Cincinnati Reds set rotation for 2017 by using Keyvius Sampson

By using Keyvius Sampson to sub in for Anthony DeSclafani the Cincinnati Reds have shown who their starting pitchers will be in 2017.

The Cincinnati Reds have decided to skip DeSclafani this time through the rotation.  That isn’t huge news.  They are out of it and DeSclafani was injured for the first half of the season.  The big news is Keyvius Sampson starting ahead of Cody Reed.  He is also getting the start instead of youngsters, John Lamb and Amir Garrett.  Tim Adleman is already filling in for injured Homer Bailey.

That means that Reed and Lamb, who both had chances this year, are behind Sampson and Adleman in being ready for 2017.  Sampson has no chance of being a regular in the rotation next year. Adleman could be in the rotation, but only as a stopgap action.  Reed and Lamb owned the better pedigrees than Brandon Finnegan when they came over as a trio from the Kansas City Royals, but Finnegan has separated himself.

Finnegan has established himself as a big league starter.

Finnegan is the only lefty that has established himself this year.  He has made all 28 starts that his spot in the rotation were due with  133 strikeouts in under 160 innings.  The next step for Finnegan is to pitcher more innings per start.  That will come.

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The Reds have also found a hidden gem in Dan Straily.  Oakland released Straily during spring training.  Straily made 27 starts for the Reds after being claimed off of waivers.  He has comparable secondary stats to Finnegan with 137 strikeouts in 165 innings.  Straily and Finnegan make up 40% of the 2017 rotation.

Of course the cornerstone of this rotation is the aforementioned DeSclafani.  With the injury history of Bailey, DeSclafani planned on being the ironman of the rotation.  Instead, Raisel Iglesias started opening day and Alfredo Simon led the rotation in starts heading into the season.

Then there is Bailey.  The Reds are hoping that he can finally stay healthy.  Bailey is the definitive number one starter, thanks to signing his big contract,  Since then he hasn’t put together a complete season.  Bailey has no hit stuff and now he must use it consistently.

Next: Cincinnati Reds are faced with a decision about Jose Peraza.

That brings us back to Sampson.  He is not an everyday starting pitcher.  Adleman is a fringe prospect at this point.  With those two in the rotation with Robert Stephenson ahead of Lamb and Reed, the writing is on the wall for the pair of lefties.  Stephenson is an MLB ready pitcher.  Sampson’s spot start lets us all know that the rotation will be Bailey, DeSclafani, Finnegan, Straily, Stephenson next year barring a trade.