http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/41281 Recent articles about Johnny Cueto en-us Trade rumors are swirling around Brian Fuentes, but he's pitching impressively in the meantime, says Mike Harmon. Also, fantasy news on the Mets and latest injury updates on Takashi Saito, Chris Carpenter, Bobby Jenks and David Ortiz. How will Scott Kazmir's and Dan Uggla's performance in the All-Star game affect them? Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:05:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292738 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292738 B-REF PREVIEW | GAMEDAY | WEATHER | ACB CHAT ROOM Johnny Cueto vs. Cubs hitters:  6-21, HR, BB, 7 K Carlos Zambrano vs. Reds hitters:  .264/.353/.452 in 292 at-bats When and Where:  7:05 pm on CSN Soto is 2-2 with a home run against Cueto and Theriot is 2-3.  No Cub has any decent amount of plate appearances against Cueto though.  Adam Dunn has 6 home runs against Zambrano and Griffey has slugged nearly .700 against him.  The wind is blowing across the field towards the 1st base line at 11 mph.  Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:03:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288245 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288245 Disgusted? Let me tell you about disgusted. I am in the Army. I spent all of last season in Iraq. I got to watch a total of two games last season. This season, I'm not in Iraq, but am stationed in Hawaii. I HAVE TO PAY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION on MLB.TV to watch the Reds games!!! That's disgust boys and girls. To race home from work to catch the last three innings, see a lead, only to watch that disgusting David Weathers throw each and every outing. Or see Dusty play his pal from his Chicago days Patterson who couldn't hit a softball off a tee. That is disgust. Dunn is not the problem. Yes, the guy strikes out a lot, but he gets on base and DOES drive in runs. National League: He is 13th in OPS at .900, tied for 4th with 21 home runs, is easily on pace to knock in over 100 RBI, has led more walks than anyone else at 67, has the 13th highest OBP at .389, top 20 with a slugging % of .516, and on a sidenote: His fielding percentage is .967. I repeat, Dunn is not the problem. As for Junior. How can you people turn on him like you have? The guy is much more valuable than anyone is admitting. Everyone knows, if not for the injuries, we have the best baseball player in the history of the game. And the injuries only affect the stats. We all know that he was, is, and always will be the best. And even if you don't agree, you have him in the top ten OF ALL TIME. Have we forgotten what that means for a young ball club, to have an EXTRA SEASONED veteran, if not the best, one of the best, just for advice, instruction, encouragement? We need him. He is still hungry. He is worth more than we can put a price tag on. And when we take our kids to the park, we can show them the best while he is still playing. Griffey IS NOT THE PROBLEM EITHER. We can win while keeping Junior. Trading him is not the answer. It is not the answer. Yeah, he's only batting .240, yeah, he's only hit 10 HR, yes, he's only driven in 36 RBI, yes, he's only got an OPS of .745, yes, he's only drew 46 BB...but compare that to Derek Jeter. Aside from Jeter's .279 AVG, Griffey is ahead of him in every category. You don't see the Yankees demanding his trade. Chicago's Fukodome is batting .290, and is just slightly ahead of Junior in OPS, but Junior betters him in every other category. and the Cubbies are in 1st place. Arizona's Justin Upton's stats are almost identical to Junior's. And guess what. They are winning and in 1st place. My point. WE CAN WIN WITH JUNIOR. GRIFF IS NOT THE PROBLEM. So I've given my two cents on what the problem ISN'T. So here's my two cents on what the problem IS. #1 - Pitching - The declining quality of decision-making on the mound from Harang, Arroyo, and Cueto. While we can and SHOULD expect Cueto to make bad decisions while on the mound, he's a rookie, we should not see the same mistakes out of our two veteran hurlers. But this does not fall solely on them, it is a combination of the catchers and the pitching coaches not taking control when needed. The majority of the time it comes down to either a bad pitch, or a bad scouting report. #2 - Pitching - The absence of a 5th spot on the rotation. Belisle was given too many opportunities to turn it around and should have been converted to a bullpen pitcher much sooner. Dusty hit the nail on the head. He's okay until he's facing batters for the 2nd and 3rd time. Homer Bailey is turning into a certified dud, and Daryl Thompson just isn't ready. #3 - Pitching/Managerial - DAVID WEATHERS. The guy is a bum who has pulled the shades over lots of peoples' eyes for 18 years too long. Reds fans have consistently watched him give wins away all season long. The guy will never save 33 games again. He'll never save 33 out of 39 opportunities again. He is a waste and a downer for the team. Why hasn't he been released or traded? Why is he being paid $3.3 MIL? To keep the team in the cellar? #4 - Patterson/Managerial - Bronson Arroyo has a higher OBP than Corey Patterson. He's hitting .188, the same as Jannish, which we expect from a rookie. Not from a guy who's been playing for 8 years. Since June 5th, after being recalled from AAA where he was sent to "find" his swing, he's 7 for 46. That's .152, and he's only accounted for 5 runs. Is that $3 MIL production? Is that what a MLB player is paid to do? CUT HIM. Bottom line: REDS 11th in NL scoring with 367. Which is descent, but could be much better. They're not hitting with RISP. For example, in the June 10th - June 19th homestand, they were 6-for-57 (.105) with runners in scoring position. They were 2 and 7 in that homestand and could have very easily won 3 of those games if not for choking with runners on the bags. And it's the same story of late, losing to the horrid Pirates now two straight. But, that also goes back to the pitching, since they gave up a total of 48 runs in those 7 games. But that's no excuse for hitting .105 with RISP. Those were games that could have been won. 5th in NL HR with 92. Out of the 4 teams who hit more: Florida, 1.5 games out of 1st place - Philadelphia, 1st place - Milwaulkee, 8.5 ahead of the Reds, and 4.5 out of 1st - and Chicago, 1st place. hmmm... Defense - 5th in NL in Errors committed with 58. But the Diamondbacks have committed one more and are in 1st place, so this can be overcome. So, in short. It's not because of Dunn or Junior. Trading them is not the answer. The answer is not just one statement, and it is not simple. But for starters, they can stop giving the ball to Weathers, take the bat out of Patterson's hands, strike fear in the heart of Dick Pole if his boys Arroyo and Harang aren't brought under control, maybe even look for a trade for one of them, if not both. With the offensive numbers put up by the team, if Arroyo and Harang can get their acts together, and Weathers (and Patterson) are cut/traded/assassinated, then the team can have a great second half and get within striking distance of the playoffs. But it has to start soon, and it has to begin with the pitching. