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Price hopes the addition of Homer Bailey, who has allowed 14 earned runs in his first two starts, and rookies Luis Castillo and Jackson Stephens help the staff in the final three months of the season.
“I know Homer hasn’t been what we had hoped in his first two starts, but he’s going to get better,” Price said. “We need the stability of a veteran, having lost Bronson. We add a prospect in Castillo, who’s got the big arm.”
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Price likes the way Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed and Sal Romano, who all struggled in their time with the Reds, are throwing in Triple-A.
“That’s a difference maker for me,” Price said. “I feel we’re in much better shape moving forward to absorb another injury or lack of performance.”
On Saturday, Stephens became the 15th pitcher to make his big-league debut as a starter for the Reds in the last three seasons. Here's how those starts have ranked.
1. Amir Garrett: A 22nd-round pick in 2011, Garrett pitched six scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory against the Cardinals in St. Louis on April 7, 2017. He allowed two hits and two walks and struck out four. He got off to a strong start in 2017 but was sent back to Triple-A in June.
2. Tim Adleman: The Baltimore Orioles drafted Adleman in the 24th round in 2010. Six years later, on May 1, 2016, he debuted against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, allowed two earned runs on three hits in six innings. The Reds won 6-5. Adleman has emerged as one of more dependable starters for the Reds in 2017.
3. Luis Castillo: He allowed two earned runs on five hits in five innings on June 23, 2017, in a 6-5 loss to the Washington Nationals. The Reds acquired Castillo, 24, in the trade that sent Dan Straily to the Miami Marlins in January. Castillo was 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts with Pensacola. He had never pitched beyond the Double-A level before pitching for the Reds.
4. Tim Melville: Eight years after being drafted in the fourth round by the Royals, Melville debuted against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 10, 2016, allowing one earned run on five hits in four innings at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 2-1. He made two more appearances for the Reds in 2016. He started the 2017 season with the Long Island Ducks, of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
5. Cody Reed: A second-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2013, Reed made it to the big leagues with the Reds on June 18, 2016. In a road game against the Houston Astros, he allowed four earned runs on six hits in seven innings. The Reds lost 5-4. He was sent back to Triple-A after early struggles in 2017.
6. Raisel Iglesias: In his first start on April 12, 2015, he allowed three earned runs on five hits in five innings. The Reds lost 7-5 to the Cardinals in Cincinnati. Iglesias became the first Red since Mike Leake in 2009 to reach the big leagues without appearing in a minor-league game. Iglesias is excelling in the closer role for the Reds in 2017.
7. Robert Stephenson: One of the Reds' top prospects, a first-round pick 2011, Stephenson got to the big leagues on April 7, 2016. He started against the Phillies at home, allowing three earned runs on six hits in five innings. The Reds won 10-6, and he earned the victory. Stephenson is now pitching in Triple-A.
8. Jackson Stephens: He allowed three earned runs on five hits in five innings on July 1, 2017, in a 5-3 victory over the Cubs in Cincinnati. The Reds sent Stephens, an 18th-round pick in 2012, back to Triple-A the next day but expect him to get another chance in the rotation after the All-Star break.
9. Daniel Wright: On May 24, 2016, Hayes allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Reds lost 8-2 to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Hayes was a 10th-round pick by the Reds in 2013. He began the 2017 season as a reliever with the Los Angeles Angels.
10. Michael Lorenzen: A seventh-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010, Lorenzen debuted on April 29, 2015, against the Brewers at Great American Ball Park. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits in five innings. The Reds lost 8-3. He's now pitching in relief for the Reds.
11. Jon Moscot: A fourth-round pick in 2012, Moscot allowed four earned runs on four hits in five innings on June 5, 2015, in a home game against the San Diego Padres. The Reds lost 6-2. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last July.
12. John Lamb: On Aug. 4, 2015, Lamb allowed five earned runs on eight hits in six innings. The Reds lost 5-3 to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Lamb, a fifth-round pick by the Royals in 2008, signed a minor-league deal with the Angels in December and is recovering from a back injury this season.
13. Sal Romano: A 23rd-round pick in 2011, Romano allowed three earned runs on three hits in three innings on April 16, 2017, in a 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park. Romano made one start for the Reds and has since pitched in Triple-A, where he's 1-3 with 3.06 ERA in nine starts.
14. Josh Smith: Smith, a 21st-round pick in 2010, debuted on June 23, 2015, in a road game against the Pirates, allowing four earned runs on three hits in three innings. The Reds lost 7-6. He started the 2017 season in Triple-A in the Oakland A's organization.
15. Rookie Davis: On April 6, 2017, against the Phillies in Cincinnati, Davis allowed four earned runs on five hits in three innings. The Reds won 7-4. Davis was another 2011 draft pick. The Yankees selected him in the 14th round. He was 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in five starts with the Reds. He is currently rehabbing from a back injury in the Arizona League.
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