Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 12, 2019 THIS DAY in REDS HISTORY 1888-The Reds Begin a Six-Week Exhibition Tour Through Texas, Louisiana and Alabama
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 12, 2019 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1888-The Reds begin a six-week exhibition tour through Texas, Louisiana and Alabama MLB.COM Duke returns to Reds on one-year deal Cincy designates right-hander Lopez for assignment in corresponding move By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Feb. 11th, 2019 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This past offseason featured multiple trades by the Reds, but Monday officially marked their first free-agent acquisition, when lefty reliever Zach Duke signed a one-year, $2 million contract. To make room for Duke, right-handed pitcher Jose Lopez was designated for assignment. Duke, who will turn 36 in April, agreed to terms with Cincinnati on Feb. 2. The club will get added veteran presence in its bullpen. He is a 14-year Major League veteran. In 72 games combined for the Twins and Mariners last season, Duke was 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Over 52 innings, he allowed 57 hits including one home run with 21 walks and 51 strikeouts. Left-handed hitters batted .220 against him, compared to .311 by right-handed hitters. But the Reds do not view the ground-ball pitcher as a one-out left-handed situational reliever. "He's a guy that likes to pitch a full inning and expects to be in there to pitch a full inning," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "He's had a lot of success against lefties, but we are comfortable that he's not necessarily going to be a one-out guy." Duke is returning to the Reds after pitching for them during the 2013 season, a stint that helped turn his career around after being released by the Nationals earlier that year. Duke had a 0.84 ERA in 14 relief appearances with Cincinnati. After he departed the Reds as a free agent, Duke pitched for the Brewers, White Sox, Cardinals, Twins and Mariners. He's also previously pitched for the Pirates, D-backs and Nationals. The 2018 season saw Duke's ERA elevate, but his fielding independent percentage (FIP) dropped from 5.29 in '17 to 3.01 last year. That could be an indication that he had some bad luck or poor defense behind him in Minnesota and Seattle. Reds pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in Goodyear, Ariz., on Tuesday and hold their first workout on Wednesday. Duke's addition makes the battle for bullpen spots even tighter. Cincinnati already has right-handers Raisel Iglesias, Jared Hughes, David Hernandez, and Michael Lorenzen with lefty Amir Garrett and now Duke likely locked in for roles. That could leave two spots -- or maybe just one -- up for grabs among Sal Romano, Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed, Wandy Peralta and others. "I think there's a good chance that we're prepared to carry eight relievers at times throughout the season, if not the majority of the season," Williams said. "A lot of that will depend on the starting rotation and how it produces." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER 2019 Cincinnati Reds questions: How many games will they win this year? John Fay and Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 6:16 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2019 Editor’s note: With Spring Training approaching, we’ll answer an important question about the Cincinnati Reds each day until pitchers and catchers report Feb. 12. Today's question is the final question in our series: How many games will the Reds win? Fay’s take: 82. That would be encouraging for the Reds because it would end the streak of losing seasons and would be a sign of progress. And it would be deeply disappointing for the Reds because it wouldn’t get them into the postseason. The number crunchers at fangraphs.com also predict an 82-80 season for the Reds and have them finishing third in the National League Central – behind the Chicago Cubs (88), St. Louis (86) and ahead of Pittsburgh (80) and Milwaukee (79). Vegas has the Reds win total over/under at 77 or 77 ½. Clearly, the Reds have done a lot to improve the team after last year’s 67-95 debacle. They added three starting pitchers in Tanner Roark, Alex Wood and Sonny Gray. They added big-name outfielders in Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp. They could add bullpen lefty Zach Duke. And they’ll probably do more before Opening Day. But will it be enough? Going from 67-95 to a winning record is a long trip. To get there, a lot has to go right. Roark, Wood and Gray all have to be better than they were last year to make the rotation competitive. The three combined to 29-31 with a 4.67 ERA. That’s not going to cut it. But trio all have been better in the recent past. There are other questions as well. The Reds are banking on top prospect Nick Senzel winning the center field job. He’s never played center field in a real game and doesn’t have an at-bat in majors. But even with all the adding the Reds the numbers don’t add up to a huge jump in the win total. Consider this: Last year, 25-man Opening Day roster had a total of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 30.7, according to baseball- reference.com. This year projected roster has a WAR total of 38.4. That doesn’t get you from 67-95 to 82-80. So why do I think they’ll make such a big jump? The whole is greater than the parts often in baseball. The moves the Reds made buoyed returning players. They’ll go into the season more confident. Senzel should give the club a dose of youthful enthusiasm. Puig brings some baggage with him. But on his whirlwind visit, he seemed very happy to be with the new team. And he could put up scary numbers in Great American Ball Park. So I’m going with 82. The Reds are going to have to stay healthy to get there, and they can’t stumble out of the gate like they did last year. But the potential for a winning team and even contention is there for the first time since 2014. Nightengale's take: 76. Between fans and players, there’s a lot of excitement around the Reds after a busy offseason. They have a new coaching staff. They addressed their starting rotation, added depth in their lineup and they should have an improved bullpen. But the Reds still need a lot of things to go according to plan to compete for a playoff spot. They will need all their new pitchers to adjust to Great American Ball Park. Sonny Gray was a buy-low trade target after falling out of the New York Yankees’ rotation, but they need him to look like the pitcher that was dominant in Oakland. Tanner Roark had a 3.43 ERA following the All-Star break last year and the Reds are hoping for similar numbers. Outfield defense will likely be a weakness, especially in center field. It was noticeable when Billy Hamilton wasn’t in games in previous seasons and now that’s their new reality. Their lineup will benefit, but defense can be key in one-run games. Another concern is that it could turn into a four-month season. The Reds have several players in the final year of their contracts and if the club isn’t in contention in July, those players could turn into trade candidates. There’s no question that the Reds improved from the end of last season. They certainly have the potential to win more than 81 games, but that will be decided by their play against National League Central opponents. They had a 26-50 record against divisional opponents last year and that record will determine how far they go in 2019. Lefty reliever Zach Duke signs 1-year contract with Cincinnati Reds Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 9:58 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2019 The Reds signed their first Major League free agent of the offseason Monday. Left-handed reliever Zach Duke agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract, giving the Reds another lefty option in their bullpen. The Reds designated right-handed pitcher José López for assignment to make room for Duke on the 40-man roster. Duke had a 4.15 ERA in 52 innings last season with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners, striking out 51. The Reds hope he can provide similar value to their free agent signings from last year, relievers Jared Hughes and David Hernandez. Duke, a groundball pitcher, will turn 36 in April. During the 2018 season, Duke limited left-handed batters to a .220 batting average last season with a .319 slugging percentage. Right-handed hitters had a .311 batting average and .370 slugging percentage. Duke, who will wear No. 32, pitched in 14 games with the Reds in 2013, allowing one run in 10⅔ innings. He did not pitch in the 2013 National League Wild Card game, the last time the Reds advanced to the postseason. He’s played in nine organizations throughout his 14-year Major League career. Reds manager David Bell had five hits in 11 at-bats against Duke during his playing career. López, a sixth-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, had a 4.47 ERA in 26 starts at Triple-A Louisville last season.