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:44:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285427 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285427 Today on a radio interview Reds GM Walt Jocketty named 5 untouchables. * Johnny Cueto * Joey Votto * Jay Bruce * Edinson Volquez * Edwin Encarnacion Ill post more on then tonight when I have a chance. To listen to the interview click here. Its about 24 minutes into the clip labeled "Lance 6/17 Hour 1" Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:29:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279057 Well, as of right now, it's not looking too good today. Top 7, and it's 7 to nothing... Yikes... That's where we're at Reds fans. We are day to day with our pitching for the most part, and it seems that bad bug has caught Cueto as of today. I won't say I'm really worried about him, I think today will be a rarity in his career, especially this season. We won't see it happen too many more times. As for Harang, Arroyo, and what seems to be that TBD fifth spot in the rotation, well...that's what has cost us so far all season long. I can't say that I really ever expected much more than a 10-10 season out of Arroyo, but wow am I astonished by Harang this year. What is wrong with him? Is there some injury no one is speaking about? Is he having a mental breakdown out there on the mound? Given, some of those games have just been nonexistent for the offensive side of the game, so I give credit where it is due, and the same goes for Arroyo. I also give credit to our bullpen. They've come in some tough situations this year and have pitched exceptionally well...with he exception of Weathers. How many times do I have to say it...OR SCREAM IT...before they cut his arse? So the past couple of days the bats haven't been swinging the best... (No big surprise in the Patterson column, huh) And the injuries...oh the injuries... Now we've lost Hairston for a few weeks to a month. Why can't we catch a break? Gotta give props to Edwin though, looks like he might start hitting like we know he can. Anybody got any suggestions on how the season can be turned around? (and I'm not talking about turning it around to .500, I'm talking about playoffs.) I've already suggested some things that have caught on...somewhat. (Belisle-minors/relief, Patterson-CUT, Weathers-CUT) Let the ideas flow... Peace, tHE dEG Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:17:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277003 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277003 Screaming Sports' Billy Smith break out MLB Buy 'n Sell and runs down a short list of players you should be buying or selling. Michael Young? Believe it or not, it's time to sell. Adam Dunn? Grab him while he's hot! Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:04:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276037 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276037 A breakdown of all that was and how it will affect your fantasy team in the MLB on 6/4/08. Injury news, updates and advice. Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:58:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275497 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275497 Jay Bruce, Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ian Stewart have all gotten the call in the last few weeks. AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams ranks his top ten prospects for your fantasy team for the remainder of the season. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:10:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273806 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273806 Hal McCoy reported today before the game that Homer Bailey is getting the call Thursday in Philadelphia. Manager Dusty Baker was coy about it, but it is finally Homer Bailey time. Bailey was scheduled to pitch for the Class AAA Louisville Bats tonight and will, but is expected to pitch only two innings and take the rest of the night off. This has to piss Hal McCoy off so badly, and I love that. continued... Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:25:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273061 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273061 Rather than giving you the same old names that sit unappreciated on your waiver wire week after week, AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams takes a look back to the best waiver wire pick ups of the season , and suggests buying a guy like Johnny Cueto, while selling this week's hot pickup, Jay Bruce. Fri, 30 May 2008 13:51:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272521 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272521 Baseball's top prospect doesn't disappoint in his big league debut. Tue, 27 May 2008 22:01:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271563 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271563 Looking ahead to the coming week in fantasy baseball, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the two-start pitchers for Week 9. This is a must-read for weekly leagues or if you like to stream pitchers on your roster. Check the Favorable Match-Ups, Two-Start Pitchers to Stay Away From, and the two-start pitchers to Keep an Eye On. Sun, 25 May 2008 21:03:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270910 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270910 Joba Chamberlain looks like he will finally be making his long awated transition to the starting rotation according to manager Joe Girardi. While the Yankees wait Darrell Rasner has helped shore up the rotation, Bartolo Colon returned to the majors, Chone Figgins returned from the DL, and Dusty Baker is out to ruin another young promising arm in this edition of the Fantasy Rundown. Thu, 22 May 2008 02:40:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269574 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269574 Slated as the Braves 5th starter, Jair Jurrjens has blossomed into an awesome pitcher, filling a huge hole in the Atlanta rotation and far exceeding expectations. He should be NL Rookie of the Month. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:49:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261964 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261964 AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams details some players who are off to hot starts that are better off avoiding. You might be surprised to find Johnny Cueto on this list. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:09:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261469 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261469