talent here, maybe most since 1995.  Corner is turned so now time to win in a division that is fairly average.
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#6
https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/reds-2024-...day-roster

I know that you and Mark have a love/hate relationship.
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#7
(02-13-2024, 02:16 PM)Sanitarian2 Wrote: https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/reds-2024-...day-roster 

I know that you and Mark have a love/hate relationship.

Why am I not surprised the link is dead end with nothing?

Why do you make up things over my non relationship with a writer?

Like I said, who posted anything on expectations of those pitchers?
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#8
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#9
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#10
Getting pumped!  Hoping we can avoid the sophomore slump and stay on course.  Either way the future is looking sweet, immediate and/or long term.  They're definitely farther ahead of schedule than I anticipated.
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#11
(02-14-2024, 08:39 AM)ScarletHayes Wrote: Getting pumped!  Hoping we can avoid the sophomore slump and stay on course.  Either way the future is looking sweet, immediate and/or long term.  They're definitely farther ahead of schedule than I anticipated.

The best part is the minor league system.   Below AAA it’s pretty stocked.
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#12
[Image: nicklodolo06-750x400.jpg]

Reds Notebook: Returning from injuries and new positions

Zigbee 02/14/2024 12
Pitchers and catchers officially reported for spring training on Tuesday out in Goodyear at the Cincinnati Reds complex. While they had to be there, they weren’t the only ones who were in Arizona. Several position players showed up early, too, and were already getting some work in. Elly De La Cruz and Jonathan India were on the field and turning some double plays.
Quote: <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With the first official day of camp underway it meant that the media was able to speak with a variety of Reds personnel. Among the infield, manager David Bell noted that Elly De La Cruz was going to play a lot of shortstop and that Matt McLain would play a lot of second base, and that everything else would “play out” according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. That shouldn’t be too surprising to anyone.

That statement by the club’s manager, though, does bring up some questions about Jonathan India. The 2021 National League Rookie of the Year just signed a 2-year deal with the Reds that will pay him up to $8.8M over the next two seasons. His 2023 campaign was hampered in part by plantar fasciitis. He played through part of the season with it, but also spent time on the injured list with it. The issue returned during the offseason and limited some of what he was able to do. But as you can see in the video above – he’s at least healthy enough at this point to be on the field and doing some work.

As for where he’s going to play, the Reds are hoping to get India playing time at first base, second base, in left field, and as the designated hitter. During his time in the big leagues, India’s only position he’s played has been second base. He’s also been the designated hitter 29 times in his three seasons.

The other injuries

Jonathan India’s not the only Red working his way back from an injury. Graham Ashcraft and Nick Lodolo both ended the season on the injured list, and Noelvi Marte injured his hamstring while playing in the Dominican Winter League. None of the three are fully ready to go as of today, but are getting closer. Ashcraft specifically told the Cincinnati Enquirer that “I’ll be good by the season.”

Ashcraft had surgery and has a plate in his toe. Lodolo had a stress reaction in his tibia that put him on the injured list in early May and after a short attempt at coming back in September, it flared back up and he was shut down after a 2.1 inning performance in Triple-A. The good news is that they aren’t trying to overcome arm injuries, but the bad news is that both are still at a point where they aren’t 100% and it’s February 14th.
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#13
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#14
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#15
(02-14-2024, 03:33 PM)zigbee Wrote:
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Sad…sounds like he had health issues from smoking and heart attacks dating back to 86..not that old at all


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