Brandon Webb a Red?

I have heard rumors in the baseball world that Brandon Webb has interest in becoming a Cincinnati Red. Three or four years ago, this was my dream. He was a Cy Young winner, and then on his way to winning 22 games. Webb was a true, dominant ace, and his name belonged in the conversation for top pitchers in the game. His sinker was as nasty as it gets, and he often looked unbeatable if you didn't get to him early. And, he's from Ashland, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. He grew up a Reds fan. He'd hit free agency and bolt for the Queen City, hopefully. How perfect could it get?

But, as I said, that was three or four years ago. Now, Webb is a shell of his former self. Shoulder injuries and surgeries limited to just an Opening Day start in 2009. He hasn't pitched in the majors since. Does he still have that sinker? Can he be an ace again? Is he still durable? There are so many questions, and little to no answers. Webb says he is ready to deliver 28+ starts in 2011.

So, why not take a chance? Webb could bounce back and become an ace again. Or, he could be a solid middle of the rotation starter, that would win at Great American because of his sinker. He could be a bust and absolutely suck. But he'll never be cheaper than he is now. Take advantage of the home town discount. Get him here for a few million, with incentives in a one year deal. If he makes the team, and proves to be valuable as a starter again, give him a reasonable contract extension. Then, you may have the true ace on this staff to match up with Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. If he's a middle of the road guy, just keep him for the year. And if he's terrible, use the ailing shoulder excuse and slap him on the disabled list for the year. Problem solved. Ask Bob Castellini to open his wallet a little wider for a potential ace.

If it works out, it's the steal of the year. Or the decade. It could bring a World Series home to Cincinnati again, if they have an ace. What do you have to lose? The Reds have the starting pitching depth so they wouldn't get burned by investing in him. As strong as this roster is, it's time to take a flyer on someone like this.



As I mentioned, the reason they can do this is because of the strong rotation. Every time a Reds starter takes the hill, they have a chance to win. They have 8 legitimate starting pitchers. That's tough to match by any team in baseball. I believe only the Giants, Reds, Red Sox, Yankees, A's, and Rays have a rotation where all 5 of their guys give their team a legitimate chance to win every day.

I bring this up because the Cardinals re-signed Jake Westbrook. He slots in as their number four starter, as he did for two months after coming over from Cleveland. Why did they need him? Because they only had three good pitchers. Now they have four. Which is still four less than what the Reds have stockpiled, and one less than having an excellent rotation. Carpenter and Wainwright were terrible down the stretch. What if one of them gets hurt? Then St. Louis is done. Jaime Garcia could struggle in his second year, and then they'd be in trouble. It's because of a lack of depth. The Reds could lose Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, and slot in Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Then they're good to go. Little to no drop off. St. Louis has no backup plan. Westbrook helps even their rotation somewhat, but its not enough. The fact the signing happened almost a week ago, and no one is talking about it outside of St. Louis tells you all you need to know: it does not matter.

Why?

Because the better team has a 2010 NL Central Champions banner hanging outside of Great American Ball Park. They both have the same teams as they did when Cincy went on their run, and the Cards collapsed in the second half. Nothing has changed, except the Cards got a little older and the Reds a little more seasoned. The Cardinals have superstars and big names. The Reds have depth. This is a 162 game season, not an 82 game season. Baseball is a marathon sport, not the star driven league that the NBA is.