Cincinnati Reds: It’s well past time to move on from Homer Bailey

The time has come, in fact, it’s well past due. Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds need to go their separate ways.

I don’t care how much money Homer Bailey has left on this contract. I don’t care that he was the last Cincinnati Reds pitcher to throw a no-hitter. And I don’t care who the Reds replace him with either. All I know is that Bailey cannot pitch for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019.

Homer Bailey pitched again last night, and again he performed horribly. Bailey went 5 innings deep, for reasons we still don’t know. He allowed 7 runs on 9 hits including 2 home runs. Making it worse was Cincinnati spotting Bailey 2 runs to start the game.

Bailey fell to 1-13 on the season and the Reds as a team are 1-17 when he takes the mound. That’s atrocious. How can the Reds stick with Bailey when their record is so abysmal when Bailey is on the hill? Just to be clear, the Reds are 56-60 when Bailey does not pitch.

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He struggled last season as well, but it wasn’t this bad. Bailey’s played one more game this season than he did all of 2017. He has allowed 23 more hits, 12 more runs, and 12 more home runs this season.

Injuries in 2015 and 2016 helped to crater Bailey’s career. In 8 games, Bailey was 2-4 with a 6.29 ERA. In the three seasons before that, the ones that actually earned Bailey his massive contract, he was 33-27 with a 3.61 ERA and 5 complete games.

Bailey’s contract pays him $21 million this season, $23 million in 2019, and there is a mutual $25-million option for 2020. Bailey will never see that 2020 salary, and the Reds would be smart to cut bait now and just absorb Bailey’s $23 million next season.

What good is paying Bailey $23 million if he gives you one, maybe two wins, and blocks an up-and-coming young pitcher like Lucas Sims from starting? I know, Bob Castellini doesn’t want to fork out millions of dollars to a pitcher who doesn’t even throw a pitch, but he’s paid $21 million this season for a pitcher who’s given him just one win.

If the Cincinnati Reds are serious about winning going into the 2019 season, then Homer Bailey won’t be anywhere near the stating rotation. Give me Cody Reed. Give me Sal Romano. Give me Tyler Mahle. Bailey’s been outplayed this season by every starting pitcher on the roster. He is nowhere near the player he once was, and it’s time for the Reds’ brass to realize that.