J.J. Hoover won his salary arbitration case with the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the season. The 28-year-old, right-handed reliever was rewarded with a one-year, $1.4-million contract.
Hoover earned the contract in 2015. He posted a solid 2.94 ERA in 67 appearances. He became the default closer of a Reds’ team that traded All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman in the offseason.
Unfortunately for the Reds, Hoover has failed miserably in 2016. A five-run dud in the 15th inning that sealed yet another Reds’ loss was his latest disaster. The effort by Hoover negated eight innings of shutout ball by the Reds’ bullpen on the night.
The flop for Hoover also negated some of the progress the Reds’ historically bad bullpen has been making. At one point in the season, the Reds’ bullpen ranked fifth-worst in ERA since 1913. Now, the Reds’ pen stands at just 11th-worst in ERA and second-worst since 1950.
The Reds demoted Hoover to the minors once already this season. He was demoted again today. His 13.50 ERA in 18.2 innings includes nine home runs surrendered. The Reds may hold out hopes that their paid-for reliever can regain some of his lost form.
But it’s hard to imagine that Hoover fits into the Reds’ future plans going forward. The Reds must start to embrace the future now by casting off players like Hoover. Too many are still on the roster in what is now the second year of team rebuilding.
The Reds opted to waive right-handed reliever J.C. Ramirez earlier this week instead of dumping Hoover. Ramirez might not fit into the Reds’ future plans either, but he did have a 98-mph fastball and a hard slider. He wouldn’t be salary arbitration eligible until 2018 at the earliest.
Organizationally, it would have made more since to keep Ramirez over Hoover just for the upside of the former and the rising cost of the latter.
The decision to keep Hoover over Ramirez in part explains why the Reds are as bad as they are.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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