The Cincinnati Reds come into the 2008 year with a core of young players unsurpassed in previous years. The Reds have four players in the top 50 prospects in baseball. Two of those are hard throwing right handed pitchers. Pitching, which has been the weakness of Reds teams in the past, is finally on the front burner with the organization. They have made good trades, landing Harang, Arroyo, and Edison Volquez. While the Reds haven't performed well in the past few years, the young nucleus is there to propel this team into the playoffs for years to come.
The infield:
The Reds are strong on the infield. First baseman Joey Votto will likely takeover for veteran Scott Hatteberg at some point in the year. Votto, who is known for his bat, came up last year and caught fire through September. Brandon Phillips, who should have won the Gold Glove last year, had a 30-30 year. Alex Gonzalez, and Jeff Keppinger will split time at shortstop, with Gonzalez being a defensive wizard, and Keppinger being a solid .300 hitter. Edwin Encarnacion will be the third baseman this year. Edwin struggled early, but found his swing after a stint in the minors. Will this finally be the year that Edwin can live up to his potential? The infield seems to be solid, but with two spots up for grabs, it looks like it could be an exciting Spring.
The outfield:
The Reds outfield it lacking last year's greatest story in Josh Hamilton. He was traded to the Rangers for Edison Volquez. Still, the outfield is very strong. With power hitting, and not much else outfielder Adam Dunn in left, Ken Griffey Jr. in right, and the center field spot up for grabs, the outfield is the strength of this team. Jay Bruce, who was rated by Baseball America as the number one prospect in all of baseball, will likely assume the reins in center at some point this year. He is competing this Spring with Ryan Freel, Norris Hopper, Chris Dickerson, and Corey Patterson. Griffey could be gone after the season, as he has a 16 million dollar option that's not likely to be exercised the the team. Dunn could also be gone. He makes over ten million this year, in the final year of a deal he signed a few years ago. The outfield will be the core of the offense.
The starters:
The infield:
The Reds are strong on the infield. First baseman Joey Votto will likely takeover for veteran Scott Hatteberg at some point in the year. Votto, who is known for his bat, came up last year and caught fire through September. Brandon Phillips, who should have won the Gold Glove last year, had a 30-30 year. Alex Gonzalez, and Jeff Keppinger will split time at shortstop, with Gonzalez being a defensive wizard, and Keppinger being a solid .300 hitter. Edwin Encarnacion will be the third baseman this year. Edwin struggled early, but found his swing after a stint in the minors. Will this finally be the year that Edwin can live up to his potential? The infield seems to be solid, but with two spots up for grabs, it looks like it could be an exciting Spring.
The outfield:
The Reds outfield it lacking last year's greatest story in Josh Hamilton. He was traded to the Rangers for Edison Volquez. Still, the outfield is very strong. With power hitting, and not much else outfielder Adam Dunn in left, Ken Griffey Jr. in right, and the center field spot up for grabs, the outfield is the strength of this team. Jay Bruce, who was rated by Baseball America as the number one prospect in all of baseball, will likely assume the reins in center at some point this year. He is competing this Spring with Ryan Freel, Norris Hopper, Chris Dickerson, and Corey Patterson. Griffey could be gone after the season, as he has a 16 million dollar option that's not likely to be exercised the the team. Dunn could also be gone. He makes over ten million this year, in the final year of a deal he signed a few years ago. The outfield will be the core of the offense.
The starters:
The starting pitchers are lead by ace Aaron Harang. Bronson Arroyo, the man the Reds got for Wily Mo Pena, is the number two pitcher. He relies on lots of slow pitches, and typically is a 200+ inning a year guy. After that, the spots are up for grabs. In the race are Matt Belisle, Homer Bailey, Josh Fogg, Jeremy Affeldt, Edison Volquez, and Johnny Cueto. Cueto is the only pitcher in competition for a spot to never pitch a MLB inning. Bailey got pushed around a little it last year, but rebounded after coming back from injury. Volquez has looked very impressive this spring, with a sharp fastball, and two more MLB ready pitches, including an extremly impressive changeup. Fogg and Affeldt were brought in to buy time for the youngsters to make the rotation, but Affeldt likely has a future in the bullpen after he is done starting.
The bullpen:
The bullpen is alot better than last year. The Reds brought in veteran closer Francisco Cordero, in the largest deal ever given to a closer. David Weathers, the closer last year, has been the Reds most consistent pitcher for the last two years. Rookie Josh Roenkie has come to camp with a fastball reaching the high 90s. If he doesn't make the team out of Spring training, it's likely he will at some point this year. Bill Bray, Gary Majewski, Todd Coffey, Mike Stanton(sigh), and others will fight to get the remaining spots after Weathers and Cordero. While the bullpen may have more talent, it may take awhile to gel into a consistant stopper.
Overview:
While the Reds will not likely make the playoffs this year, contention is not out of the question. They have the talent to compete in a very weak NL Central. If some of the young players step up, and play to the potential that they have, it is entirely possible that they could be fighting for a playoff spot come September. Look for an upward trend in the next four years for this team, because that is about the timeframe they have to win. Griffey and Dunn may be gone after this season, the youngsters will quickly become expensive, and the veterans will get old. It's up to the organization to seize the talent that we have now, and make this a time to never forget.
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