Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects to start Spring Training without making further changes to the team's roster, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Fay says the club will review its roster this week, but that it's "pretty well set." Here are some more notes from the GM:
- The Reds haven't been in touch with Roy Oswalt's agents in the past week. “I think he’s waiting for Texas to clear money,” Jocketty said. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark said on Friday that Oswalt isn't going to sign with the Rangers or Phillies, however. Perhaps the Red Sox or Cardinals will make a late push for the right-hander.
- The Reds are not interested in watching Scott Kazmir audition in front of scouts, Jocketty said. The free agent left-hander is looking for an opportunity with an MLB club and will pitch in front of an audience this Wednesday.
- Aroldis Chapman is healthy and the Reds intend to work him out as a starter this spring.
I’ve said since the Cards backed off that he would end up a Red. Jocketty has already committed to the Votto window, and it makes too much sense to bring in Oswalt. Find somewhere to send Bailey, somewhat replenish the system, bring in Oswalt for a year, and then next year give the rotation spot to Chapman. Easy as that.
Oswalt just isn’t that much of an upgrade over Bailey. Very similar xFIP last year, and Bailey is on the way up while Oswalt is either steady or declining at this stage of his career.
dude, we AREN’T trading Homer Bailey, easy as that! NOT happening. If we do sign Oswalt, Arroyo would slide into the long relief/spot starter role and LeCure would be optioned to AAA.
Problem with that could be that no one knows if Chapman will make it as a MLstarting pitcher. If he doesn’t then there would be 2 huge rotation holes in 2013. Chapman didn’t pitch too well as a starter in AAA & the ML are much tougher. I wish him well though.
hoping to see Chapman as a starter this season. Should be exciting stuff with his speed.
I think what we’re seeing with Oswalt is a rehash of what we saw last offseaon with Berkman. An older guy coming off an injury filled year. Someone’s gonna take a risk on him and it’s either gonna pay off huge, or he’ll be done after this season because he’s getting older. I feel like it’s the former because I don’t see his skills just falling off a cliff like that, and I certainly am not going to take an injury filled year as evidence that he doesn’t have the skills anymore.
I doubt he keeps the speed up as he’ll have to throw 100 pitches each game as opposed to 8-15.
Edit: Which should have been a response to FS54
I really would like to see the Orioles sign Kazmir to a minor league contract with a spring invite. I feel a year in AAA with maybe a september call up would do him good. He could get his act together this year and then maybe pitch for the Orioles in 2013.
Why??? We already have Kazmir Type pitchers in Eveland, Gallaraga, Wada
and on and on. Kazmir is not the answer.
It would be nice to convince Oswalt, but I am afraid how I was feeling about the Orioles a few weeks ago, they just aren’t going to sign anyone even with the least bit of name recognition. The 20 year celebration at Camden Yards will be as exciting as watching Flaherty and Antonelli square dance on the tarp during a rain delay at OPACY.
PS As a side note Flaherty couldn’t outplay DeWitt and Antonelli couldn’t crack the top 40 with the Nats. Why Duquette feels those two are going to make the team is beyond me. Why we can’t trade for DeWitt is even more mind boggling. His 1.2 million dollar salary is more than reasonable.
Problem is Duquette and Angelos aren’t reasonable people. They are cheap!
I guess your right. This season’s going to suck.
Last time anyone mentioned it.. Kaz’s “heater” was hovering around the mid 80’s, a far cry from his old Rays days when he was throwing 94-95 and Kaz was a power pitcher, not a Jamie Moyer type who can succeed throwing a “power” slider at 80mph, then a FB at 85-86.
No offense to the guy, cause he was one of my favorites years ago, but he has got problems.
That would be funny if Oswalt is going to wait for the Cards or Rangers and nobody else. He’ll probably be sticking pins in a Colby Lewis doll.
I can’t be the only person who wants Chapman closing with Madson setting him up. Right?!?!
Yep, I think you’re all by yourself on that one.
Honestly no you’re not by yourself, I don’t know what to think about Madson’s 2011 season, he was never a closer before & he just steps right in, I would rather have Chapman throwing 104 as a closer & have Madson as a set-up as opposed to potentially screwing Chapman up & making him a starter & hope that Madson can repeat his ’11 season
As a Cards fan I would love to see Chapman as a closer. It would mean a lot of blown saves for the Reds.
One is the loneliest number…sorry. Anyways, I agree with what someone else said, Chap as the closer would be bad news for the Reds. I remember the outings last year where he couldn’t find the plate with a map. I would have felt more comfortable bringing CoCo back than handing the 9th to Chapman.
A lot will get answered in spring training and if not there then in AAA where I feel Chapman should start the season starting from day one. Unless he somehow blows our socks off in spring training starting games then have him start in AAA.
I too am not sold on Chapman being a starter. I don’t think he should be a closer for sure at this point is control is way to wild. This year is going to tell us where this guy is going to be the rest of his career. Starter or Bullpen / Closer. Time will tell. I cant’ wait to watch him either way.
A lot will get answered in spring training and if not there then in AAA where I feel Chapman should start the season starting from day one. Unless he somehow blows our socks off in spring training starting games then have him start in AAA.
I too am not sold on Chapman being a starter. I don’t think he should be a closer for sure at this point is control is way to wild. This year is going to tell us where this guy is going to be the rest of his career. Starter or Bullpen / Closer. Time will tell. I cant’ wait to watch him either way.
I’m not saying that Roy Oswalt isn’t worth 8 million dollars, but he’s getting older and I don’t think his below average performace last year was a fluke.
No thanks. His stats have all gone downhill since 2008. I’d rather use that 8M to keep BP for another run in 2013, and possibly towards a Votto extension if BP doesn’t work out. I’m slighly more optimistic about Votto signing than most, considering Arroyo is coming off the books in 2013 along with other factors.
He doesn’t want to play for the Reds. He’s already said that. St Louis and Texas are his targets.
You have an astonishingly liberal definition of the term “below-average.”
roy oswalt champ
Understand the irony, but how he fell so far so fast is really a mystery. I wonder if he would do good down the line as a reliever, similar to Dontrelle Willis. Kazmir is only 28, and I find it hard to believe that he already finished at 28.
BTW, Dontrelle Willis appeared to fall off the face of this earth too when he got really bad as a starter.
2008 – 2011
FIP- 90 90 83 89
ERA- 84 100 69 96
SIERA 3.61 3.92 3.36 4.04
tERA 4.16 4.12 3.34 3.74
What about 2010 with phils?
Arroyo’s years are up after 2013, but his $ isnt. A lot of it is deferred. So the Reds will be paying him for a few more years still.
I know that he is still a very very good pitcher, but he is only getting older and 8M isn’t worth the upgrade considering this one year of Oswalt would be worth 3 years of Homer Bailey in my opinion. I wouldn’t hate it if we signed him, but I would question it. If they get Oswalt and get deep into the playoffs then it’s worth it, but it could also turn out to be a disaster if Oswalt gets injured and Bailey has a breakout year (I know, people have been saying every year would be the breakout year since he got to the bigs…).
I meant below average compared to the rest of Oswalt’s career. He still had a good year compared to most other pitchers, with the exception of his injuries.
Irony, champ.