CSNbbs

Talking to Jocketty
Posted by JohnFay at 8/27/2009 1:24 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

A couple of things from Walt Jocketty:

--He said the Reds have not gotten any trade inquiries about closer Francisco Cordero.

“We haven’t talked to anyone about him,” he said.

In fact, Jocketty does not expect any more trades to happen before Aug. 31, which is when players must be on roster to be eligible for the postseason.

“I would guess that nothing will happen,” he said.

--The Reds are trying to get top pick Mike Leake into the Arizona Fall League. The rosters were set before he was signed.

“We’ve got to get approval,” Jocketty said. "We wanted to see where he was as far as pitching after the layoff. Our people think he's good to pitch out there."

Jocketty expects that the Reds will get it.

--The Reds will try to delay call-ups from Triple-A Louisville until after the Bats have finished in the playoffs.

“There’s not a lot to call-up,” he said. “But will try to keep that team in tact as much as possible.”

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Final Reds 8, Brewers 5
Posted by JohnFay at 8/27/2009 3:30 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

The Reds equal a season-high with their fourth straight win. Justin Lehr goes to 3-1.

Francisco Cordero gets his 28th save. It was an adventure. He walked pinch-hitter Craig Counsell to start the inning, got two outs, then walked Jody Gerut. That brought up Ryan Braun. Cordero struck him out.

Lehr recovered nicely after the 4-run first. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out seven. He threw 117 pitches. The Reds needed that. The bullpen is spent. Everyone in it, except Micah Owings, pitched at least two straight days. Daniel Ray Herrera and Carlos Fisher have each gone three innings over the last two days.

BREWERS' 1ST: Jody Gerut walked. Ryan Braun singled. Prince Fielder followed with his second home run in as many as days. Casey McGehee walked. Mike Cameron doubled off the wall in center to get McGehee in. Brewers 4-0.

REDS' 4TH: Paul Janish doubled for the Reds' first hit. Joey Votto doubled him in. Brewers 4-1.

REDS' 5th: Lehr got things started with two outs with a 10-pitch walk. Drew Stubbs singled. Janish doubled them home. Votto was intentionally walked. The Brewers brought in Nark Difelice to face Brandon Phillips, who doubled in another run to tie it. Scott Rolen singled to center to score two more. Reds 6-4.

REDS' 6Th: Jonny Gomes singled. An out later, Lehr sacrifice him over. Stubbs got him home with a single. Reds 7-4.

REDS' 7TH: Votto led off with his 20th of the year -- an opposite-field shot to left. Reds 8-4. Lehr went 1-2-3 in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

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About those trades ...
Posted by TomGroeschen at 8/27/2009 3:28 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

How would you rate the Reds' 2009 in-season trades? A look at those who have come and gone:

HERE
3B Scott Rolen, obtained 7/31 from Toronto:
7g, 29 AB, 1 HR, 3RBI, 3bb, 4K, 1sb, .276 BA, .364 OBP

OF Wladimir Balentien, obtained 7/29 from Seattle:
19g, 47AB, 1HR, 6RBI, 8bb, 9k, 1sb, .277 BA, .382 OBP

C Corky Miller, obtained 6/26 from Chicago White Sox:
With Louisville (AAA): 23g, 77 ab, 0HR, 8RBI, 8bb, 7k, 0sb, .286 BA, .375 OBP
With Reds: 2g, 8ab, 0 HR, 2RBI, 1bb, 2k, .375 BA, .444 OBP

RHP Justin Lehr, obtained 5/23 from Philadelphia (for cash considerations):
5g, 2-1, 3.77 ERA, 31ip, 33h, 13ER, 11bb, 7k

SS Kris Negron, obtained 8/14 from Boston:
With Sarasota (A): 8g, 24 AB, 1HR, 2RBI, 5bb, 8k, 3sb, .208 BA, .345 OBP
With Carolina (AA): 5g, 20 AB, 2HR, 4RBI, 1bb, 2k, 1sb, .250 BA, .375 OBP (3hbp)

C Chase Weems, obtained 7/31 from NY Yankees:
With Dayton (A): 13g, 48 ab, 0 HR, 3RBI, 2bb, 17k, 0sb, .188 BA, .250 OBP


THERE
SS Alex Gonzalez, traded 8/14 to Boston:
11g, 40 AB, 2HR, 4RBI, 0bb, 7k, 0sb, .275 BA, .275 OBP

RHP David Weathers, traded 8/9 to Milwaukee:
8g, 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 8ip, 7h, 4er, 5bb, 5k

3B Edwin Encarnacion, traded 7/31 to Toronto:
16g, 59 AB, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2bb, 10k, 0sb, .186 BA, .206 OBP
(on 15-day DL as of Aug. 21, strained left hamstring)

RHP Josh Roenicke, traded 7/31 to Toronto:
8g, 0-0, 6.10 ERA, 10.1 ip, 11h, 7er, 8bb, 10k

UTIL Jerry Hairston Jr., traded 7/31 to NY Yankees:
20g, 35 AB, 2HR, 7RBI, 6bb, 4k, 0sb, .314 BA, .415 OBP

RHP Robert Manuel, traded 7/29 to Seattle:
With Tacoma (AAA): 10g, 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 14ip, 11h, 6er, 5bb, 9k

RHP Zach Stewart, traded 7/31 to Toronto:
With Las Vegas (AAA): 6g, 0-0, 1.59 ERA, 5.2 ip, 7h, 1er, 3bb, 5k

OF Norris Hopper, traded 6/26 to Chicago White Sox (then, traded Aug. 6 to Washington):
With Charlotte (AAA/ChiW): 20g, 76ab, 0HR, 5RBI, 7bb, 4k, 3sb, .329 BA, .386 OBP
With Syracuse (AAA/Wash): 22g, 80ab, 0HR, 8RBI, 9bb, 5k, 7sb, .300 BA, .378 OBP

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Reds lineup
Posted by JohnFay at 8/27/2009 12:05 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

Drew Stubbs cf
Paul Janish ss
Joey Votto 1b
Brandon Phillips 2b
Scott Rolen 3b
Wladimir Balentien rf
Jonny Gomes lf
Craig Tatum c
Justin Lehr p

vs. Dave Bush (3-4, 5.67).

