Reds roster cuts and 21-yr old LHP pickup

by rojosoto on Mar 12, 2008 3:31 PM EDT Comment 22 comments

Courtesy of CTR The Reds today made a number of spring training cuts.

Alexander Smit was outrighted to Sarasota (off the 40-man roster.)
Richie Gardner and Tyler Pelland optioned to AAA.
C Chris Kroski, LHP Matt Maloney and LHP Adam Pettyjohn were reassigned to the minor league camp.

The Reds claimed 21 year old LHP Jose Capellan off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. The Giants drafted him in this year's Rule V draft from the Boston Red Sox. Follow the link to his career minor league stats and scouting report. Great professional numbers, but never pitched above A-ball. In 3 spring games with the Giants, Capellan pitched 2 and a third innings, 6 hits, 2 of which were homeruns, no walks, 1 strikeout and a hefty 11.59 ERA.

Seems to squeeze an already tight 25-man roster spot. Perhaps he can be stashed on the 25-man all year as a lefty specialist, then back to the minors next year to go back to starting?

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Capellan sounds like he could be quality

...eventually. We're already going to be stashing Stanton in the pen, and Majewski, Bray, and Coffey will all make appearances in the pen this season. McBeth, Coutlangus, and Salmon are pretty good bets to show up as well. Hal McCoy seems to think Kent Mercker has a good shot. If Cueto keeps pitching the way he does, then either Fogg or Affeldt is going to be in the pen, and there's a good chance that Volquez will be there too (or push the other half of Foffeldt there). Not to mention Cordero, Weathers, and Burton.

So I agree; the pen is pretty crowded to be hiding someone who's never pitched above A-ball (Cough - Valenzuela - Cough). The only way I think this is a positive mood is if we're looking to build a package of relievers to trade. I don't mind if they send vets to a contender or Capellan to a rebuilding team that can keep him in the pen all year. Right now, he just seems to have shown up to the party without a sixer.

by Brendanukkah on Mar 12, 2008 4:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If Mercker makes this team...

..someone almost has to be traded or surprisingly cut loose. Coffey? Is he signed beyond '08?

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 12, 2008 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Coffey's still in his arb years

2 more arb years left, I believe.

Don't talk back to Darth Vader or he'll getcha!

by Slyde on Mar 12, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So help me out...

..does that mean if the Reds were to cut him next week, Coffey would still take paychecks of some sort through 2010? That can't be right, can it? (BTW, I checked the wiki and you're right about '09 and '10 being arbitration years for him.)

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 12, 2008 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you are in fact wrong

the Red's would release him, or in the off season they could non tendor him, and he would become a free agent, and probably sign a minor league contract with another team.

The Dusty path to the World Series! (This is not an endorsement.)

by justin0070000 on Mar 12, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Paging Mr. Roenicke...

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 12, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dude

I haven't had a pager since 1994. Call the cell.

by Mr Roenicke on Mar 13, 2008 3:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you had a pager...

...when you were 12 years old?

One of those kids, eh?

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 13, 2008 6:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LHP

I think Krivsky kept at least 3 LH's in the bullpen all year last year. There are 3 guys at most that break camp with this team in the bullpen, IMHO, if a lot of things go the right way. 1- if Stanton is kept. 2 - if Affeldt isn't in the rotation. 3- if Bray's healthy. I don't expect Mercker, Coutlangus, or Maloney to make the team on 3/31.

With Cordero, Weathers and probably Burton as "locks" that only leaves one additional RH bullpen spot available (barring a trade.) Only 2 lefties opens up two spots from:

Coffey
whichever 2 of Belisle/Fogg/Bailey/Volquez/Cueto are not in the rotation.
Majewski, Salmon and McBeth, on the fringe, who I'd guess are locks to start the year in AAA.

2-0 count: one pitch, one zone

by rojosoto on Mar 13, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

C Trent also says...

..it's official: the Reds are shackin' up with the Tribe in Ballpark Village.

From CTR's 1530 blog (there's no way to "direct link" or whatever you call it):

From a Goodyear, Ariz., press release:
The city of Goodyear has found a way to fund the estimated $33 million cost of bringing the Cincinnati Reds' Spring Training operation to its new ballpark, and is moving forward with negotiations with the team.
"We have met the terms of the Exclusivity Agreement with the Reds," said Interim City Manager Brian Dalke. "The funding sources have been identified. However, in keeping with the terms of our agreement with the Reds, that information will remain confidential while we move forward with negotiations."
The announcement comes a day before the March 13 deadline for identifying funding, set out in the Exclusivity Agreement signed on Jan. 28 by Goodyear and the Reds.
"The Reds organization is extremely pleased with the financing plan that the city of Goodyear has presented to us," said John Allen on behalf of the Reds. "We look forward to continuing our discussions and will hopefully complete the agreement in early April..."

by Fat Vegas Alan on Mar 12, 2008 4:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I like Capellan

He looks like he could be a strong pitcher in a few years.

You can't have manslaughter without laughter

by crolfer on Mar 12, 2008 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

We don't really have a few years to wait.

Given that he's a Rule V pick.

by Geki on Mar 12, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was my thought

He's a valuable guy to have in the system, but his value isn't on the big-league roster this year.

Would it be possible to execute a trade with the Giants? Send them a low-level prospect in return, and then we can keep Capellan in the minors?

by Brendanukkah on Mar 12, 2008 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It would have to be with the Red Sox

As he was a Rule V pick from them by the Giants.

But theoretically, yes, we could work out such a trade. But I'm not sure this guy is particularly worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

by Geki on Mar 12, 2008 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right, Red Sox

I remember some of us wondering if we could designate Josh Hamilton as the player to be named later when we sent Brendan Harris to the Rays.

As for the 40 man, well, Alexander Smit was on it last year.

by Brendanukkah on Mar 12, 2008 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not saying we're putting our 40-man

spots to particularly good use. Just that Capellan probably isn't good use either.

by Geki on Mar 12, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right... That could be problematic

You can't have manslaughter without laughter

by crolfer on Mar 12, 2008 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This can't be right

The Giants can't waive him if he was a Rule V pick - he either remains on the 25 man roster, or is returned to Boston.

Unless he was a pick last year, in which case he doesn't have to be on the 25 man roster, and (as long as he has options) not even the 40 man.

just....wow.

by sidnancy on Mar 12, 2008 5:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I see...

After reading the blog, it seems the Reds essentially get him as if they'd drafted him. Seems like an odd pick-up.

just....wow.

by sidnancy on Mar 12, 2008 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's what happened...

...with Josh Phelps last year. The Yankees gave up on him partway through the season. But he had to clear waivers before he could be returned to the Orioles. He didn't. The Pirates claimed him. They then had to keep him on the roster all season.

This is why making Hamilton the PTBNL from Tampa last year wasn't possible. He would have had to clear waivers first, and that wasn't going to happen.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Mar 12, 2008 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So

Is this kind of like a Rule V do-over? Maybe Wayner realized that whatever scout told him to take Sergio was kidding and never actually thought he'd be stupid enough to take a guy with a 7+ ERA in A ball, so he cut Sergio and took somebody else as a Rule V, because Wayner is addicted to Rule V picks and had to have somebody he could stash on the 25-man roster that was actually maybe a prospect. Whew, I'm out of breath.

"Just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." - George Costanza

by beasleymachine on Mar 12, 2008 6:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs