As a serviceable, affordable free agent-to-be who’s on a rebuilding team, Reds right-hander Scott Feldman should theoretically be a trade candidate at this time of the year. But it’s possible the Reds will opt to keep Feldman as a way to benefit their other pitchers, according to Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Retaining Feldman would help the Reds avoid risking the arms and psyches of some of their young starters who might not be ready for the majors, suggests Buchanan, who notes that his presence also helps preserve the bullpen. Feldman has lasted at least six frames in eight of 17 starts, and he easily leads the Reds’ woeful rotation in innings (97) and ERA (3.78). He has also accounted for 1.6 fWAR, while the remainder of the Reds’ starters have combined for minus-2.8. “We are lucky to have him,” said manager Bryan Price. “To really look at our season and say what’s been the really one, from a rotational standpoint, the one constant, and it’s been the quality of Scott Feldman.”
More from Cincinnati and two other National League cities:
- The latest member of the Mets to hit the disabled list is outfielder Michael Conforto, who’s now on the shelf (retroactive to June 28) with a bruised left hand, per a team announcement. Conforto suffered the injury on a hit by pitch last Sunday and hasn’t played since, thus depriving the Mets of a player who has slashed an excellent .285/.405/.548 in 269 plate appearances this season. Right-hander Zack Wheeler took Conforto’s vacant roster spot. Wheeler’s back after going on the DL on June 21 with biceps tendinitis.
- The Reds’ first-round pick, right-hander Hunter Greene, will head to Cincinnati in the coming days to take a physical, reports Buchanan. That seems to bode well for the Reds’ chances of signing Greene, the second overall pick, by the July 7 deadline. The 17-year-old is likely seeking the richest deal in the 2017 class, relays Buchanan. So far, that honor belongs to No. 4 selection Brendan McKay, whom the Rays gave a record $7,007,500 earlier this week.
- Phillies outfielder/infielder Howie Kendrick, who went on the DL on Friday with an injured left hamstring, will probably miss longer than 10 days, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Kendrick will undergo an MRI in Philadelphia during the upcoming week, and the team’s bigwigs are undoubtedly hoping nothing serious crops up to prevent them from fetching a decent return at the trade deadline for the impending free agent. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail suggested Friday that there should be plenty of interest in the 33-year-old Kendrick, saying, “If I wanted a professional hitter, I sure wouldn’t have any pause.”
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope. The Reds HAVE to trade Feldman. There is no excuse for not doing that. Literally anything they can get for him would help them more than he will. Keeping him around would hurt the Reds because they’d win more games which in turn hurts their draft position for 2018.
hiflew
Fielding a team of 12 year olds would help them lose more games and get the #1 pick, but some people have a little more pride than that.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
There’s no place in baseball for that. Are you seriously suggesting the Reds hurt their draft position and not take a flier on a couple of young guys with upside over some stupid moral victory? Glad you’re not their GM.
thekid9
Love when the fans beg for their team to tank. #winning
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
It’s infinitely better than being stuck in the middle. As a Padres fan I know this all too well.
aknott1
As the article says, keeping Feldman would take some of the load off of their young starters and the bullpen. Their bullpen has been way overworked so having someone that can go deep into games is valuable as well as a leader for the young guys.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
So? The Reds aren’t going anywhere this year anyway. Feldman only helps them for this year. Might as well get someone for him who will help the team in 2018 and beyond.
bravesfan88
No, no, no, no, no, no….On the contrary, the Reds would actually be wise to keep Feldman..
They cannot afford to rack up innings on all of their young pitchers’ arms; otherwise, THAT would be seriously jeopardizing their future.
Odds are Feldman is not going to make a difference in their draft positioning enough to truly matter..Also, they are highly UNLIKELY to get anything worth a crap for Feldman on the trade market..
Again, his biggest value, to their current and future team, lies within saving their bullpen from over usage, saving their young starters from piling on more innings, and providing a steady and professional veteran presence for the young pitchers in their clubhouse.
Keeping Feldman also keeps from the Reds possibly having to bring up a pitcher or two too soon…Which, as fans, we have all seen and witnessed that ruining a pitcher’s confidence too early can cost them mentally and physically…
Said pitcher comes up before he is ready, said pitcher struggles early on, he presses mentally and tries to overcompensate by overthrowing leading to an injury…It does happen more than we realize, not to mention the mental aspect like I said earlier having to regain their confidence
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
See CNichols’ comment below. And Feldman has no value to the Reds’ future team. He’s gone after this year.
And the Cubs also “didn’t get anything worth a crap” for Feldman four years ago and look how that turned out.
bravesfan88
He does have value to their future simply by saving innings from their bullpen or another young pitcher being forced into action before he is ready..
You have to be able to see the bigger picture, instead of being so short sighted…
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
So claim a guy off waivers to eat those innings. Anything else?
bravesfan88
Take a look at Aaron Blair and Matt Wisler, if you want two examples of what can go wrong when you rush a pitcher before he is ready.
