Game Thread: Game 28 vs the Astros Part 2

Majewski first needs to prove he's healthy and then needs to demonstrate that he can get folks out at the MLB level before he can be counted on for anything. He's never produced a K rate above 5.50 for a season and his career OBP against is .347. Too many baserunners is already an issue with the Reds relief corps. Here are Majewski's DIPS rates for the past three seasons versus his actual ERA numbers:

2006. ERA- 4.61, DIPS- 4.20
      
2005. ERA- 2.93, DIPS- 3.79
      
2004. ERA- 3.86, DIPS- 4.11

Unfortunately, "League Average", while being better than what the Reds have, isn't the kind of stopper who can avoid big Innings and who doesn't have to be rescued from disaster consistently. Couple that with the fact that Majewski's also averaged nearly 17 pitches per Inning throughout his MLB career and you've got a journeyman middle reliever. His high Pitch per Inning count is a symptom of a too-high BB rate and a lack of strikeouts, but it's also indicative of a pitcher who doesn't actually possess an "Out" pitch. Majewski doesn't and never has.

A healthy Majewski simply didn't project to help out the Reds all that much in 2006 and only projects to be an tiny improvement if he's healthy soon and only then because the rest of the Reds Relievers truly stink. But he's going to blow leads if he comes into games with Runners on base. He's going to need rescuing on multiple occasions if he comes in with the bases empty. He's not going to give up the longball a ton, but he's pretty near what the Reds already have.

I want better.