2013 Cincinnati Reds Thread

[Rudi]

:lolsu::cantwait:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

C - D. Mesoraco
1B - J. Votto
2B - B. Phillips
3B - S. Rolen
SS - Z. Cozart
RF - J. Bruce
CF - D. Stubbs
LF - C. Heisey

C - R. Hanigan
IF - M. Cairo
3B/1B - J. Francisco (out of options)
OF - R. Ludwick
UTIL - P. Janish (options), W. Valdez, W. Harris (minor league deal), or T. Frazier (options) Spring Training Battle Royal of scrappy guys!

SP - J. Cueto
SP - M. Latos
SP - M. Leake
SP - B. Arroyo
SP - H. Bailey

LR - S. LeCure
MR - J. Arredondo
MR - L. Ondrusek
LOOGY! - B. Bray (L)
RH setup - N. Masset
LH setup - S. Marshall (L)
CL - R. Madson

That's the projected 25 man roster.



Pitchers in the mix - A. Chapman, J. Francis (minor league deal) A. Brackman, J. Judy, C. Fisher (out of options), J. Smith, C. Zavada (non roster), K. Teixera (non roster), C. Reineke (non roster), R. Mahay (non roster)

Reds are in a unique postion of not really needing Chapman to fit into any particular role. They have five starters, plus Jeff Francis. They have two very good left handed RP's. Dusty & Jocketty insist he is being prepped to start this year, even if that means starting the year in Louisville. The make-up of the loaded bullpen suggests this is the truth.

There are always surprises, there are always injuries. If Arroyo is shot, I could easily see Chapman replacing him in the rotation, with Arroyo filling the long relief/emergency starter role, and Sam LeCure heading to Louisville. If a key RP goes down, I can see Chapman heading to the bullpen, potentially giving the Reds the most dominant lefty bullpen in all of baseball.



Other batters in the mix - IF C. Valaika, OF D. Phipps, and curiously four non-roster invitee catchers...CORKY MILLER, Dioner Navarro, Brian Esposito, Tucker Barnhart

Valaika is stuck behind about 19 other utility guys, and has options, so he's Louisville for sure. Phipps needs somebody to get hurt, and if that was the case, they would probably sign a scrap heap vet anyway. If Mesoraco isn't ready or one of the C's gets hurt, Navarro would be the first guy up. CORKY MILLER is back as essentially a player/coach in Louisville, and here's hoping we see him September 1.

 

[KnightNoles]

I'll miss pre-injury Volquez

 

[Rudi]

Reds fans, what is your opening day batting order and pitching rotation

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

MY lineup, or what I think Dusty will do??

My Lineup

1-Phillips
2-Cozart
3-Votto
4-Bruce
5-Rolen
6-Heisey
7-Stubbs
8-Mesoraco
9-P

Dusty
1-Phillips
2-Cozart
3-Votto
4-Rolen
5-Bruce
6-Stubbs
7-Heisey
8-Hanigan
9-P

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The bullpen is going to be great. So much depth.

The bullpen has been pretty good the last two years, and now you replace a fading Cordero with Madson, and add the best LH setup man in baseball over the last two years. That means all of the guys who have been here and have done a good job, like Masset, Ondrusek, and Arredondo, will pitch earlier in the game. Those are quality late inning arms that Dusty can now use to put out fires in the 6th.

Masset in particular will benefit greatly from the added depth, and not being the setup guy. When he goes through those long funks, Dusty can now afford to bury him for a while and let him mop up, instead of forcing him out there.

And if Chapman ends up in the pen, having Bray-Chapman-Marshall at your disposal means that you can really shut down the late inning AB's of the opposing teams LH sluggers.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Reds sign former top Reds prospect of what feels like several decades ago, Brett Tomko, to minor league deal.

Reds are really stocking AAA with major league veteran starting pitchers with the additions of Jeff Francis & Tomko, making up for the loss of last years AAAA tweener guys, Travis Wood & Dontrelle Willis. You just know these dudes will end up starting (hopefully just) a few games, considering the Reds used 10 starting pitchers last season and many teams used even more than that. Throw in Chapman, and the Reds now have eight SP's...well, nine if you count the awful Chad Reineke, who we can all hope will never climb the hill in the majors ever again.

 

[Rudi]

I'm still high on that Francis signing...I think he will make a few important starts. lol at brett tomko tho

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The important thing here, is the thought of Chad Reineke taking the bump on a team remotely involved in a pennant race is terrifying.

Hopefully they don't need to go any deeper than Francis.

What ever happened to Rob Bell?

 

[Rudi]

Reds announced there promotion giveaway schedule.

• April 7 - 2012 Team Calendar
• April 28 - Reds Fleece Blanket
• May 12 - Joey Votto Bobblehead
• June 9 - Reds Grilling Set
• June 23 - Sean Casey Bobblehead
• July 14 - Reds Lawn Flag
• July 18 - Jay Bruce Bobblehead
• July 21 - Reds Soft-Sided Cooler
• Aug. 4 - Johnny Cueto Bobblehead
• Aug. 18 - Barry Larkin Cap Night giveaway (replica cap from Barry’s 1995 MVP season)
• Aug. 25 - Reds Stein
• Sept. 8 - 2012 Team Photo

Definitely need to get that Fleece blanket and Sean Casey bobblehead.

