Cincinnati Reds keep facing difficult decisions regarding Tim Adleman and Robert Stephenson

With their two experienced prospects having difficult springs, the Cincinnati Reds had to scramble for starters and roles for the duo.

When the Cincinnati Reds traded Dan Straily to the Miami Marlins they felt confident that they had enough starting pitching. They had a healthy quartet of Anthony Desclafani, Homer Bailey, Brandon Finnegan, and Robert Stephenson with the duo of Tim Adleman and Amir Garrett poised to fight for the last spot in the rotation. Fast forward to the end if spring training and only Brandon Finnegan was still in the same place.

Finnegan did what he needed to this spring. He came into camp with the look of someone who already has a spot in the rotation assured. He started and went multiple innings all spring long before injuring himself three starts into 2017.

For his part Amir Garrett did nothing to dissuade the Reds from letting him be in the rotation. He also started all spring throwing multiple innings. Garrett has to watch his WHIP and those big innings, though. It hurt him in one start recently, blossoming his ERA to 4.50.

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Scott Feldman trained as a starter as soon as the DeSclafani injury became public news. He started games and pitched multiple innings. He also didn’t allow a run in either of his first two spring starts and earned himself the Opening Day start.

Tim Adleman started games all spring for the Cincinnati Reds, but Robert Stephenson didn’t.

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Adleman had a look more similar to Finnegan than to Stephenson. He looked like a pitcher working on getting ready for the season instead of fighting for a spot in the team. He had good and bad games, but he spent all spring starting games pitching multiple innings. Then he was sent to Triple-A before desperation brought him back.

Meanwhile, Stephenson was pitching in relief, demonstrating control issues. Stephenson was pitching like a pitcher in the playoffs. He didn’t focus on throwing strikes, but instead pitched to the edge of the strike zone and he still looks that way as a reliever now.

Meanwhile Keury Mella and Sal Romano came from out of contention and looked like MLB starters. The thing about pitching is that much of it has to do with how is in the game when you pitch. Mella faced almost exclusively bench players, while Romano saw a good amount of starting MLB batters. Romano made his MLB debut before landing on the Louisville Bats’ DL.

If Mella and Romano had made the rotation some how, then Feldman could have been removed from the rotation as the opening day starter. The Reds like Finnegan, but they didn’t want to make Finnegan the ace and opening day starter at the same time. Finnegan needs to grow a little more and Feldman ended up being the right choice.

Next: Tyler Mahle could be next man up in the rotation

The Reds brought in Bronson Arroyo to avoid this situation. Unfortunately, he was ill early in spring. That meant that the Reds had to go scrambling for potential replacements for Adleman and Stephenson to start the season. Now the Reds need to decide if Adleman can be a long term starter and if Stephenson has a future with the team.

With their two experienced prospects having difficult springs, the Cincinnati Reds had to scramble for starters and roles for the duo.

Tim Adleman started games all spring for the Cincinnati Reds, but Robert Stephenson didn’t.

More from Reds News

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