Cincinnati Reds can serve youth in 2018 starting rotation

After two seasons of the worst starting pitching in team history, the Cincinnati Reds have the young arms to succeed.

The Cincinnati Reds have a ton of hope for the 2018 rotation.  They hope that Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani, and Brandon Finnegan all come back healthy.  The Reds hope they can find someone to replace Scott Feldman in the open market.

They should hope that they pick the correct young pitchers to fill the rotation.  Bailey, DeSclafani, and Finnegan should earn their roles for next season.  Bailey is the only one that may be starting rotation or bust.

Luis Castillo (who the Reds shutdown), Sal Romano, and Tyler Mahle have all put on a display down the stretch showing their readiness for next season.  That’s sixty percent of the 2018 rotation.  All three of them should be close to shoo-ins.

That leaves two spots for the aforementioned veterans and the other young starters.  The Reds saw an excellent stretch for the first two months of the season from Amir Garrett.  They are also interested in seeing what Michael Lorenzen can do as a starting pitcher.

Want your voice heard? Join the Blog Red Machine team!

Write for us!

Of course, Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed are still waiting in the wings.  The duo was supposed to carry the rotation this season, but neither could make the rotation.  Reed barely started a game all season.

The Cincinnati Reds need to take a deep breath, however, and figure out which pitchers earned a long look in the spring.

More from Reds News

• Reds: Multi-run innings have hurt Michael Lorenzen this season
• Reds fan bares all in fulfilling awkward 2021 World Series bet
• Reds: Bullpen quickly becoming a strength of this team
• Don’t give up! The Reds still have a chance to make the playoffs
• Reds comeback victory could be start of something special

DeSclafani will get a long look, if he can continue to show that he is healthy at each step along the way.  Unless something changes with Bailey between now and spring, he will only get a look.  He has earned a short hook this summer.

Finnegan, however, is an interesting situation.  He was the only starter to make every start in 2016.  That will earn him a long look in spring, but he could end up in the bullpen on the back end anyway.

Tim Adleman, Rookie Davis, and Cody Reed will probably only get brief looks.

That Reed looks better in the bullpen and Adleman is organizational depth is exciting.  Davis is close.  However, he still looks too much like a rookie still.

In the end, that essentially leaves one spot for Stephenson, Garrett, or Lorenzen.  That is exciting, too.  Three highly regarded prospects fighting for just one opening.

Next: Reds swing and miss on Bryan Price as manager

Castillo, Mahle, Romano, DeSclafani, and Lorenzen sounds like a darn good rotation.  That leaves Stephenson and Garrett in the minors for depth and Finnegan in the bullpen with Bailey.  However, that is how a major league pitching staff is supposed to look.