Reds' Price can only pitch the hand he's dealt

PITTSBURGH TO CHICAGO VIA DETROIT — If you have a beef with the Reds using Kevin Gregg last night — and judging from my Twitter feed, you do — I would contend it's not with Bryan Price.

Price was the one who put Gregg in the game. Price was the one who left Gregg in while the game got away.

But you've got to pitch the hand you're dealt. The general manager, not Price, determines the roster of the bullpen.

The Reds had four innings to cover Thursday. J.J. Hoover pitched the sixth. In the seventh, Price went to Gregg, who gave up three runs and the game.

Why Gregg?

Price said he's only using Jumbo Diaz and Tony Cingrani when the game is tied or the Reds have a lead. They were down 3-2 when Gregg entered. Note here: You can't use everyone every day.

With Hoover out and closer Aroldis Chapman and Diaz and Cingrani being held in reserve in case the Reds got a lead, Price had three choices: Gregg, Carlos Contreras and Burke Badenhop. Badenhop (13.50 ERA) has struggled as badly as Gregg. Contreras had a 6.52 ERA in 17 games with the Reds last year.

Contreras and Badenhop would have pitched the eighth and ninth if the Reds didn't get the lead.

The leading question on Twitter was this: "When is the Gregg experiment going to end?"

That is not Price's call. He can lobby for it. Price liked Gregg enough out of spring training to make him the eighth-inning guy. Here's what Price said about Gregg Thursday:

"Kevin puts everything he's got into every single outing. He's an unbelievable professional. It's been a struggle, no doubt. I thought tonight's game was another opportunity to get him in a close game and get him on a roll.

"I refer to it a lot, but these guys aren't going to get better sitting in the bullpen and not pitching. Cingrani and Diaz are going to get us to Chapman when we're tied or ahead, but we've got to have guys to come in those games and keep them close too. We're going to have to get better at that."

They may have to change the bullpen roster to get better.

Walt Jocketty has to make that call to do it. Or Bob Castellini has to order Jocketty to make that call.

The rub is you have to have someone to replace Gregg. Sam LeCure is pitching better in Triple-A, but his ERA is still over 5.00 (I know Gregg's is over 10.18).

The most obvious answer is Raisel Iglesias. He has a 3.31 ERA at Triple-A. He was very good for five innings in his one start for the Reds.

The Reds could go outside the organization. You wonder if the Brewers would make Jonathan Broxton available.

But, again, until he has other choices, Price is likely to go to Gregg when the Reds are down on the road with at least four innings to cover.