Looking forward to the Reds 2011 rotation....what does it mean for the rest of 2010?

I've posted about acquiring Dan Haren, who I think would be electric in a Reds uniform, but the more I think and read about it, the less likely I think it is. I really don't see this team acquiring any starting pitching at all. No Haren, no Oswalt, no Lilly, no nobody. And I don't know if I blame them.

It's easy to get caught up in the "win now" mindset, especially after a decade and a half of less than mediocrity, but I think the answer to the question of what acquisitions are going to be made can be answered by looking at next year's roster. Here goes:

The rotation for 2011 will look something like this: Volquez, Cueto, Arroyo, Leake, Chapman. Got that? Harang is gone, of that there's little doubt. Arroyo is the owner's favorite player, and is having a fine season, he'll be back for $11M for one more year. Volky is back, Cueto is legit, and Leake is legit. That leaves the #5 spot, and Aroldis Chapman. Several times this year I've said that I thought the Reds would end up using Chapman the same way the Rays used David Price. This year he will come up in September and be used out of the pen. Next year he'll either start in the big league rotation, or come up again in late May-early June depending on arbitration status. He will be starting for the Reds next year, mark it down.

So there are the knowns, but what about Bailey, Wood, Maloney, etc.? Well, the short answer is that they don't have a spot. Bailey is out of options, so he's in the most precarious position. It's probable to see Wood and Maloney in Louisville again in 2010, available to come up and spot start.

Reportedly, the Diamondbacks want 2 starting pitchers (probably a good young starter already in the bigs, or a legit prospect and a second lesser pitcher or prospect) and bullpen help. The Reds don't have any top end starting pitching prospects outside of Chapman, and are struggling with their own bullpen. That means it would take a guy like Cueto to be the main trade piece, and I don't think that's going to happen.

The Reds almost would've been better off in a deal with a team like Seattle (the Cliff Lee deal) where they're trading positional prospects or players for a pitcher, but even then, I'm not sure who you take out of next year's projected rotation. The more I look at this the clearer it becomes, there won't be any more starting pitching acquired for this playoff run.

Volquez IS the calvary, new elbow ligament and all. (By the way, keep an eye on Mike Leake's innings. The Reds are already skipping his turn this week to preserve him this season. He probably has 60 to 70 innings left. I'd expect him to be coming out of the pen in the playoffs).