Red's Starting Rotation

While the rest of Cincinnati is looking towards New York hoping the ship us one of their extra Right Handed Outfielders , I thought I would take a look at what our starting rotation might look like and produce this coming year.

Red's Starting Rotation*
*from MLB.COM

Aaron Harang
age 30
**********G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L ERA
2006 Cin 36 35 6 2 234.1 242 109 98 28 56 216 16 11 3.76
2007 Cin 34 34 2 1 231.2 213 100 96 28 52 218 16 6 3.73
2008 Cin 30 29 1 1 184.1 205 104 98 35 50 153 6 17 4.79

The biggest question is health. Will we forever have the 2008 Harang, or does he return to form? I think we can expect 15 wins and 200+ innings. If we don't get that, then its going to be a LONG year.

Edinson Volquez
age 25
**********G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L ERA
2006 Tex 8 8 0 0 33.1 52 28 27 7 17 15 1 6 7.29
2007 Tex 6 6 0 0 34.0 34 18 17 4 15 29 2 1 4.50
2008 Cin 33 32 0 0 196 167 82 70 14 93 206 17 6 3.21

Edinson is at a great age to develop and mature. He could potentially have a career year this year or next. I think that he will come down a little bit from last year judging from his second half. Right around 200 innings and 15 wins. I like the possibility that he develops into a perennial all-star.

Bronson Arroyo
age 31
**********G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L ERA
2006 Cin 35 35 3 1 240.2 222 98 88 31 64 184 14 11 3.29
2007 Cin 34 34 1 0 210.2 232 109 99 28 63 156 9 15 4.23
2008 Cin 34 34 1 0 200.0 219 116 106 29 68 163 15 11 4.77

It's crazy to think that Bronson is our oldest starter. Frankly his 15 wins don't mean anything to me from last year. He will be around 200 innings this year at best and if he plays for us this year (fingers crossed for Nady or Swisher), he will finish closer to 11-15 than 15-11.

Johnny Cueto
age 22
**********G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L ERA
2008 Cin 31 31 0 0 174.0 178 101 93 29 68 158 9 14 4.81

Cueto still needs a year or two of polish. I have seen him pitch a couple of times. His stuff is great, and I love his fire, but he hasn't mastered that second time through the line up. Once he develops fully into his potential I think he is clearly a 15 game winning K machine. I say this year he wins 12 games and gives us 200 innings. Even if he is a little ahead of schedule, he makes this team a LOT better.

Micah Owings/Ramon Ramirez/Homer Bailey/Daryl Thompson
age26/26/22/23

If starting pitchers 1-4 perform to expectations this 5th spot can fall flat and it won't kill the bullpen or the team. Owings and Ramirez are both at an age to hit their stride and post some nice numbers. I would love to have Owings in the line up too. Hopefully the Reds finish the year WITHOUT Homer Bailey, and the 5th spot in the starting rotation has a record of 10-10 and has pitched 150+ innings.