Anthony DeSclafani reflected on his best off season in years as he looked around the clubhouse that contained the Reds' upgraded roster. That was clear when Pedro Strop entered the room and so many players who have had a heated rivalry with him as a Cubs reliever for the last six years roster.
The new faces and new attitude arrived together and DeSclafani watched from his winter home in Freehold, New Jersey.
“It was very exciting,” Desclafani said. “Early on it was clear that they (front office) was going to spend some money and make some additions. I think they exceeded a lot of people's expectations because of what that could have been. It seems like they added a lot of high quality players but also guys that are probably good team guys.
The first of the new players to sign free agent contracts with the Reds’ left handed starter Wade Miley, who will bring a left handed presence to the Reds starting rotation. Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo are expected to join DeSclafani in that rotation with Tyler Mahle adding depth.
DeSclafani was among the first wave of younger players that the Reds’ wanted to build around. Luis Castillo is another. DeSclafani came to the Reds on December 11, 2014. Since then he’s had challenges on and off the field.
The Reds just were not a very good team after the last playoff game in 2013. DeSclafani showed great promise in 2015, making 31 starts, the most among National League rookies. He had a losing record at 9-13 with a 4.05 ERA and also had the most innings of any rookie (184 2/
“I've seen big players being traded away when I first got here,” DeSclafani said. “There were some big time Reds' guys (Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto, Todd Frazier, Brandon Phillips, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey, Aroldis
The transition was painful on two levels.
“It was going through a rebuild and what not, It's definitely not fun. It is a completely different vibe now, knowing that nothing short of a World Series ring is acceptable. I feel like everyone feels that we can achieve that. It is up to us.”
DeSclafani stayed in tune with the changes in the National League Central with the moves that The St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates made this winter.
“The off season is fun in general to watch to see what moves are going on, who is going where. We were the most active in the division, We needed to be. It is very exciting,” Desclafani said.
A painless off season after a strong finish to 2019 added to DeSclafani’s positive vibes.
Ijuries put him on the sidelines for most of the next three seasons. He made 20 starts in 2016 with a 9-5 record and a 3.28 ERA. He missed all of 2017 with a sprained right elbow. A strained left oblique limited the 29-year old to 21 starts in which his record was 7-8 with a 4.93 ERA.
“It was great to have a full season under my belt,” said the right hander who rebounded with a full 31 starts again. He was 9-9 with a very respectable 3.98 ERA. In his last 8 starts of the season beginning 8/17 went 2-2, 2.39 and dropped his ERA from 4.51. DeSclafani made five straight starts of at least six innings allowing fewer than three hits. That was the second time since 1893 when the mound was moved back to 60‘6“. Only Johan Santana had a longer streak of seven games. He established a career high with 151 strikeouts, that included the 500th of his career. He struck out the first nine Milwaukee Brewers he faced in a start on June 23 in Milwaukee. His success was not only attributed to his health but equally achieved with some changes made with the guidance of pitching coach. Derek Johnson.
“I struggled a few years. I'm feeling strong and healthy,” DeSclafani said. “I got a full year with mechanical changes and pitch usage If I can build off of that it is going to be an exiting year for me, too.”
A
No comments:
Post a Comment