Fansided

One free agent each MLB team should sign right now

By Joshua Sadlock

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 27: Starting pitcher Alex Cobb
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 27: Starting pitcher Alex Cobb /
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DENVER, CO – JULY 5: Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Scott Feldman (37) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning on July 5, 2017 in Denver, Colorado at Coors Field. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JULY 5: Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Scott Feldman (37) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning on July 5, 2017 in Denver, Colorado at Coors Field. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

Cincinnati Reds: Scott Feldman

Until the Reds can make some progress in developing starting pitchers, their rebuild is going nowhere fast. Anthony DeSclafani and Homer Bailey are back and will attempt to stay healthy for a full year. DeSclafani showed tremendous promise in 2016 when he went 9-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts, but the young right-hander missed all of 2017 with a sprained UCL. Bailey’s six-year, $105-million extension could go down as one of the worst contracts in MLB history.

The Reds do have some interesting talent behind DeScalfani and Bailey, notably Luis Castillo and Brandon Finnegan (who was limited to only four starts last year). These pitchers need to be shielded and kept to an innings limit. Both are entering their age-25 season but don’t have the track record yet to be pushed for 200 innings. There’s also not much point in riding them this year when the Reds are still looking at 90 losses.

Scott Feldman spent 2017 with Cincinnati and strung together a solid run at the start of the year. His ERA was still under 4.00 by the end of June, but spiked in July and August before his season was done in by a knee injury. Feldman was finding more success with his curveball last year, holding opponents to a .130 batting average against the pitch.

Feldman can still be an effective pitcher when healthy, and the Reds have innings that need to be picked up at the back of their rotation. It makes sense to keep the 35-year-old right-hander around for at least one more season to continue bridging the gap to the young guns that will lead Cincinnati back to the playoffs in the future.

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