Latos safest bet for consistent success in rotation

The Reds got an important opening series win by the score of 2-0 yesterday in Chicago behind the dominant arm of Mat Latos, the workhorse stud of the Reds' deep pitching staff. All Latos has done since he arrived in Cincinnati last season is win. Latos mixed all of his pitches, including two seem
fastballs with sliders and a 95 MPH four seem fastball. Latos is at his best when he is relaxed and focused on the hill.

The 6'6 twenty-five year old hard thrower is now 12-2 on the year and well on pace to surpass his career high win mark of fourteen set last season. Latos is also 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA since the All Star Break. Latos has been widely regarded as a second half pitcher throughout his career, so don't be surprised if he ends up with fifteen to seventeen wins on the year, which would make him one of baseball's elite pitchers.

There is no doubt that if the playoffs started today, Latos would be facing the St. Louis Cardinals in the one game playoff. He is the team's most talented pitcher, and the only other considerable option for starting that game would be Bronson Arroyo due to his veteran prowess in the playoffs.

The Reds relied heavily on Johnny Cueto during last season's run to the playoffs. Without Cueto, Latos has become the most notable option for Bryan Price and Dusty Baker. Latos, unlike Cueto, brings a little bit of attitude to the hill, intimidating hitters that haven't had success off of his pitches. The Reds took a gamble by trading top prospects Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso along with an established starter in Edinson Volquez to acquire the young Latos, but the trade worked out extremely well for Cincinnati with Volquez continuing to show inconsistency and Grandal unable to stay on the field because of suspension.

Latos blamed the Reds' final disappointment of the season, a playoff loss to the Giants, on himself for not pitching as well as he has when he's at his best. If Latos gets another opportunity as the primary option to start games in the playoffs, he will use last season's disappointments as fuel to turn his playoff luck around.

After last night's victory, Latos also brought his ERA down to 3.04 with eight shutout innings of baseball along with nine strikeouts. Latos also threw less than one hundred pitches in the effort, setting himself up for plenty of rest and less fatigue for his next start against Milwaukee. Latos' 154 strikeouts lead all pitchers on the Reds. His 1.24 shows a better control over his location as his evolution as a pitcher continues under the tutelage of Price.

The sky is the limit for Latos over the next few years. That is why Walt Jocketty took a chance on the trade two years ago. Latos was a streaky pitcher as a kid with the Padres. He even let his temper get the best of him sometimes, which is probably why San Diego let him go. Now, Latos is more mature in his mid-twenties and is eyeing players like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander to rival in the coming years. His pitching stuff is that good. If Latos finishes strong in the postseason, he will begin to get the national attention he deserves.

Reds injury report

The Reds are missing a total of six players who have participated in games at the Major League level for the team due to relatively serious injuries. This has forced Cincinnati to call up minor league subpar talent such as Curtis Partch, Pedro Villareal, and Corky Miller to fill innings and buy time to get the regulars healthy. The Reds would be lucky to get a majority of these players back before September call-ups in order to make a run at the end of the season. It isn't always the best team that wins the World Series. It is usually the hottest team that makes the playoffs at the end of the year that carries its success over to the late rounds of the playoffs. The Reds could use some reinforcements to make that run.

Ryan Hanigan: Hanigan has missed almost a month now as he tries to regain his starting catcher form after a sprained wrist. Hanigan is the best catcher in the league with the exception of Yadier Molina at handling pitching staffs. Devin Mesoraco has stepped up at the plate for the Reds with some home runs and a .253 batting average, but he was behind the plate when the Reds gave up almost thirty runs in two games against the Cardinals. Hanigan is a steady presence in the bottom part of the order and a solid veteran. The latest reports say Hanigan is set to return either tomorrow or Friday in the second game against Oakland or in the opener of the Padres series. The Reds will probably hold off Hanigan until that game Friday because of Mesoraco's sudden hitting burst.

Ryan Ludwick: Everyone wants to see Ludwick back in action playing left field for the Reds. The Reds played their best baseball last season with Ludwick in the fourth spot in the order in the second half of the year. Ludwick is working on his third week with a rehab assignment, currently sporting a 2/28 line for the Louisville Bats. Ludwick is working the rust off and can't be expected to start off with a hot streak when he returns this weekend, but just having a proven commodity in left field and a revamped batting order should kickstart the offense. Ludwick's freak shoulder injury on Opening Day is now behind him and he should be able to focus on helping to get the Reds back to the playoffs.

Sean Marshall: It's a mystery as to whether or not Marshall will return to the bullpen this season. Marshall, Jonathan Broxton, and Aroldis Chapman made up the best 7-8-9 bullpen stretch team in the league, and one of the best trios the league has seen. Marshall had been progressing in his bullpen sessions and probably would have been sent on a short rehab assignment if not for a setback on his shoulder and re-examination on July 30 after throwing. Marshall is the most far off from a comeback besides Johnny Cueto and obviously Nick Masset. Marshall shouldn't be counted on until September, although he may not find his way back at all this year.

