[rallo316]

Eric Milton is terrible i think they should trade him while he is worth something the rest of the staff in fine.

[venom93]

The problem with trading Milton is that he is making $9 million this year. Not a big market for a $9MM guy with a bad back and an ERA over 6.

[-STAT-]

They need to get some young guns in the rotation. Harang and Arroyo cant do it all.

[Amun-Ra]

Thats really all they need. More solid pitching. If they can accuire some not too far into the season I think they can make a good push for the division.

[rallo316]

great point venom 93 i never thought about that.

[venom93]

I agree with you Rallo on getting rid of him though. If he can't perform better in the next couple starts, I would like to see the Reds go in another direction and maybe let Saarloos or Livingston have a chance to start. The Reds showed last year that they were willing to eat salary if you weren't performing and just cut some players..

[jammin' jamey]

I'll predict that if Milton is still struggling by Memorial Weekend and the Reds are going strong, coupled with Homer Bailey progressing, Milton will be released and the Reds will eat his salary.

[Tubby Hater]

I'll predict that if Milton is still struggling by Memorial Weekend and the Reds are going strong, coupled with Homer Bailey progressing, Milton will be released and the Reds will eat his salary.

I see this happening. How is Bailey doing down on the farm

[jammin' jamey]

I see this happening. How is Bailey doing down on the farm

Yesterday in his first start for Louisville, Bailey threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up only 1 hit, 1 run (solo homerun), 3 walks and 4 strikeouts as the Bats defeated Toledo 13-3.

Joey Votto also hit a grand slam for the Bats.

[More Cowbell]

I agree, I think they will release Milton if he has many more bad starts. They're already skipping him when they get the chance. Right now he's not scheduled to make his 2nd start of the year until Monday, which will be beginning the 3rd week.

I'm not sure Bailey will be getting called up if that happens, though. I think they will try to leave him in triple-A all year so as not to rush him too fast (which is what I hope they do, I don't want to see his development stunted by a too-early callup).

More likely they give Kirk Saarloos, Victor Santos, or Bobby Livingston a chance to take Milton's spot first.

[jammin' jamey]

The Reds have 3 solid starters at Louisville right now in Bailey, Livingstone and Phil Dumatrait - who has been outpitching both Homer and Livingstone.

[More Cowbell]

The Reds have 3 solid starters at Louisville right now in Bailey, Livingstone and Phil Dumatrait - who has been outpitching both Homer and Livingstone.

You're right, we have great starting pitching depth down at Louisville (when's the last time we could say that?) with those 3 guys. Even though Dumatrait has pitched the best of all of them, I still think Livingston might be the first to get a call-up. He stayed with the big club up till the end of spring training and seemed to impress a lot of people. However, I don't care which one gets the call as long as it's not Bailey. The way they did Ryan Wagner a few years ago really spooked me, and I don't want to see them screw around with Bailey's future just to try to win a couple extra games this year.

Plus, it still could end up being Saarloos or Santos as the next starter. Santos has looked unhittable so far.

[jammin' jamey]

You're right, we have great starting pitching depth down at Louisville (when's the last time we could say that?) with those 3 guys. Even though Dumatrait has pitched the best of all of them, I still think Livingston might be the first to get a call-up. He stayed with the big club up till the end of spring training and seemed to impress a lot of people. However, I don't care which one gets the call as long as it's not Bailey. The way they did Ryan Wagner a few years ago really spooked me, and I don't want to see them screw around with Bailey's future just to try to win a couple extra games this year.

Plus, it still could end up being Saarloos or Santos as the next starter. Santos has looked unhittable so far.

The problem with Ryan Wagner really wasn't him, it was Bob Boone and Don Gullett. They wanted to change Wagner's motion and messed with his mechanics. This led to frustration on the part of Wagner and consequently being traded to Washington (ironically, Bob Boone is in the front office there with Bowden, Wagner's former GM).

