Reds Go With Six Man Starting Rotation In Anticipation Of A Matt Harvey Trade

Homer Bailey is rejoining the starting rotation on Tuesday after a rehab stint in Louisville in which he was stretched out to seven innings.

Bailey is following Tyler Mahle, Anthony DeSclafani, Matt Harvey and Luis Castillo with Sal Romano, who will get the ball on Wednesday as long as he is not needed in the bullpen.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

The Reds will be using this six-man rotation until the trading deadline which is July 31.

Conventional opinions indicate that the Reds will trade Matt Harvey, who is starting the Sunday game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Harvey has handled the rumors well according to Reds' interim manager Jim Riggleman.

"Based on his comments he is enjoying pitching in Cincinnati," Riggleman said.  "He will just let it play out the way it does.  I think he enjoys it here and he keeps getting better and better.  We hope he stays here.  We're fortunate to have him.  It was a great acquisition for our front office to get him."

Riggleman has a lot of hope he won't be traded.

"It is something that'll be worked out with he and his agent," Riggleman said.  "Nick (Krall), Dick (Williams), Walt (Jocketty) and Mr. Castellini will deal with that part of the issue."

Harvey benefited from the relaxed scrutiny of the Cincinnati market in contrast to the frenzied media coverage from the New York media.  His health has improved as well.

"I think as much as anything it is getting healthier.  The types of injury he went through require a long recovery period.  As good as we've seen Matt, I think we may see a better, healthier Matt Harvey next year."

Romano has been held out of the rotation and has been available, though unused out of the bullpen since the All-Star break.

http://donatelifeohio.org/

The Reds planned to plug him into the rotation as long as they didn't need him to pitch out of the bullpen.   They will try to avoid using him on Sunday.  If they need him, it could change their plans for him on Wednesday unless it was a short outing.

The move to six men in the starting rotation would leave the team one short in the bullpen each day.

"That would be a bit of a challenge," Riggleman said.  "If it puts too much strain on the bullpen, we would not be able to stay with that."

The Reds will have nine games between Sunday and the July 31 game with the Detroit Tigers.

"We will see where it falls but is not totally two times through," Riggleman said.

After the smoke clears from the trading deadline the Reds will return to a five-man rotation and an eight-man bullpen.  The makeup of which will depend on when and if a trade is made involving a pitcher.

"I have no indication that he's (Harvey) going to be traded," Riggleman said.  "We would not stay with six for a long period of time.  We could if we run into a period with few off days and those guys were giving us six innings.  If they're not it would put a strain on the bullpen."