Cincinnati Reds: The Team Needs to Look to Louisville to Shake Up the Rotation

It almost seems crazy to look at a team that owns a 3.34 staff ERA and claim that they need to shake up their rotation, but this is exactly what the Cincinnati Reds need to do, as that team 3.34 ERA masks some dirty little secrets.

Cincinnati has had arguably the best bullpen in baseball to this point in the season. Just look at these stats, and don't lose your jaw as it drops in awe:

The seven-man relief crew of Aroldis Chapman (0.00 ERA), Logan Ondrusek (0.00 ERA), J.J. Hoover (0.00 ERA), Alfredo Simon (2.63 ERA), Jose Arrendondo (2.70 ERA), Sam LeCure (4.30 ERA) and Sean Marshall (4.91 ERA) have combined to pitch 94.1 innings for a cumulative 2.10 ERA. Chapman, Ondrusek and Hoover account for 38.1 innings and have allowed a mind-boggling 16 hits while fanning 48 and maintaining a perfect ERA of 0.00.

So, why is it that the Reds can't seem to get it done?  

Because three of the five spots in the rotation are failing to get it done.  

Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake have continued to not show up for their starts. Of the three, it might surprise you that Bailey has actually been the most consistent, achieving four quality starts through his first six appearances. Leake has been horrific, and Latos seems to be figuring things out, but struggles to pitch more than five innings.

The Reds have an amazing team ERA with starts from Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo, but they have a mediocre-to-bad team ERA through the other three stops in the five-man rotation. This duo of Cueto and Arroyo puts up such great numbers that it masks what is really going on through the majority of starts.

Something has got to change for the old ballclub. They need more consistency, and it is obvious that the bats have continued to not produce the needed runs to overcome medium-to-large deficits.  

During the offseason, Cincinnati signed Jeff Francis and Brett Tomko. It's time to make a call to the minors and get at least one of them up here, as Leake needs to get some work in with Ted Power in Louisville.  

Francis is the obvious pick, in my mind. He hasn't put up spectacular numbers in Triple-A, but he has shown consistency throughout his starts. I will take a 4.50 ERA from a guy who is consistently giving me six innings and only allowing three runs per outing. And, when you have a bullpen like the Reds currently do, those numbers are a recipe for success.

Let us also not forget that there is always going to be the argument for Chapman to start. I would love nothing more than to see the Cuban Missile in the rotation, but the time just isn't right. He is playing a major role in stabilizing the bullpen, so making that change right now and without someone to fill the void could be disastrous.

Chapman will be in the rotation in time. Right now, I really believe that the short-term answer awaits in Louisville.