Red Reposter: Ohio Ready

The Reds Caravans have wrapped up their sojourns. They were fairly uneventful.

Homer Bailey said he plans to be ready when pitchers + catchers report in two weeks (!!!). Considering that a healthy Homer is a lynchpin this rotation needs, this is very good news.

It is even better news when you realize that Other Options include things like signing Bronson Arroyo to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. Arroyo hasn’t pitched professionally since blowing out his arm in the 2014 season. To give you an idea: dudes like Dylan Axelrod and David Holmberg were parts of the Reds’ plan the last time Arroyo threw a pitch. This is either a Jose Rijo situation or a complete disaster.

The always-fun DATELINE: FLORENCE, KY. Drew Storen thinks the Reds can surprise some people! Is Kentucky southern enough to say “bless his heart”? Also in this article is Bryan Price continuing his Personal Responsibility Gospel, saying the Reds’ young players “have to accept that responsibility and make it your own. I think we're on our way to doing that."

To which I respond: It’s your job to coach people through adversity and into responsibility, Bryan. And all the admonitions against saggy pants in the world won’t hit a 1-2 slider.

An article on more nuts-and-bolts stuff says that Dick Williams is aware of the sheer number of nuts and mismanagement of the bolts. There’s no timetable for Mesoraco’s return, no Peraza plan, and by the way, no right fielder. But they say the Reds plan to schedule lots of B Games during Spring Training to get innings for the pitching prospects – a list that now includes Sal Romano.

Adam Duvall was welcomed home. "It's cool. This is where it all started," Duvall said. "It's where a lot of work was put in. I have a lot of memories in this city, and it's fun."

Speaking of coming home, here’s a great story out of Schourek Homeland Mason, Ohio. Somebody handed out flyers around town and on windshields calling a Palestinian-Turkish woman in Mason a terrorist. It was bullshit, of course. And Mason responded by giving her a dang parade.

Relatedly, EDSBS opened their Charity Drive a few months early. SB Nation’s head honcho Spencer Hall worked in refugee resettlement before he came here and still tries to direct money back to that line of work. Every single year this has been done, it hasn’t been political. Now it is.

If you want to give to refugee resettlement agencies closer to home, the Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio have a list of ways to help. They were the ones featured in the Enquirer’s big story late last year, and to donate directly go here.