I’d like to congratulate the Reds on getting a hitter that might have similar raw power to Adam Dunn and comes at one tenth of the price. Oh yeah, did I mention he pitches?
I know Micah Owings isn’t having as good of a year this year as many wanted, but he’s still a talented starting pitcher, maybe a #4 or #5 to suck up innings, and the man can hit a baseball. I believe he’s hit a pitch-hit Home Run at one point this year, and really could serve dual use as a hitter and pitcher with a manager that’s creative enough to utilize the talent.
Yes, I know, Dusty Baker is our manager. We’re screwed on that front. 
Scary thought number two? The Reds have had a guy like this before, Brooks Kieschnick, who went on to be a hitter/pitcher for … the Brewers.
So the way I envision right now, the rotation could be:
1) Aaron Harang – Him healthy should be 15 wins.
2) Edinson Volquez – Even with a Sopohmore slump, how does 15 wins look? Very doable
3) Bronson Arroyo – Suck up 200+ innings, give the bullpen rest, win 10 games as a bonus.
4) Johnny Cueto – For a maturing rookie in modern baseball, a 4.77 ERA isn’t bad. He’ll be better.
5) Micah Owings – I’d take as many wins as home runs from him, along as it’s 8-10
Extras: Darryl Thompson? Ramon Ramirez?
Not Likely: Homer Bailey
A rotation like this should win 55-60 games on its own as a minimum. That might not be enough to get to the post season but it’s a much better step. The Cubs top 5 starters have 62 wins as of now (and a part time starter with 9 more), the Brewers starting five has 57 wins right now, so assuming their starters win 6-7 of their final 15 games (not unreasonable), that’s a 64-win rotation, and it’s going to be good enough for the Wild Card. The Reds top five this year? 44! Just a pathetic number. Oh yeah, the other starts have made 20 starts, enough to qualify as a spot starter on their own, and they add a full 3 wins to the equation. That will not get anything done.
I could go to war with a rotation like this, and if Ramirez is as good as he appears so far, maybe Arroyo is expendable. With these guys out there, no excuse for a losing season next year.
