3 Things We've Learned About Cincinnati Reds' September Call-Ups
After the Cincinnati Reds fell out of contention in late August, many fans wanted to see what the team's September call-ups could do. However, the call-ups have had very few chances to show what they can do early in the final month.
The way that it works in baseball is that managers are supposed to run out their starters against playoff contenders out of respect to the game. Given that the Reds' September schedule has been loaded with games against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Bryan Price hasn't had many chances to put his call-ups into games.
Cincinnati called up a fairly large group of players when rosters expanded, but the pitchers are about the only ones who have gotten a chance to play on a somewhat consistent basis.
Although it has been a small sample size, there have been a few things that fans have learned about the team's call-ups.
*All stats are via MLB.com.
Reds Have Starting Pitching Depth in the Minors
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A lot has been made about the Reds' lack of starting pitching depth at the Triple-A level. However, those concerns have been quietly put to rest this month.
Every Reds fan knows about Robert Stephenson, Michael Lorenzen and Ben Lively. With those pitchers a few years away, some of the team's other minor-league pitchers have been given a chance to prove themselves. So far, it has been a good experience.
Unfortunately for the Reds, injuries have forced the team to give call-ups more starts than expected. Dylan Axelrod, David Holmberg and Daniel Corcino have all been given the opportunity to make at least one start this month.
Axelrod has been the most impressive, as he has allowed just six runs in 17.1 innings pitched this year. Unfortunately, he fell victim to the injury bug that has plagued the team very often this season.
When Axelrod went down, Holmberg stepped in and showed that he can be a solid pitcher. He failed to make it out of the third inning in either of his two starts earlier this season, but he has done a fantastic job in September. He threw 5.2 innings worth of shutout baseball against the Cardinals in relief of Axelrod, and five days later, he held the Brewers to one run on just two hits in six innings.
Corcino had mixed results in his relief outings, but when he got the chance to start in the majors, he has made the most of it. He held the Brewers to just two runs on two hits and a walk in six innings of work. The fact that he has shown good control and has been able to miss bats is a great sign for a pitcher who has struggled the past two years.
Should Cincinnati decide to trade a starting pitcher or two this offseason, it looks like the team has some pitchers in the minors who it can turn to give it quality starts next season.
None of the Call-Ups Are Ready to Make an Impact at the Plate
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Cincinnati's lack of depth at position players in the minors has been obvious this month.
The Reds called up Donald Lutz, Tucker Barnhart, Jason Bourgeois, Jake Elmore and Yorman Rodriguez when rosters expanded. Given that the team has played contenders frequently this month, none of the call-ups have gotten much playing time. However, none of them look like they would be able to help the team next season.
The team has already had some chances to look at Lutz and Barnhart. Lutz has shown that he can handle himself—to an extent—at the plate, but he could still use some more seasoning in the minors. He has some pop in his bat and could find himself in the conversation for the left-field job if he has a good spring.
The left-handed slugger has a .214 average in 103 at-bats, so it's pretty clear that he isn't ready for the majors quite yet. Barnhart is a terrific defense player. However, his .140 average in 40 major league at-bats shows that he wouldn't be much help to the team next season.
Bourgeois (32 years old) and Elmore (27 years old) have had some major league experience with other teams before this season. Neither one has put up very good numbers at the plate in the past. Bourgeois has a .260 career average, and Elmore is at .219 for his career. Bourgeois (.278) has, however, taken advantage of his limited playing time this season.
Rodriguez may be a good five-tool player someday, but the 22-year-old has yet to play a game in Triple-A. Although he put up some decent numbers in Double-A this season, he still has to get some experience against tougher pitching. Rodriguez has the skills to help the club at some point in the future. It just doesn't appear that he will be an option for left field come Opening Day 2015.
Most of the club's top prospects are pitchers, and the best hitting prospects the organization has are in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Given the lack of production by this group of call-ups this month, it's obvious that the Reds don't have any minor leaguers who can make an impact at the plate in the majors next season.
Not Many Call-Ups Will Have a Chance to Make Reds' Bullpen in 2015
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The Reds bullpen ranks 25th in all of baseball and is looking for help anywhere it can get it. Not many call-ups have made the most out of their opportunities in September, which will likely cost them a chance to be considered part of the team's bullpen in 2015.
Cincinnati called up J.J. Hoover, Daniel Corcino, Carlos Contreras, Pedro Villarreal and Ryan Dennick to add a few arms to the bullpen. Obviously the team already knows a lot about Hoover. Corcino and Contreras are expected to be starters, so neither of them figures to be a candidate for next season's bullpen. With 15 walks in 19 innings in the majors this season, Contreras wouldn't be a good fit as a reliever.
Villarreal has allowed five runs in just 10.1 innings of work this season. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, so location is a key for him. The 26-year-old hasn't been overly impressive and likely needs more time in the minors.
Outside of one rough outing, Dennick has been solid—in very limited work. In three of his four scoreless outings this month, he has recorded two outs or fewer. The southpaw posted a 2.36 ERA in 57 appearances in Triple-A this season. If Manny Parra wasn't signed for next season, Dennick would have a good shot to make next year's roster. If Sean Marshall is unable to be ready for Opening Day, there may be a chance that Dennick could work his way onto the roster.
The Reds have some decisions to make with the bullpen in the offseason. It has been a big weakness for the team in 2014, and with the way some of the call-ups have pitched this month, the team doesn't have many internal options who can help out. It remains to be seen if any of the call-ups will get a chance next spring to make the bullpen.
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