[jammin' jamey]

The Reds are now 6-5 on the season after being shut out today by the Chicago Cubs, 7-0. Bronson Arroyo remains winless this season, after starting last season (8-0). The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow.

[More Cowbell]

The problem with Ryan Wagner really wasn't him, it was Bob Boone and Don Gullett. They wanted to change Wagner's motion and messed with his mechanics. This led to frustration on the part of Wagner and consequently being traded to Washington (ironically, Bob Boone is in the front office there with Bowden, Wagner's former GM).

I still think they brought Wagner up too soon. I remember they drafted him out of college in the summer and he was pitching for the big club later that same year. Much too fast. I know he pitched well that year, but I think it was just too much responsibilty too soon.

Good point about Wagner being stuck with the same bunch (Boone and Bowden) in Washington that are most responsible for screwing him up in the first place. And I'm pretty sure that he still hasn't turned it around for the Nats either.

[More Cowbell]

Very impressed with Kyle Lohse today in a 1-0 shutout. He was going right after guys, I think he started most hitters off with a first pitch strike. Especially impressed with the inning where he had runners on 1st and 3rd, no outs, and the meat of the Cubs order up. He struck out Jacque Jones (making him look silly), then struck out Derrek Lee, then got the last guy out.

Wonder when the offense is going to get it going, though. Other than the 5th inning on Friday, the Reds scored a grand total of 1 run in the 3 games. Seems like we really stole a couple games...

[MVP2]

I agree, Loshe was the man today on the mound, stuckout 12 and was very impressive especially like the guy above me said with runners on the corners with 0 outs and stuckout 2 batters in a row out and then got barrett to flyout to get of the inning.

[Bengal Cat]

Wonder when the offense is going to get it going, though. Other than the 5th inning on Friday, the Reds scored a grand total of 1 run in the 3 games. Seems like we really stole a couple games...

I'm wondering the same thing. No doubt we need pitching, but I remember the Reds being in first place last August I believe and they went on a 10 game road trip to the west coast. Griffey & Dunn had a total of 2 or 3 RBI's combined the whole trip. The offense really went in the tank. they went 2-8 on the road trip and everything went south the rest of the season.

[jammin' jamey]

I'm wondering the same thing. No doubt we need pitching, but I remember the Reds being in first place last August I believe and they went on a 10 game road trip to the west coast. Griffey & Dunn had a total of 2 or 3 RBI's combined the whole trip. The offense really went in the tank. they went 2-8 on the road trip and everything went south the rest of the season.

The Reds need some "hitters" and not free swingers. Too many free swingers on this team. Guys like Ross and Dunn can send the ball a mile when they make contact or miss - they don't simply put the ball in play.

Contact hitters are needed. More Josh Hamiltons.

BTW, the Reds extended the contract of Ryan Freel today to 2009.
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...p&c_id=cin

[-STAT-]

Man Kyle Lohse(sp) pitched a great game yesterday v.s. the Cubs with 12 K's and only gave up 4 hits in the 1-0 win over Chicago.

[More Cowbell]

I'm wondering the same thing. No doubt we need pitching, but I remember the Reds being in first place last August I believe and they went on a 10 game road trip to the west coast. Griffey & Dunn had a total of 2 or 3 RBI's combined the whole trip. The offense really went in the tank. they went 2-8 on the road trip and everything went south the rest of the season.

You're right, the problems on offense started way back in last season, and the lack of runs on that West coast road trip pretty much shot the season. Hate to beat a dead horse, but to me the offense never recovered from losing Austin Kearns. He was a good professional hitter, and more importantly, he batted from the right side. With him, maybe we aren't so inept against lefties.

[jammin' jamey]

You're right, the problems on offense started way back in last season, and the lack of runs on that West coast road trip pretty much shot the season. Hate to beat a dead horse, but to me the offense never recovered from losing Austin Kearns. He was a good professional hitter, and more importantly, he batted from the right side. With him, maybe we aren't so inept against lefties.

