Cincinnati Reds

Four words. 

Well, technically three words and a conjunction. In any case, they are four rather unexceptional words that, when used individually, could be understood in many different contexts. When used together, they form one of the most beautiful phrases in the English language:

PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT

If you follow this blog, you know I have a "thing" for concussions. I believe that football teams don't take concussions seriously and put kids back in the game way too fast.

Starting Pitchers

Aaron Harang

Edison Volquez

Aroldis Chapman (my NL Rookie of the Year pick)

Bronson Arroyo

Johnny Cueto/Homer Bailey (until Chapman is ready)

Could Aroldis Chapman have as much talent as the Big Unit? It has been said, and not by me. Some of the other suitors who lost out in the bid to get Chapman, said that he has that kind of talent but needs to have it nurtured.

My speculation is that you will see him in a Cincinnati uniform between Memorial Day and the All-Star break. I am not saying he will stay for the duration, but I think he will be given a chance to show what he can do.

  One of the big questions around the Michigan football team this Spring and Summer is whether highly recruited dual threat QB Devin Gardner should redshirt during the 2010 season.

First off, I don't fully understand the redshirt rules. I thought you were able to participate in a few plays (like less then 10 percent) in the non-Big Ten season and still keep your redshirt status.

If you’ve been reading the site the past two-plus years, you already know that I’ve never been the biggest supporter of Bronson Arroyo. 

Yes, he always wins games, but he almost always posts ERAs above 4.00 and WHIPs above 1.40.  Last season, however, was a very big exception:

15 Wins
220.1 Innings
3.84 ERA
1.27 WHIP
127 Strikeouts (5.19 K/9)
65 Walks (2.66 BB/9)
.270 BABIP

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports has confirmed on Twitter that Aroldis Chapman has signed with the Cincinnati Reds for five years and $30 million. This comes as a bit of a shock, especially given the depth of the Reds' rotation already.

While Edison Volquez is likely to miss the majority of the season, the team still has Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto as its top three, along with Homer Bailey to help fill out the rotation. 

During my childhood, when I was first learning about baseball, I can remember asking my father, “Who is a good pitcher?”  We lived near Washington D.C., and the hapless Senators offered little to root for, but my father answered, "Now Camilo Pascual, he’s a good pitcher.  But it’s hard on him, because Washington is never very good.”  I can vaguely remember him saying something about Pascual keeping a good ERA and pitching many good games, even though it was hard to win.

Last year, Edinson Volquez was one of the top pitching draft prospects, and with good cause. The season prior (2008), Volquez broke out of his mold as a rookie for the Cincinnati Reds , posting a 17-6 record with a 3.21 ERA and an explosive strikeout to ball ratio of 206/93.

His only knock was he beaned 14 batters.