Red Reposter - Into the bleak winter

Mid-week newslet gripe

Mark Sheldon at MLB.com takes a look at the contract situations of the current Reds’ roster. Wick provided some good analysis on this shit a few weeks ago. I only really bring it up because I still can’t get my head around the way this organization is handling Kyle Farmer and Jose Barrero. The way the Reds have conspicuously gone out of their way to assert that Farmer is the starting shortstop is really presumptuous to me. Suspiciously so.

This all reminds me of Billy Hamilton. Late-term Billy Hamilton. There was plenty of gup out there suggesting that Bob Castellini was using a heavy hand in trade negotiations concerning The Bullet. At this point, I would not be surprised to hear before the start of next season that Farmer is the SS and they are gonna permanently move Barrero to CF because that’s the way Bob wants it.

I usually don’t engage in speculation like that, but what the hell. They aren’t giving us much else to talk about these days what with the goddamn Braves (who did goddamn something at the trade deadline) running around at the goddamn World Series like a bunch of jerks while the Reds are all sitting at home, goddammit.

Anyway, I don’t wanna mislead: I like Farmer plenty well. He did plenty well last season considering he was like Plan H or whatever at shortstop. But that’s just it - he was the beneficiary of some pretty low expectations. He was better than replacement-level, which seemed like a breath of fresh air in the aftermath of the butt festival that came before him. When a 30-year-old career utility player steps into an everyday role and doesn’t immediately prove himself to be embarrassingly out-classed, it can really make an impression, you know?

But Barrero hit like Nick Castellanos (in Louisville of course but still) and also is a better defender at the position. He’s a premiere prospect at a premiere position and any sane and moderately functional organization would not give any of this a second thought. But the Reds seem perfectly happy going ahead with Farmer instead. There aren’t a whole lot of good reasons why shit is going to go down the way it will, but it sure seems like it will go shittily (I hope I’m wrong, of course).

Sell the team, Bob.

The finalists for the Silver Slugger awards were announced and four Reds made the cut - Joey Votto at first base, Jonathan India at second base, and Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker in the outfield. I think Votto and Castellanos actually have something of a shot, too. Votto is up against Muncy, Goldschmidt, and Freeman, and the four of them stack up pretty well, actually. One can hope that folks look around and realize Joey has never won the thing and come to understand the tragedy they can rectify.

Bryce Harper and Juan Soto are going to win two of the three trophies in the outfield, but after them a case can be made for three or four other dudes. And while JonOBPthan India had one hell of a season, Ozzie Albies hit 30 dingers and I doubt they’ll see much beyond that.

Yesterday Mike Siani honked a big ol’ honky apple down in the Arizona Fall League. Look where it landed!