Kearns hit .274 with 8 homers and 50 RBI's along with a .429 slugging percentage while with Cincinnati last season...

After the trade, Kearns hit .250 and has had 9 homeruns and 38 RBI's since then. He's also struck out 473 times, times as many career walks he has had.

I liked Kearns, but he was another free swinger and overrated by Reds fans because he was from Lexington and considered a "hometown" kid.

Also, Great Amercian Ballpark is designed for left handed hitters, with a 325 foot fence for power hitters from the left side.

[More Cowbell]

Kearns hit .274 with 8 homers and 50 RBI's along with a .429 slugging percentage while with Cincinnati last season...

After the trade, Kearns hit .250 and has had 9 homeruns and 38 RBI's since then. He's also struck out 473 times, times as many career walks he has had.

I liked Kearns, but he was another free swinger and overrated by Reds fans because he was from Lexington and considered a "hometown" kid.

Also, Great Amercian Ballpark is designed for left handed hitters, with a 325 foot fence for power hitters from the left side.

To be fair in comparing Kearns' numbers from before the trade and after, you must keep in mind that his home park changed from Great American to RFK. Going to a place like that, I believe any hitter's numbers would go down significantly. Kearns' numbers since then help the trade not look as bad as it really was, but he likely would have had around 20 homers and 90 RBI's if he stayed in Cincy.

I do not overvalue him because he is from Lexington, I really don't care where he's from. I do value him as a righthanded power hitter on a club that is now sorely lacking from that side. Granted, GABP was designed for lefties, but a lineup with no RH presence will find itseld handcuffed by lefty pitchers, as we have seen this year.

That said, I love Krivsky, and that was really the only bad move he made since taking the job. Would have been a good trade if it had just been Lopez and Wagner.

[jammin' jamey]

To be fair in comparing Kearns' numbers from before the trade and after, you must keep in mind that his home park changed from Great American to RFK. Going to a place like that, I believe any hitter's numbers would go down significantly. Kearns' numbers since then help the trade not look as bad as it really was, but he likely would have had around 20 homers and 90 RBI's if he stayed in Cincy.

I do not overvalue him because he is from Lexington, I really don't care where he's from. I do value him as a righthanded power hitter on a club that is now sorely lacking from that side. Granted, GABP was designed for lefties, but a lineup with no RH presence will find itseld handcuffed by lefty pitchers, as we have seen this year.

That said, I love Krivsky, and that was really the only bad move he made since taking the job. Would have been a good trade if it had just been Lopez and Wagner.

We are getting off topic...

But I agree the trade was a bust, unless Bray emerges as a stopper when he's healthy. At the time, the Reds needed pitching and Kearns can't pitch, so there's the logic. Plus, the management had to decide who to keep, Dunn or Kearns, I don't think they could afford both with Junior's salary.

Yes, RFK is horrible to hit in, I agree.

Yet if I had to pick between Kearns & Dunn, I'm taking Dunn.

[Amun-Ra]

When do u think Homer will be brought up? I think we will see him before June def.

[rallo316]

Dunn has struck out 5 times in 2 games what is going on.

[jammin' jamey]

When do u think Homer will be brought up? I think we will see him before June def.

I don't know. A few weeks ago I would've said by Memorial Day, but the way Livingston and Dumatrait have been pitching, they may ring the bell before Bailey, although Homer has been pretty good at triple A thus far.

[More Cowbell]

I don't know. A few weeks ago I would've said by Memorial Day, but the way Livingston and Dumatrait have been pitching, they may ring the bell before Bailey, although Homer has been pretty good at triple A thus far.

Under the Bowden regime, he probably would already be up and out there every fifth day for the big team. However, it seems like Krivsky is dead-set on leaving him in Louisville (which I agree with), at least until September call-ups.

If Milton does get the boot at some point, I do think there are other viable candidates for the fifth starter spot, such as Saarloos or Santos on the big club, or Livingston or Dumatrait at AAA.