Jonathan Broxton: Broxton last threw in a game on August 3 and now the big news of the day is that Broxton will return tomorrow and be available to pitch. Broxton has been missed while the Reds have covered for him with a mixture of Alfredo Simon, Sam LeCure, and JJ Hoover. Despite a tendency to pitch himself into trouble at times, Broxton has a career 3.17 ERA and was an outstanding setup man after coming over at the trade deadline in 2012. Pedro Villareal is the most likely candidate to head back down to Triple A with the Broxton move, which will instantly upgrade a shaky bullpen.

Johnny Cueto: Cueto still hasn't started throwing again since his last start and re-injury of the lat muscle that has plagued him since Game 1 of the NLDS in 2012. Once Cueto does start to throw off the mound again, he might need to rethink his approach and change his windup. Cueto has been missing from the rotation since June 28, and although Tony Cingrani is 5-1 with an ERA in the low 3's, Cueto is the best pitcher on the team. Much like Marshall, Cueto won't be counted on until right before the playoffs. It will take some time before Cueto can make it back to pitching in the big leagues, so he will need multiple bullpen sessions and a second rehab assignment. Cueto is 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA despite his inability to pitch in multiple consecutive starts.

Nick Masset: Will Masset ever reach the MLB and pitch again? It's a fair question after Masset's surgery on his shoulder last September. Masset looked like he would be back with the Reds before that surgery in 2012 and even this year before he was shut down in June after a bullpen session. The bottom line is Masset cannot stay healthy after pitching with his best stuff in trial runs on the mound. He hasn't been with the Reds since 2011 and won't be back until Spring Training in 2014. That might be his last shot to regain his position in a MLB
bullpen with the Reds where he pitched 75 innings with a 3.71 ERA in 2011.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds' division chances slipping away

The Reds finished a disappointing opening series of the home stand by losing two out of three games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Losing two out of three wasn't the primary disappointment in the series. The shocker was how the Reds lost those games. The team gave up thirteen runs in game one and fifteen in the series finale. Mike Leake, who has been a money pitcher for the Reds all season, got shelled and couldn't even last six innings against the Redbirds.

As the Pirates and Cardinals continue to climb over twenty games above the .500 mark, the Reds slip to a bottom of the Wild Card battle with the likes of Arizona and Washington. This team would have no chance at the playoffs if this situation had presented itself last season. The Reds are lucky to be playing ten games above .500 and still have a comfortable lead in the chance at a one game playoff with a division rival. The weaknesses of this team are starting to stick out and haunt the Reds in games.

The Reds are missing four of their top players in Ryan Ludwick, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall. No doubt if the Reds were playing with these four, they would be closer to the division lead. The main issue with these injuries is that there is no end in sight for a couple of the players. Ludwick and Broxton are encouragingly coming along and may both be ready for a return in the next week. Broxton will revert to his eighth inning role in the bullpen and Ludwick will eventually bat cleanup in the lineup. This will help the Reds re-familiarize with the core of last season's NL Central Championship team, but how much will two players really help?

Marshall and Cueto are by the looks of it from a spectator's eye out for the season. This is purely speculation and there are no reports that back this up, but Marshall suffered a setback during one of his last throwing sessions and Cueto hasn't picked up a baseball since his injury. Cueto has been on and off the DL throughout the season so much that the Reds may just concentrate on getting him fully healthy for 2014. If Marshall and Cueto are expected to be back at some point this year, I wouldn't count on either to be activated on the roster until late September.

What the Reds really need right now is more production out of left field and third base. Xavier Paul, Chris Heisey, and Derrick Robinson are just average players starting in the two hole in Dusty Baker's lineup. No doubt these three deserve to be on an MLB roster, but none of them can be expected to win the Reds games with their bats. Ludwick will help defray some of the pressure Baker's lineup is being put under with a less than ideal two hole hitter, but that might take some time. The good thing about the Reds' hitters right now is that Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips seem to be finding the gaps again.

