Bryan Price would’ve been better served to keep his focus on the current Cincinnati Reds‘ team instead of responding to remarks made by former Reds’ reliever Sam LeCure.
Instead, Price felt obliged to respond to LeCure’s remarks. Those remarks questioned why LeCure found himself on the outside looking in last year despite his track record of success. LeCure questioned why Price and the Reds were willing to stick with other, less successful and consistent relievers longer than they were with him.
That decision by Price to respond to the remarks at all reflects poorly on Price, who is one of the worst managers in the history of the Reds. There was no real reason for him to even acknowledge what LeCure tweeted.
Since Price did respond to LeCure’s tweets, his failure to acknowledge LeCure’s legitimate beef just makes the decision to respond worse.
Price should know better than anyone else in the Reds’ organization just how valuable LeCure was as a reliever. The soft tosser was an absolute inherited runs ace. Between 2010 and 2015, LeCure had the fourth lowest percentage of allowing inherited runners among all relievers who had pitched as many innings as LeCure.
Price probably had little to do with the Reds’ decision to demote LeCure last year in favor of free-agent flop Kevin Gregg and a cast of too many other ineffective relievers. That decision could’ve been determined exclusively by the Reds’ front office. Still, Price had to know LeCure got the raw end of the deal.
The LeCure prolonged demotion last year wasn’t as bad for the Reds as the pitiful return the team received in the Todd Frazier trade. Nor will the loss of LeCure ever compare to the botched timing of the Aroldis Chapman trade. It wasn’t even as ridiculous as the off-season gaffe over the future of second baseman Brandon Phillips.
But the demotion of LeCure was nevertheless indicative of decision making that has turned the Reds into a division doormat.
LeCure is toiling in the minors once again this year. He was unable to make any big league team’s roster this year. LeCure might not ever get the chance to pitch in the big leagues again.
But even LeCure would be a better closer option for the Reds than J.J. Hoover.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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