Brewers are 15-25 in day games and 46-40 in night games, for what that's worth.

Minor Matters
Posted by JohnFay at 8/27/2009 11:58 AM EDT on Cincinnati.com

From Jamie Ramsey (note the proper use of canceled instead of postponed in the first item):

LOUISVILLE: Louisville’s game at Toledo last night was canceled due to rain and will not be rescheduled...The Bats return home tonight to take on Columbus in the first game of a 4-game series.

TENNESSEE 2, CAROLINA 1: LHP Alexander Smit was outstanding in his 7.0 shutout innings, scattering 4 hits with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts...Tennessee scored both of its runs in the top of the 9th off RHP Greg Atencio (2ip, 3h, 2r, 1k) to win it...C Jason Bour paced the offense with 2 hits...LF Logan Parker drove in Carolina’s lone run.

SARASOTA 2, PALM BEACH 3: Sarasota scored the tying run in the top of the 9th, but Palm Beach answered with a walkoff homer in the bottom half...LHP Matt Fairel started for the SaraReds and was solid in his 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts...LHP Steven Otterness (2-2) suffered the loss in relief (1ip, 1h, 1r, 1hr)...SS Alex Buchholz (1r, double) and 3b Neftali Soto (1r, 1rbi) paced the offense with 2 hits apiece.

DAYTON 1, SOUTH BEND 3: Last night in South Bend, another solid start by a Reds minor league pitcher went by the wayside as RHP Jordan Hotchkiss (3-5) gave up just 2 runs (1er) on 6 hits in 6.0 innings (0bb, 4k, 1hb)...The Dragons scored a run on 5 hits...3b Carlos Mendez went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

BILLINGS 6, HELENA 5: C Mark Fleury belted 2 home runs and drove in 4 as Billings held on for the 1-run victory...LHP Luca Panerati (3-6) started for the Mustangs and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in 5.0 innings (0bb, 3k)...RHP Brian Pearl notched his 6th save (1ip, 1h, 1k).

GCL RAYS 2, GCL REDS 0

GCL RAYS 0, GCL REDS 1: The Redlegs split a doubleheader with the Rays...G1: The Reds were blanked on 3 hits...RHP Jesus Adames (0-1) went the distance in the losing effort (7ip, 9h, 2r, 3bb, 5k)...G2: RHP Daniel Tuttle (5ip, 2h, 1bb, 5k, 1hb) and RHP Marcos Molina (2ip, 1bb, 2k) combined for a 2-hit shutout...CF Juan Silva tripled and scored the game’s only run.

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As far as the acquisitions go:
- Rolen is everything we hoped he'd be except healthy
- Wladimire was worth taking a shot on and I like what I've seen so far. Not playing him more to see what he can do is just more evidence of Dusty's horrible decision-making.
- Miller and especially Lehr are both good cheap insurance buys
- Too soon/not enough info on Negron and Weems.

(08-28-2009 05:08 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote: [ -> ]As far as the acquisitions go:
- Rolen is everything we hoped he'd be except healthy
- Wladimire was worth taking a shot on and I like what I've seen so far. Not playing him more to see what he can do is just more evidence of Dusty's horrible decision-making.
- Miller and especially Lehr are both good cheap insurance buys
- Too soon/not enough info on Negron and Weems.

Simply an add-on here: I think Negron is nothing but a bonus as we were going to lose Gonzo anyway. He has impressed so far. In one of his first games at Double AA Carolina, if not the first, he hit two home-runs.

I don't know or even understand getting rid of (allowing) Jerry Hairston, Jr to go to the Yankees. It is good for the Yankees, but if all we can get in Weems is a A ball, non-hitting catcher, it seems that we were allowing JHJ to get in a pennant race.

(08-28-2009 05:25 PM)ctipton Wrote: [ -> ]I don't know or even understand getting rid of (allowing) Jerry Hairston, Jr to go to the Yankees. It is good for the Yankees, but if all we can get in Weems is a A ball, non-hitting catcher, it seems that we were allowing JHJ to get in a pennant race.

I agree with you on Hairston. To be honest, I think he is best cast as a supersub who can basically play anywhere. In that role (which seems to be the one the Yankees are using him in) he's very valuable imo.

But the Reds are really behind the 8 ball when it comes to shortstop next year since they refuse to try Phillips there even though now would be the perfect time. That left Gonzalez, Hairston and Janish as in-house candidates since Cozart is nowhere near ready. Gonzalez might not be finished, but he is getting old so I'm OK with dealing him - he just seemed to be jinxed here in Cincinnati. Now Janish is showing he's great in the field and he's even hitting fairly well lately, but I just can't see him hitting well enough to be a fulltime starter. So to me Hairston was our best in-house SS candidate and it didn't make sense to trade him.

Meanwhile the free agent pickings are slim at SS. Scutaro is a guy who might come cheaply in some years, but this year he looks like the only viable guy out there. So it wouldn't surprise me to see a mini bidding war erupt for him and if so I doubt the Reds would win it. And even if we got him, I'm not really that sure that he'd be much better than Hairston anyway.