Possible Moves Could Lead to Young Rotation

Reports from the last few days are that Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang, the top two pitchers in the Reds starting rotation, could be moved to opposite ends of America. Arroyo, who will make $11 million in 2010, had one of the greatest second halves in his career, as his last 12 starts lasted no shorter than seven innings and no more than three runs. Harang, who will make $12.5 million in 2010, was one of the best pitchers in the National League in 2006 and 2007 before he lost his touch, giving up a run more a game in 2008 and 2009.

Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has been in contact with the Reds about acquiring Aaron Harang. The talks are in the early stages, but if it were to happen, the Reds would most likely have to send some money to L.A. along with Harang. The Reds are looking to acquire to players on the Dodgers roster, and I would expect one to be an infielder. The way this club went after Craig Counsell, which still doesn’t make any sense to me, you would have to guess that even the older players, Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal, could be involved. It would be nice to get two prospects that are just about big league ready, but the Reds need to watch out on acquiring more lefty’s, as the club is already loaded with them.

The New York Mets have also been in contact with the Reds, as General Managers Walt Jocketty and Omar Minaya are in “serious talks” about a trade involving Bronson Arroyo. Just like with the Dodgers, don’t expect this trade to happen quickly as there are multiple players involved-more Reds than Mets-along with the Mets having “a player under contract that needs to be moved in order for the deal to be expanded.” The way this sounds, with more Reds than Mets players, a fire sale could come soon. But I didn’t expect one until at the earliest, after the 2010 season depending on where the Reds finish. Who the Reds may acquire is also a big question mark, as Arroyo has been the Reds most durable starter since his arrival, continuing his streak of throwing at least 200 innings which has reached five years.

Depending on whether or not these trades go through, and who may be involved, losing these two starters would leave the Reds with a young and rather raw rotation. Homer Bailey, the young phenom who showed flashes of brilliance and domination toward the end of last season, and Johnny Cueto, the young Dominican with strikeout king potential would be the front runners to start Opening Day.

Edinson Volquez, the Reds lone All-Star in 2008, won’t be back until the earliest September. He is coming off Tommy John Surgery, and he will need a year, 2011, to get back into the groove of pitching every fifth day. Reds fans should not expect the ’08 Volquez back until the earliest, 2012. If the trades do go through, the Reds will need young, inexperienced guys to step in and win games. Expect 2008 long man Micah Owings, Justin “King” Lehr, Daryl Thompson, Matt Maloney and 2009 first round draft pick Mike Leake to all compete for a rotation spot come spring.

McGwire's Legacy is Steroids, Not Home Runs

Mark McGwire has had nearly five years to figure out what to say next.  Yet here we are, weeks after the St. Louis Cardinals hired McGwire to be their new hitting coach, and still not a word.  No news conference.  No teleconference.  No statement.  No nothing.
If a quivering McGwire was unwilling to speak under oath at a March 2005 congressional hearing on steroids, what makes you think he wants to speak about the S-word -- and his alleged use of the juice -- in November 2009?  That's easy, McGuire doesn't.
McGwire would rather chug pine tar than sit in front of another conga line of microphones, in front of an SRO crowd of reporters, and have to explain his relationship with performance-enhancing drugs.  But this is the situation he created and a situation only he can resolve.  "I think that's going to be needed, yes," Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said when asked by ESPN writer Gene Wojciechowski whether McGwire should address the controversy.  "How we'll define that I think we'll still use our time to still figure that out.  But that does seem logical."
Logical.  Necessary.  Unavoidable.

Remember, McGwire is the man who hid behind his retirement from baseball, who slithered around the truth, who, when Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., asked him that March day in 2005 whether he was invoking his Fifth Amendment rights, said famously and disastrously, "I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to be positive about this subject."  Problem is, the past won't go away.  It's stuck to his reputation like a wad of bubble gum and chaw.  In McGwire's case, the past is still his present.  There is no timetable for a McGwire public appearance.  If anything, it sounds as if Mozeliak, the Cardinals and, most of all, McGwire, were unprepared to deal with the premature release of the news of his hiring.

"I think on the McGwire topic right now, the way I'd like to address it is that there's still some things we're talking through," Mozeliak said.  "I recognize that it's a very sensitive topic … there's going to be a wide range of what people are hoping to hear or something along the lines of what he may say.  For me personally, I'm not, we're not there yet. We don't know what that looks like.  Hopefully in the next week or so, we can work through that."  Added Mozeliak, "It's not something we're ignoring or hoping will go away."
McGwire must be dreading this.  He is a private person who, even during his then-record-breaking 70-homer season in 1998, had to be pulled out of his personality shell by Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa.  They were baseball's odd couple.  Sosa would later forget how to speak English at those same congressional hearings.  This past June, The New York Times reported that Sosa was one of 104 players who tested positive for PED use in what was supposed to be an anonymous 2003 drug survey.  Gee, what a surprise.  But in 1998, McGwire and Sosa mesmerized a nation with their homers. In 2005, they mesmerized it with their laughable and lawyered-up testimony.

The smart move, the only move, is for McGwire to do what Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez and even Manny Ramirez -- all previously accused of PED use -- did before him: acknowledge, confess and explain.  That's because the minute McGwire decided to accept Manager Tony La Russa's job offer is the minute he forfeited his baseball privacy.  This is standard damage-control doctrine.  Have a one-time news conference, answer every question, then move forward.

"I thought Manny needed to explain himself," said Los Angeles Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.  "He's still an active player.  He's still a player on the payroll.  He's somebody who's vital to the organization and, in a lot of ways, the face of the organization.  I think it was incumbent upon him to say something, which he did."

And this from New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman: "[Pettitte and Rodriguez] came forward to the degree that they felt they could, and I believe they both moved past it and put it in their rearview mirrors. Those were very difficult times in their lives regarding choices they made at certain times of their lives. Thankfully, they emerged and moved on and have continued to be a part of the game they loved."  Do you want to be a part of the game you loved Mark?  I think fans may be willing to dismiss the fact that you turned your back on not only the fans, but the sport that you were supposed to love.  "The only thing I ever discussed with [Pettitte and Rodriguez] was if they talked about it publicly that they do not lie," Cashman said. "Whatever they decide to give publicly, make sure it's accurate. Because there are no secrets. So if you say something in public that's not accurate, then eventually it will be proven inaccurate. Whatever you speak to, make sure it's accurate. And don't try to mislead people."
McGwire was the face, the arms, the legs, the everything of the St. Louis franchise for years. When he steps into the Jupiter, Fla., sun for the first day of spring training -- even as a hitting coach -- he will become a prominent part of the Cardinals once again.

But you can't put on a big league uniform, especially a uni that represents one of the most respected organizations in the majors, without addressing your demons.  Anyone who watched McGwire's credibility evaporate in front of that congressional hearing knows he has a bat rack full of them.
Now McGwire gets a rare second chance.  At baseball.  At the truth.  A rare second chance at not only the truth for the fan's sake, but for his as well.  Just like all the ball players that used, he made a mistake, and a very bad judgement call.  Let's hope he makes the right one this time, because McGwire does deserve to be back in the spotlight.  The ball is in his court, and now it's the waiting game to see how he serves it back. 
Four years and nine months ago, McGwire sat in front of the country and misled it.  He did a verbal tap dance.  He evaded.  And then he disappeared into the darkness.  Soon, he'll sit in front of those microphones again.  This time, let's hope he sees something different.  This time, let's hope he sees the light.