FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

Eric Milton to the Reds

The Reds picked up another starting pitcher today--pretty much of the variety of the past few months, when they signed Eric Milton, a lefty designated an "all-star" by the Reds, which apparently is a permanent designation earned with one trip to the midsummer classic.

Anyhow, he's not a bad pick up. Its a three year deal, and we likely end up eating year three...on the other hand, you can almost always deal a lefty to a contender if you have to.

He's an average pitcher, really.

ERA (4.75, NL AVG 4.30)
OPS Against (.813, NL Avg .752)
K/BB (3.09, NL avg 1.93)
BB/9 (2.62, NL 3.38)
K/9 (6.63, NL 6.24)
H/9 (9.06, NL 9.09)
GO/FO (.59, NL ??)

In prose, here's the Milton story. He's a good control pitcher who K's an amount that will let him succeed. He doesn't give up a lot of hits. However, he's a flyball pitcher who was in a home run park last year. He gave up 42 dings, which is almost double the league average. GABP is supposedly neutral. If those flys die on the warning track, he could be stronger than he was even when he was with the Twins. We'll see. But we might have lined him up with the correct situation.

The rotation now looks decent:

Ortiz
Milton
Wilson
Harang
Claussen or anyone else

This team could finish .500. They've got the building blocks. And if they get hot and stay healthy--you never know. Hope springs eternal.