03-24-2025, 07:14 PM
(03-23-2025, 08:13 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/alexis-diaz-suffers-hamstring-injury-before-opening-day?msockid=3f23c3b31a766037055bd1381b0861f9
But I don't see Ashcraft as a closer. He's more of like a 6th/7th inning type.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/graham-ashcraft-aiming-to-be-reds-closer/ar-AA1BuTkA?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=9f8b5e061dc84261a00aa34079bdc6ec&ei=18
Francona needs to look at some of the other bullpen anyway. I say Closer by committee with Diaz out. There is no law that says one pitcher has to get every save or every hold. Francona new to Reds can se what he has and also not use same pitcher more than 2 games in a row out of the pen. Carry extra bullpen and see what the heck Reds have. Ashcraft when healthy is a starter, or if in bullpen a long reliever. If your starter just doesn't have it and gets rocked early, a pitcher that does mop up from 1st inning on, depending how off the starter was. You need one long reliever that carries a mop to work. His job is simple, eat innings in early lost games to save pitchers for next game. I would like to think Ashcraft comes back to be more than a Mop Up man, he had good stuff when he came up from minors healthy.
I would like to see what else Reds have in the pen beside Diaz also. Closer By Committee at first. Give some different ones a shot. Whoever steps up the best is your boy. If he looks even better than Diaz, even better. Diaz was not as good last year, so it's possible someone may do better than Diaz. Wally Pipp got injured and Lou Gehrig got a shot, and that is Baseball. Let's see who else is in Reds Pen. I see this as an opportunity to see other pitchers in regular games, not spring training. Plus Francona was brought in to Develop Young Players.
1968 Bengal Fan
