AUTHOR: Reds03 TITLE: What the Reds know, don't know going into 2010 DATE: 5:51:00 PM ----- BODY:

We are less than 4 days away from the Reds opening up their brand new ballpark in Arizona for Spring Training. The Reds and Indians will engage in combat at 3:30 ET, as Mike Lincoln was named the Reds' starter. Anyhow, the Reds are ready for April 5th to come to answer some of their questions. Here we go! What the Reds DO know: 1. The Reds know that Joey Votto will be one of the best players on the club. Votto hit over .320 last year and was the teams clutchest hitter. He was 3rd among the NL in OPS at .981, only behind Pujols and Fielder. The Reds' are almost certain that those numbers will be similar in the upcoming campaign. 2. Scott Rolen and Orlando Cabrera's veteran presence will help out the young guys. Rolen was acquired from the Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline, and Orlando Cabrera was singed this off season by the Reds. The Reds were 26-11 last year when Rolen was in the lineup. Also, Cabrera can help out young pitchers who do not speak English. Both guys have won a World Series and many Gold gloves. Hopefully, they can mentor others to do the same. 3. A spot for 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, C, and RF are all taken. Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Rolen, Ramon Hernandez, and Jay Bruce are all locks to be starters at their respective positions. There will be no position battles for these spots unless one of these players go down. 4. Orlando Cabrera will be the everyday SS. Paul Janish (Reds' SS before the signing of Orlando Cabera) has said that he would like a competition for the everyday SS job, but he was denied. They didn't bring Cabera in here to back up a 3rd year player. What the Reds do NOT know 1. Who will be the everyday CF? Chris Dickerson has expressed his anger with Drew Stubbs being marked as the everyday CF on last week. Here are his comments: Yeah, absolutely, I don’t feel there’s any reason I shouldn’t be able to play center field,” Dickerson said. “I did a great job in center field. That’s where I played until I came up. I was one of the top defensive outfielders. Stubbs was the best defensive outfielder in the system, as I was the three or four previous years. I think I can play center field and be a good one at that.” Dusty Baker's thoughts: “You can be disappointed all you want to. But he allowed Stubbs to get his foot in the door, via performance and injuries. It happens. Sometimes, you’ve got to wait for your next opportunity.” Should be fun to watch this Spring 2. Who will be the Reds 5th starter? The battle for the 5 spot should be a good one. Chapman, Wood, , Maloney, Lehr, Owings, and Leake will all compete for one job. Aroldis Chapman- We all know who is this 22 year old Cuban is. The Reds signed Chapman this past January to a 6 year, $3o contract. Chapman caught scouts by surprise with his 102 mph fastball during the WBC; however, Chapman has had problems with control. During the 2006-2007 season in Cuba, Chapman struck out 100 in 81.3 innings, but walked 50. In the 2008-2009 season, the the young Cuban struck out 130 batters,, but walked 62 in just 118.1 IP. Another issue with Chapman is hit inability to throw his secondary pitches. I think he will need to be developed in the Minors, before making the rotation. Travis Wood- This lefty was drafted by the Reds out of high school in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft. Wood who lacks any MLB experience, has pretty good Minor League numbers. In the 2009 season, Wood has an ERA of 1.77 pitching in both AA and AAA. Travis Wood has also had some bumps in the road. In AA in 08, Wood had an ERA of over 7 in 119 IP in AA. Wood does not have a over powering fastball, but has a dirty Change up. He is my pick to get the job. Matt Maloney- Another lefty competing for the job. Maloney has made a few spot starts for the Reds in his career, but this year he wants more than a few. Maloney had a 4.87 ERA in 7 starts as a Red last year. He has pretty good control and decent secondary stuff. His fastball can reach the low 90s. His command is very good resulting in only 24 walks in AAA last year. Maloney was acquired from the Phillies for Kyle Lohse, and I believe he will have 8-12 starts in the MLB this year. Micah Owings- This 28 year old right hander was acquired in the Adam Dunn trade of 08. As most of us already know, Owings is the best hitting pitcher in the Bigs. He is a career .300 hitter, in 170 ABs. Last year Owings was the Reds first option to pinch hit off the bench, but his hitting will not earn him the spot. Last year, Owings posted a 5.34 ERA in 19 starts last year. The inability to pitch deep into games has hurt Micah, as he was moved to the pen near the end of last year. It is believed that Owings will not make the rotation, but will be the long reliever. Justin Lehr- This is probably the least known of the guys competing for the job. Lehr was the 5th starter from about August 1st until the end of the year. Lehr had a 5.37 ERA in 11 starts. Lehr, like Owings, does not have overpowering stuff, but locates very well. The downside of Lehr is that he is already 33 years of age, but does have a legitimate shot at making the rotation. Mike Leake- Leake was the Reds 1st round draft pick of 2009. Leake led the NCAA in wins going 16-1, with a 1.71 ERA at ASU. His 40 career wins is the 2nd most in school history. Leake has been compared to Tim Hudson will his athleticism, and has the ability to pitch deep into games. His fastball ranges from 88-94, but is usually around 91 mph. His best pitch is the slider, but also has a change up, and curve. I don't see Leake in the rotation until 2012, though. 3. Will the cultural difference hurt or help Chapman? Aroldis Chapman left his wife and his inphant in Cuba for a chance to play in the USA. He doesn't speak any English, and may never see his family again? Will this effect him come mid season when he is homesick? We'll have to wait and see. 4. Is Jay Bruce ready to step up at the Major League Level? Last year was a very disappointing year for the young Texas native. He hit well under .230 and had trouble laying off balls in the dirt. The good news is he did show signs of improvement after fracturing his right wrist. When he returned from the DL after a couple of months, Bruce hit over .300. His power numbers were still up, despite missing 61 games. Bruce and the Reds hope for a bright future.

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ebes DATE:3/02/2010 04:28:00 PM I'm putting on my shades! This season looks like a lot of fun. Win or lose. There is some much talent. Can't wait to see how it develops. ----- --------