Even guys that are sure fire top 50-75 prospects, that gurus guarantee to be able to sustain long, successful careers as middle of the rotation arms can have their development ABSOLUTELY RUINED by being rushed into duty..
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
So claim a guy off waivers to pitch for the team. And I seriously doubt getting called up a little too early will change a guy from being a future rotation stalwart to being a bust.
Cam
What Feldman brings to the team, potentially outweighs the benefit in trading him. How much difference will he make to their record? Probably not much. But what does he bring in terms of preserving a kid from being shelled? What does he bring to the clubhouse? Is he beneficial to have around impressionable kids and teach them how to prepare for starts, in between start routines and preparation? There’s a lot to consider here, which you don’t seem to account for.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
He brings nothing to the team or the clubhouse because he’ll be gone before the Reds are good. You don’t seem to account for that. Anything they could get for Feldman automatically has more value than he does by virtue of not being able to simply LEAVE after the season.
ksoze
I’d resign him for a 3 year deal. He’d still be cheep, and if the young arms develop quickly he can easily transition into the pen. The Reds will be competing in 18 19 $ 20 with the way they’re built.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
1. You can’t just force players to sign contracts
2. If he is willing to sign that contract he’ll still do it if the Reds trade him at the deadline.
BrandonGregory74
That’s not the point. If they can keep their young guys fresh and limit their innings this year with big club they can come out next year with a good rotation as long as Finnegan and Garrett are over their issues. The offense is good enough to carry the Reds as long as the starting pitching is adequate. Also, a 7-3 or 8-2 run puts the Reds right in the thick of it with a real shot to win the division. I wouldn’t be a seller just yet. Castillo will be the guys we’d hoped Davis, Garrett or Wojo would be.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
They aren’t going to contend this year and if they need innings just claim a guy off waivers.
Joana Lauren Howel
Use several hours of your spare time to acquire extra $1000 on your paypal account each week… Get more details on following site>>> ᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵPayHome7.comᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵ
jdgoat
But if they trade Half a season of Feldman they’ll get some Arrieta and Strop like prospects
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
That’s the hope
danegalloway
This is the Reds we are talking about though.
danegalloway
Don’t know why my comment double posted. I’m not the rave review guy
CNichols
I don’t really understand the “protect the young arms” argument. Once Feldman is traded for a prospect/prospects the Reds could easily use that 40-man spot to pick up some AAA type starter to take his spot in the rotation. There are always some of these guys floating around on waivers and there are also just FA starters available.
Are any of these guys good? No. But If you already know you’re not going to compete and you don’t want a 20 year old kid throwing at great american, does it really matter if you sign a guy like Dillon Gee and he posts an ERA over 5?
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
Most spot on. And nothing says the Reds can’t do what the Yankees did with Chapman and trade Feldman then re-sign him in the offseason.
cbwalradth
The reds couldn’t get a return for Chapman how the hell could they get anything of value from Feldman? Brian Price knows the GM is terrible and would rather have the rest of the year with Feldman than get a lifetime double A minor leaguer!!
ksoze
Different GM, and chapman was facing a huge suspension in the final year of his contract. The old GM should have moved him by the previous trade deadline.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
They biffed it on the returns for Cueto, Leake and especially Chapman. This is their chance to make up for it.
kboroczk
All these arguments are assuming Feldman is really the guy we have seen in the first half. I have my doubts, and like in fantasy baseball, a player like this playing over his true ability is a classic trade high candidate. They did it with Straily, hopefully they can find one decent piece for Feldman as well.
PLAYTOWIN
Straily has been very good for the Marlins. The Reds got nothing that has helped yet. They key is getting something of real value in a Feldman trade. He is a 5th starter on an average non contending team. He won’t interest any contending team who would rather find a better pitcher. Reds should hang on to him and maybe resign him as he is the best pitcher they have and he is relatively affordable.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
They don’t have to hold onto him to re-sign him. They could do what the Yankees did with Chapman and trade him to the highest bidder then re-sign him in the offseason. Then they have Feldman AND a young guy with a chance of contributing down the road. Trading Feldman is a no-lose proposition for the Reds.
Joana Lauren Howel
as Harold said I am startled that a student can get paid $7187 in four weeks on the internet .
hop over to this site..>>>> goo.gl/10vMsc
Katvia Silva
as Hazel said I am blown away that anyone able to get paid $6710 in 1 month on the internet look at this web-site…………. goo.gl/VLJ6ix
Katvia Silva
But if they trade Half a season of Feldman they’ll get some Arrieta and Strop like prospects as Hazel said I am blown away that anyone able to get paid $6710 in 1 month on the internet look at this web-site…………. goo.gl/VLJ6ix
Katvia Silva
link to goo.gl/VLJ6ix