Cincinnati Reds make upside play with RP Dylan Floro

Cincinnati Reds need pitching

The Cincinnati Reds have an influx of young talent. But, they haven’t had their shortage of troubles. With the team in the midst of a rebuild, there is a lack of reliable pitching. But, the club has plenty of young arms to experiment with. They just need some time. Fans will have to wait a bit longer for October baseball in Cincinnati.

The only good arm in the rotation at the moment is potential Opening Day starter, 25-year-old Luis Castillo. But, the Reds have plenty of youth that is in the MLB or are on the cusp. Players such as Rookie Davis, Amir Garrett, and Sal Romano are just a couple that started on the mound in 2017. The team’s cumulative ERA in 2017 was a bloated 5.17. That will put losses on the board real quick.

Also, the Reds had the fewest quality starts in the MLB with just 54. That may be due to only having one reliable starter. So, Cincinnati will have to step up their game on the mound if they want to win more than 66 games in 2018. The young guys will have more time to gain experience with another wash year. The club should still be in the cellar at the end of the season.

With that said, the front office made an upside pickup. It wasn’t flashy, but it is something a rebuilding club should be during the offseason.

Cincinnati Reds sign RP Floro

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Right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro has bounced around. In 2012, the Rays took him in the 13th round at #422 overall. In his first season, the righty posted a 2.40 ERA in 30 innings. The 2013 season was dominant as well, tossing a 1.81 ERA in A-ball and a 1.61 with High A. But when facing higher competition, he struggled.

Since 2014, his ERA with the Rays, Dodgers, and Cubs is 4.51. He hasn’t had problems with control and he doesn’t give up many home runs. His highest HR/9 ever was 1.86, and that was only in 9.2 innings. That’s not a big enough sample size. Floro’s problem has been pitch selection.

The fastball needs to be located better. When he is on, his fastball has darting movement.

A positive for the Reds is that he is under control for 5 more seasons. He hasn’t even accumulated one year yet. He could be an inexpensive pitcher who can eat innings if he can return to form. Floro could be used as a trade piece down the line, such as Dodgers reliever Scott Alexander. The southpaw broke out in 2017, and helped the Royals gain prospects back.

The Reds moves haven’t been eye-popping, but they are helping this club in the long run. Adding a veteran arm with tons of control is a step in the right direction.

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