At the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds had a clean slate to reset their starting rotation. With a healthy group of six MLB starters, the Reds had their first chance since the start of the season to order the rotation in the best possible way.
The upcoming trade deadline was a factor in the Reds’ decision making.
Exiting the All-Star break, the Reds began using a six-man rotation for the first time all season. According to Reds manager David Bell, the Reds won’t continue with the six-man rotation after the trade deadline.
More:Nightengale: Tyler Stephenson wants to remain a catcher and the Reds should keep him there
More:The Reds get two of their most important performances of the year in win over the Marlins
More:Nightengale: The Reds are driving the trade deadline. Time for front office to show a plan
The Reds currently have two top trade candidates in Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle. Mike Minor could be a trade target for a team looking for back-of-the-rotation depth.
Rookies Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft will continue to develop in the Reds rotation, and Justin Dunn and prospect Brandon Williamson are showing positive signs in Triple-A.
Here’s where the Reds rotation currently stands with less than a week until the trade deadline.
Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle
Since the Reds scheduled Castillo to start on Wednesday and since they’re using a six-man rotation, he isn’t expected to make an additional start before the deadline on Aug. 2. Castillo is pitching better than he ever has in MLB, and there’s nothing else he could show MLB teams to improve his trade stock.
More:Tyler Mahle discusses trade rumors after first start back from injured list
More:Cincinnati Reds' Luis Castillo strikes out two of four batters in All-Star Game outing
More:How Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell is handling the adversity of the 2022 season
After Wednesday’s start, Castillo’s next game would be in line for the day of the deadline. Since the trade deadline is at 6 p.m. and the Reds’ game that night starts at 6:40, the Reds will likely have to plan for the scenario that Castillo could be traded and unable to make that start.
Mahle missed over two weeks in early July with a right shoulder strain, but he returned to the Reds rotation last Sunday and showed that he’s healthy. As he pitched six quality innings, the most important sign was how Mahle hit a game-high 96 mph multiple times in his final few pitches.
Mike Minor and Justin Dunn
Minor’s status in the Reds rotation going forward will likely be impacted by how many pitchers the Reds trade. If the Reds only trade Castillo or Mahle, then Minor’s spot in the starting rotation would be in jeopardy. If the Reds trade both pitchers, then the Reds would need Minor to fill a spot.
Dunn’s progress from his shoulder injury will play a big role in Minor’s status on the pitching staff. Dunn hasn’t pitched in MLB in over a year, but he recently completed a rehab assignment. The Reds optioned Dunn to Triple-A to get him more experience and innings under his belt, but the front office saw Dunn as a big league pitcher when they traded for him. Dunn’s opportunity to join the Reds rotation after the trade deadline leaves one fewer spot for Minor.
Minor could also be a trade piece for a contending team looking for a fifth starter. Even though Minor is having the worst season of his career, he has still completed at least five innings in five of his last seven starts.
Several contenders have had to throw unproven rookies into their rotation this year due to injuries on their pitching staffs. Even though Minor has a 6.65 ERA, he could still fill a role on a team with playoff hopes.
Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft
The only factor that could impact Greene, Lodolo or Ashcraft’s presence in the Reds rotation over the rest of the season would be their innings limits. That likely wouldn’t be a concern for Lodolo, who missed two months earlier in the season with an injury.
At the beginning of the season, Reds GM Nick Krall said there would be a lot of factors that would be used to determine how many innings the Reds’ rookies will pitch.
More:Cincinnati Reds, landing Cam Collier in first round, receive good reviews on draft class
More:Mark Kolozsvary is looking to take advantage of the Reds' opportunity at catcher
“It’s important to make sure that plan is communicated to them and we stick to that plan,” Krall said. “But we also have some leeway in that plan too. Thirty pitch innings are harder than three pitch innings. It’s something we have to monitor as well. If you continue to have easy innings, it’s easier to throw more innings versus tough innings.”
Source link
