Homer Bailey done for the year; will his Cincinnati Reds career be next?

Homer Bailey will not be part of the starting rotation for the remainder of the 2018 season, but have we seen the last of him in a Cincinnati Reds uniform?

The Cincinnati Reds have not announced their starter for Sunday’s game in Miami, but we know it won’t be Homer Bailey. Interim manager Jim Riggleman said on Wednesday that the veteran right-hander would not be part of the rotation for the remainder of the season. Is this the end of the Homer Bailey era in Cincinnati?

Michael Lorenzen picked up the start on Tuesday in Milwaukee for the Reds. Lorenzen pitched a near flawless 4 innings for  Cincinnati in their 3-1 win over the Brewers. He is certainly a candidate to start on Sunday.

Tyler Mahle won’t get the start either. He was pulled from Tuesday’s start due to shoulder fatigue, and according to Riggleman is still not ready to pitch on Sunday.

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"“Mahle definitely won’t pitch Sunday because we haven’t done enough with him to get him ready for Sunday.”"

But, the nugget about Mahle wasn’t the only thing Riggleman had to say about the starting rotation. He also made it very clear that Bailey would not be starting, and apparently, Bailey himself has no intention of being a reliever.

"“As far as starting, yeah. Homer has indicated that he can’t relieve. Hard to think of something else to use him with.”"

So, there you have it. Obviously, Homer Bailey has made it clear that he’s not willing to come out of the bullpen. To me, this is the end of Bailey’s career in the Queen City. You can’t, as a member of a team, remove yourself from an opportunity to help your team win.

Bailey is the anti-Lorenzen. Where Michael Lorenzen will start, come in for relief, pinch-hit, play center field, or whatever is asked of him, Bailey is content to let the team flounder without offering an ounce of assistance. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that guy on my team.

The Reds are on the hook for a lot of money next year. Cincinnati owes Homer Bailey $23 million in 2019 and has a $5 million buyout. It’s true, $28 million is nothing to sneeze at, but the Reds’ brass cannot in good conscience bring back Homer Bailey in 2019.

This is an unfortunate situation that will likely not end well. Bailey has shown himself to not be willing to bend for what’s in the best interest of the ballclub. The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of young pitching talent, and will likely pursue some starting pitching outside of the organization in the offseason.

I can’t fathom a situation where Bailey is part of the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, but stranger things have happened. Stay tuned for what’s sure to be an entertaining offseason to say the least.