I said this in the Friday game thread:
I really hope that Luke Hudson won't be in the 2006 rotation, because I simply can't take much more of this. Stick the guy in the bullpen, and if he does well then think about giving him another shot in the rotation. But wait until he succeeds at the major league level before running him out every fifth day.
Apparently the Reds finally agree with me:
Luke Hudson has struggled with his control ever since he came off the disabled list in June.Now he's lost control of his spot in the rotation.
The Reds pulled Hudson (6-8, 7.20 ERA) -- who was supposed to start Wednesday's game at Wrigley Field -- out of the rotation, replacing him with left-hander Randy Keisler.
The Reds have to be the only team in baseball that would give 16 starts to a guy with a + 7.00 ERA. It's nice to see them finally wise up, although the Keisler move is a head scratcher.
I'm not sure why more failed Reds starters aren't moved to the bullpen, especially guys like Hudson who throw pretty hard. The past two years have shown that good relievers can be tough to come by. Cincinnati might as well try to find them in house, because outside of Kent Mercker (who's becoming a yearly acquisition) and David Weathers they've had trouble finding good ones through free agency.
Hopefully Luke will thrive in the bullpen and help shore it up for next year. It needs just as much help as the starting rotation.