Todd Frazier has been the biggest disappointment of the entire season for Cincinnati. He is undoubtedly a great clubhouse teammate and one of the most promising prospects on the team after a prominent rookie season, but his .235 average and 0/28 hitting slump have really put a damper on one of the players the Reds expected to drive in runs. In all seriousness, if Scott Rolen is in playing shape and wants to take on the challenge of playing in the majors again, I think it would be a good idea to bring one of the greatest leaders in Reds history back and try a proven bat and glove at third base to at least platoon with the young Frazier like in 2012. When Rolen was with the Reds, the Reds won more times than not. That should count for something. I have no idea whether Rolen is enjoying his retirement or if he is itching to play again in the MLB, but it would be worth giving him a call.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Cincy Sports Spot Awards: Part 2

Best Breakthrough Player: Todd Frazier-Frazier finally got his shot at third base in the MLB in 2012 when Scott Rolen went on the disabled list, and became one of the top rookies in the National League by flashing power and a consistent glove. Frazier hit .273 with nineteen homers and almost seventy RBI's. Frazier was the second best option the Reds had late in the season with Joey Votto out besides Ryan Ludwick. Not many fans expected Frazier to be more than a bench player in 2012 with the leader of the team at third base in Scott Rolen, but the native of New Jersey proved to be extremely valuable and the franchise third baseman for the next several years.

Best Fighter: Adrien Broner-The twenty-three year old who stands at 5'7, 147 pounds from Cincinnati is quickly becoming one of the best lightweight boxers in the world. Broner is currently unbeaten at 26-0 with 22 knockouts, and he is coming off of a big victory over Paul Malignaggi in late June. Broner has the skills to continue to move up the ranks of boxing as a three time world champion, and he is bringing the sport of boxing back to relevance in the city of Cincinnati with his ties to the area.

Best Play: Brandon Phillips double play-Phillips made one of the greatest defensive plays of all time on May 9 against the Brewers when he turned two by himself. Phillips grabbed the ball bare handed, fell to his knees tagging the base in fluid motion, and firing the ball to Joey Votto. Pure wizardry and something you will never see again in the game of baseball. Phillips continues to build his resume as a top three defensive second baseman of all time.

Best MLB Player: Johnny Cueto-Cueto was the workhorse of the Reds' rotation in 2012, pitching over 200 innings and earning nineteen victories, a career high. Cueto made a bold case to be the best pitcher in the majors and finished just short of his first Cy Young. Cueto also pitched in each of his scheduled starts throughout the year and finished with an ERA under three for the second time in his career at 2.78. Cueto was the reason pitching wise that the Reds were able to win the NL Central.

Best Record Breaking Performance: Marvin Lewis-Lewis returned for his tenth season as the Bengals' Head Coach, a franchise record, and led the team to a 10-6 record with wins over Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Lewis was masterful handling a team that started the 2012-13 season 3-5. He isn't the best in-game manager with his overly conservative game plans and questionable challenge calls, but Lewis knows how to run meetings and get the most out of his players. Lewis did a great job making Andy Dalton and Rey Mauluga team captains, and the team responded extremely well by winning seven of the last eight regular season games. Lewis is looking to make his third straight playoff appearance this upcoming season.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

6-man rotation could help Cueto

The Reds last year went 162 games without having to use a starter besides the pitchers in the opening day rotation. The ability to keep pitchers healthy has been more of a struggle this year for Cincinnati, as starter Johnny Cueto has been bothered by a strain in a back muscle since his playoff start last year. When Cueto pitches, opposing hitters struggle. The 19-game winner in 2012 is 3-0 with a 2.17 so far this season. He has 34 strikeouts, and opposing batters hit .157 against the righty. Cueto is also the best pitcher the Reds have on their home field. The bottom line is Cueto is a top 5 starter in the majors, but if he can't stay healthy, he is no use to the Reds.

A rotation with six pitchers may be the solution to Cueto's health concerns. It seems that Cueto can make a few starts in his normal schedule, but after those consecutive starts, he gets hurt again. Cueto labors at times on the mound, and may lack the ability to throw over 100 pitches on a consistent basis. Adding an extra pitcher to the rotation would give Cueto an extra day to recover from his previous outings on the hill.

Who would represent this extra pitcher in the rotation? Tony Cingrani, of course. Cingrani is another pitcher who could benefit from an extra day of rest. The hard throwing left hander can widen fans' eyes with his speedy fastball. Cingrani is certainly a fastball pitcher, but can mix in an occasional off speed pitch. He is also a strikeout pitcher, and runs up pitch counts because of his propensity for getting hitters to swing and miss.

The only two pitchers to worry about in a six man rotation are Bronson Arroyo and Mike Leake. Arroyo and Leake don't throw pitches at high speeds, so they don't need as much rest as Cueto, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, and Cingrani. The best part about Arroyo and Leake, however, is their ability to adapt to situations and adjust to things being thrown at them throughout their careers. Both have maximized their talents by pitching smartly and not trying to overpower hitters. Leake has survived moves to the bullpen and to Triple A in his early history as a Red. Arroyo has managed to never miss a start, and has been the consummate professional since first entering the league with the Pirates in 2000. I think once again, in a six man rotation, Leake and Arroyo could adjust to a different situation.