Homer Bailey has gained 15 pounds this off-season in hopes of being strong enough to endure a full season. If he can stay healthy, dude has some nasty stuff.

Bruce slimmed down some apparently too to make him more "agile"

Cozart going to bat second :fap:

 

[KnightNoles]

I need to make it up there for Aug 18th... birthday is the 21st :smug:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

One of these years, im making the trip to GAB.

Probably 2013 when the Astros move to the AL.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Video of Chapman striking out Dennis Phipps with what appears to be fastball, changup, and some sort of breaking ball. Looks to high to be his slider, but the point here is he is mixing up pitches and by all accounts his control has been fine.

http://www.twitvid.com/BL5VX

If you remember in '09, he would strike out guys with the nasty slider. Last year, they only wanted him throwing fastballs. Now the whole arsenal is being used, including the mysterious changeup, which is supposedly so devastating, they haven't let him throw it as a reliever because they didn't want it scouted.

You can't help but be excited. At best this guy is Verlander, at worst he heads back to the pen and the Reds have three dominant lefties.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Word from the reporters at camp is that Mesoraco is a real bulldog behind the plate and has the presence of a veteran when it comes to handling pitchers:

–After catching Aroldis Chapman, Devin Mesoraco called him over and talked about arm angles.

“Here is horseshit,” Mesoraco said with his arm a sidearm angle.

“Here is bueno.” Mesoraco said with his arm overhead.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I’m writing something about what goes on during spring training workouts. I asked Joey Votto about it. What he said is more evidence that he’s a player who really gets it:

“My only complaint is the number of meetings we have,” Votto said. “Other than that, I think the pace goes well and guys get enough work in. I don’t think there’s any excuse come season time to not be ready.”

During batting practice, all the players bunt. They also work on situational hitting — the hit-and-run and getting runners over and getting them in from third with fewer than two outs.

“If you’re not going to practice, then you’re not going to be able to do it,” Votto said. “I think it’s important to work on all those little things now and then carry them into the games. Dusty (Baker) will ask us to do that during spring training and then on occasion during the season. Each guy has their own role. Just because I’m in the middle of the order doesn’t mean he won’t call on me to do something along those lines. You have to make sure you’re prepared here. As much as it can be fluff at times and it can feel like we’re going through the motions, if I don’t practice those aspects of the game, then they won’t be available to you when you need them.

“It could happen in the middle of June when we’re tied for first in a big game against Adam Wainwright. It’s important to start here and build from here.”

Stubbs should do nothing but bunt. They should hire Brett Butler to instruct him. Stubbs would bat .300 and get on base at a .380 clip if he mastered the drag bunt with his speed.

 

[Rudi]

I'm still a believer in Stubbs getting 1 more chance at leadoff. I know he won't, because he strikes out 300 times a year...but I agree with what Warner said. If he could bunt AT ALL, he would improve his average by .20-.30 points simply due to his speed. Plus if we could get Phillips out of the leadoff spot I think that would make our lineup a little better. I know he bats well there, but I still think he can do serious damage as a middle of the order guy.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I agree with all of that, except for the fact that Stubbs has said that he doesn't like leading off and batting first makes him uncomfortable.

Dusty is strongly hinting that he will bat him 8th.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

The Reds announced a three-year contract extension with left-hander Sean Marshall. It takes him through 2015 with the Reds. I don’t have the money figure yet.

Walt Jocketty said that Marshall could slide into the closer’s role eventually.

Will update, when we have more info.

UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal is saying on Twitter that the deal is for $16.5 and includes incentives for both starting or relieving.

So there you go, this is what I speculated in the chatbox.

Madson is likely one & done here, so the Reds think they have a closer in waiting all locked up until 2015.

Jocketty really is on fire this offseason, I can't say I disagree with a single move he's made.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Good grief, I’m already tired of this subject and we are only a week into spring training. Here’s a link to what is likely to become a weekly article about Drew Stubbs and his shortcomings. Didn’t Joel put this one to rest a while ago?

At any rate, at least Dusty Baker is exactly correct in this instance:

“It’s easy to say get him out and get somebody else in. You’re inviting a similar problem that’s further down the learning scale. You don’t give up on players with ability. Where you going to find players with Stubbs’ ability? They weren’t No. 1 draft choices for nothing.

“You hope he gets it tomorrow. It’s hard to sell patience to people and to the person who’s learning.”

Baker says Stubbs isn’t playing just for offense.

“Stubbs is a different animal. Stubbs is probably as big a part of our defense as anybody in the league. When the Big Red Machine went and got Cesar Geronimo, they didn’t get him to hit. They got him to play center field. To win, you’ve got to prevent runs. People just see offense. But to win, you better catch that ball. . . Look how many runs Stubbs saves.”

Stubbs stands on the precipice of becoming the next Adam Dunn to Cincinnati’s sports talk radio call-in aficionados. I’m not sure I can stomach this. No, he isn’t perfect. Yes, he took a step back last season. Be patient.

Boy, people really hate strikeouts, don’t they? I’ll never understand it….

 

[Rudi]

Reds have 8-1 odds to win the World Series...same as the Angels.

That brings a smile to my face considering I got the odds at 20-1 the day after we traded for Latos. :fuckyeah: