Next Tony Cingrani for Cincinnati Reds May Be Nick Howard
By Robb Hoff
@NFLNostradamus
Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have shown the willingness to fast-track a former collegiate closer like Tony Cingrani through a whirlwind tour of the minors to start for the big league club, and the Reds’ 2014 first-round draft pick Nick Howard from the University of Virginia may be the next in line.
Howard started his first Arizona Fall League game with mixed results (two earned runs in three innings) and managed just a 3.74 ERA in nearly 33 innings at the Low A level this year. However, the former Virginia closer finished strong for the Reds’ affiliate in Dayton, Ohio by surrendering just one earned run in each of his last three starts — all of which were five-inning efforts.
The decision to jump Cingrani to the majors fast may have come at the expense of his shoulder in 2014, but Cingrani’s results were so good in 51 innings of rookie ball in 2011 and 146 innings in the minors in 2012 that the Reds took the chance.
The health issue of Cingrani could deter the Reds from increasing Howard’s workload in his first full minor league season the way they did with Cingrani,, but if Howard can produce the results the way Cingrani did in his first full minor league year (172 strikeouts with a 1.73 ERA in 146 innings), then the Reds may decide the risk is worth it.
The Reds appear to be more patient in bringing along another former collegiate closer, Michael Lorenzen, in his conversion to starting pitcher. Lorenzen was the 38th overall pick of the 2013 draft and threw more than 120 Double-A innings last year in 24 starts.
Lorenzen will most likely join David Holmberg, Daniel Corcino, Robert Stephenson and Raisel Iglesias in the Reds’ Triple-A rotation at Louisville, but Howard might be crashing that rotation sooner rather than later if his development accelerates.
Robb Hoff is a Cincinnati Reds writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NFLNostradamus, like him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.
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