The Reds Make a Contender Move

The Reds sent Sam LeCure back to Louisville and recalled lefthanded reliever Bill Bray.

Bray has been out of action since the closing day of the 2008 season.  The often injured remnant from the trade that sent Austin Kearns and  Felipe Lopez to Washington, had surgery on May 19 after three appearances at Louisville.  He failed to make the team out of spring training due to lack of work from various ailments.

LeCure did not pitch himself out of a job, in fact if anything he proved he can pitch in the majors.  This move was made strictly based on immediate needs.

"LeCure has pitched pretty well.  Last night was probably the worst he's pitched.  That's not why we made the moves.  We don't need his spot for three or four days.  We've got the Phillies coming in with a lot of lefties.  We need three lefties in that pen.  Sometimes when you're trying to win the pennant you have to make temporary auxiliary moves sometimes," Baker said.


That is a good sign for the Reds.  They are making a move based on the pennant race this year, 2010, rather than 2015 like the Indians are doing.


Cleveland traded Russel Branyan to Seattle for prospects.  The Indians expected to be competitive with a lot of good young players in the pipeline.  Branyan, the veteran, was supposed to help them compete until, Matt LaPorta, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley develop.


The Indians highwater mark for the season was 0-1.  So they sent Branyan away and called up LaPorta, who along with Brantley, were obtained for C.C. Sabathia, last year.


"Matt is going to play everyday," Cleveland manager, Manny Acta said.  "We sent him back because we didn't have enough at bats for him.  Russell Brantley did everything we asked him to do.  We weren't as competitive as we expected to be."


The two Ohio teams are now polar opposites.  The Indians are developing prospects.  The Reds are gearing up for a pennant run.


Yet the Reds are young and LeCure got valuable experience.


"Sam understood why we did it," Baker said.  "I told him he can pitch here.  Just go down and perfect his stuff even more.  He'll be back.  I don't know when but he'll be back.  Learn from whatever experience he had here.  He can work in long relief.  He'll fit in because he can pitch.  He was upset because he was walking so many because they weren't clobbering him."


The Reds are now so deep as an organization that they probably won't need to make a trade next month.  


Bray and Edinson Voquez are coming back after surgery and their healing has the effect of a blockbuster trade without losing prospects for the future.


"I feel like I'm back to where I was before," Bray said.  "I've heard different things from guys that have come back.  Some guys took a year.  Arthur (Rhodes) took nine months.  I've been watching Volquez throw.  He's coming back stronger.  It's unbelievable. It's been 10 months for him.  They say in 16 months you really know what you're going to have but I feel like I'm back to where I was before.  I'm hoping that I will continue to get stronger."