If I Were the Reds…
December 18, 2007 by Geoff Young
Filed under Hot Stove
Back at the end of November, when Cincinnati signed Francisco Cordero, reader Doug Fulkerson offered some suggestions on who the Reds might bring in to bolster the rotation and asked me to do the same. I’ve been meaning to get back to this question for a while, so without further ado and acknowledging that pickin’s are pretty slim this winter, here are a few guys I think I’d target:
- Freddy Garcia
Pros: Workhorse when healthy, pitched 200+ innings every year 2001-2006.
Cons: Injuries limited him to 58 innings in ‘07, had shoulder surgery in August, turns 33 in June. - Jason Jennings
Pros: Another workhorse who pitched well for Colorado in ‘06, only 29, has experience pitching in offensive ballpark.
Cons: Coming back from September elbow surgery, may not be ready by Opening Day. - Jon Lieber
Pros: Throws strikes, capable of going deep into games.
Cons: More surgery — this one on his left foot in July, turns 38 in April. - Livan Hernandez
Pros: Throws a ton of innings and a ton of pitches, not exciting but keeps teams in game.
Cons: Ugly strikeout rates, keep waiting for his arm to fall off but at this point it probably never will. - Josh Fogg
Pros: Accustomed to high-offense environments, has a cool nickname.
Cons: Not a very good pitcher.
I imagine that Garcia, Jennings, and Lieber all could be had for very little. Then again, they might be worth very little. Fogg doesn’t do much for me, but he soaks up innings and he isn’t easily intimidated. If I were the Reds, though, I think I’d make a play for Hernandez — the guy can take all kinds of abuse, which could come in handy when pitching at Great American.
Good list. Out of that bunch, I agree Hernandez would probably fit the Reds best.
What do you think about Mark Prior? When he’s healthy he can really pitch. If the Reds offered him around the same deal he had for this year, about $3.5 milllion with an option for ‘08 (though they might be able to whittle that down some), he could be an asset. At 26 he could still come back from this injury by May ‘08 and have his best seasons yet ahead of him. Dusty Baker likes him.
On the down side, his agent says he may not be ready to pitch until the ‘08 All Star break, and who knows if he can ever get back to form. Also, he’s injury prone.
If I were Cincy, I might gamble on him.
I was really hoping to find better names for you, but the FA crop is terrible.
Prior is interesting. He would seem to have more upside than the other guys I mentioned, but there is so much risk with him. I don’t have inside information, but word is that the Padres got scared off by medical reports. Someone will gamble on him and hope that he somehow finds health and the form that made him such a stud only a few years ago.