| Douglas Benton. 23rd July, 2007 - 4:13 pm
 The Cincinnati Reds are a bad baseball team and have been for a long time. However, with the firing of manager Jerry Narron and the trade rumors of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Adam Dunn swirling around, I have decided to give general manager Wayne Krivsky a hint in his rebuilding project. Don’t trade Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang and make them your franchise cornerstones.
First, the particulars on the futures of each player look excellent as both players are signed through 2010 with the Reds, with the club holding option on both players for the 2011 season, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Harang, a 6-foot-7, 275 pound right-hander, is 29 years old and has shown signs of improving heading into his prime years. Since the start of the 2005 season, Harang has won 37 games and had ERA below 3.85 each season. He also pitched over 210 innings in both 2005 and 2006 and on his current pace, he is expected to go 240 innings in 2007.
This season, he is 10-2 with a 3.63 ERA thus far and since June 1, he is 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA. He has been durable and attacks hitters with a good arsenal of pitches he can drive on due to his height.
Arroyo on the other hand has struggled some in his second season with Cincinnati after a terrific initial campaign following his trade from the Boston Red Sox. Arroyo has a World Series ring to his credit and when given the chance, has shown to be an able and willing workhorse for any staff.
Arroyo, 30, is just 4-10 with a 4.51 ERA in 2007, but he has shown recently to having regained some of his past successes. In three July starts, Arroyo has gone a combined 20.2 innings and has a 2-1 record with a 2.61 ERA. In his last start at the Atlanta Braves, he tied his season high with nine strikeouts.
He also is a tall pitcher at 6-foot-5 and with a high leg kick, can be deceiving and has the ability to be a stopper at the top of a rotation. He had 240.2 innings last season and he is on pace to go for 213 innings this season, despite his struggles.
Both pitchers have reasonable contract numbers in 2008 and even with spikes in 2009-2011, based off numbers from Cot’s Baseball Contracts, they will still be worth the price when you take into account how much starting pitching is paid in this era.
With Arroyo and Harang, the Reds can have one of the best one-two punches in the game for the next three years and it is a proven fact pitching wins big in baseball. Wayne Krivsky still have plenty else he needs to fix with questions of offense, the bullpen and the manager, but with two horses like Arroyo and Harang in Cincinnati, it makes all of those other moves a little easier.
Think the Reds should build around Arroyo and Harang? Have a different plan? Email your thoughts to Douglas.Benton@realgm.com |
