Opening Day is still four weeks away but the talk has already begun in Cincinnati about how good can this team be. There are many questions left to be answered between now and April 5th. Will the starting rotation live up to the hype that a lot are giving it even without Edinson Volquez? Who will fill that fifth spot in the rotation? Will Aroldis Chapman make the team out of spring training and will he live up to the hype surrounding him? Will Scott Rolen fill in nicely as the full-time third baseman this year and as a mentor to some of the younger guys coming up? Who will start in left field? Center field? And so on. But one of the more pressing questions facing the team is will the once considered phenom, Jay Bruce, have a bounce back year and finally come into his own? With the way things look early on in spring training, the answer to that question very well could be yes.

Bruce missed almost 60 games last season after breaking his right wrist diving to catch a ball. Before the injury he wasn't having a stellar season with the bat and finished the season batting a disappointing .223 with 22 home runs and just 58 RBIs. Bruce almighty, not so much. However, on a positive note, after coming back from the disabled list, Bruce caught fire and over his last 18 games he hit .326 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Ending the season in that way gave Reds' fans hope for the 2010 season.

That hope has carried over into spring training where fans have seen Bruce continue to hit. In seven games he is hitting .357 and has one home run. Like most of the rest of the lineup for the Reds, Bruce always seemed to be trying to do to much at the plate rather than just concentrating on getting the bat on the ball. With inconsistent hitting in the lineup from top to bottom, with the exception of Joey Votto when healthy, everyone seemed to try to push too hard, including Bruce. With the adjustments he made at the end of last season, Bruce is attempting to become a more complete hitter, not trying to step up to the plate and hit a four-run homerun every time.

In order for this team to succeed, guys like Bruce need to become more consistent. At 23 years old, a lot of pressure is resting on the shoulders of #32. Bruce was looked at as being the guy to replace Adam Dunn once he was traded off to Arizona a couple years ago. The thought was that he had a better overall skill set than Dunn. He didn't have as much power, but he could hit for average and had a little pop in the bat while being able to play decent defense in the outfield. The way last season went, it was hard to tell that this guy was supposed to be one of the next big things in the game. The one two punch that was to be of Bruce and Votto didn't come to be as most thought it might last season. With the way things are looking for Bruce early on in spring training, there's reason to believe that maybe, just maybe this is the year he truly arrives in the big leagues. Yes, its only spring training and where they play out in Arizona does favor hitters, if a guy can hit, he can hit. It doesn't matter what part of the country he's playing in.

While there are many questions still to be answered leading up to Opening Day, one thing is for sure; Bruce has the skills to be one of the most consistent and feared hitters in the game. The National League Central is wide open this year. If the Reds are going to compete for the division title this year, they are going to need Bruce to be the player they thought he would be when he arrived on the scene a couple years ago. His new found patience at the plate could turn him into just that player.

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from SI.com...

When baseball commissioner Bud Selig named a 14-person "special committee for on-field matters" four months ago, he promised that all topics would be in play and "there are no sacred cows." The committee already has made good on Selig's promise by discussing a radical form of "floating" realignment in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year-to-year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.

The concept gained strong support among committee members, many of whom believe there are non-economic avenues that should be explored to improve competitive balance, similar to the NFL's former use of scheduling to help parity (in which weaker teams were awarded a weaker schedule the next season).

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB mlb realignment, bud selig, special committee for on-field matters

700 WLW's Lance McAlister raises some good ideas on fixing MLB...

*Salary cap: I know...union will never go for it. The owners should have stuck to their guns in 1994 when they canceled the season and World Series. The NFL and NBA have a cap. Give fans hope and faith. Make it about the teams that are best at scouting, drafting and developing. Not about spending the most money. 75% of those in my poll question said the Yankees "bought" a World Championship. Not good.

*Add another Wild Card: If you can't slide in a salary cap...increase the playoff pool with one more wild card in each league. 3 division winners and 2 wild card teams in each league. Wild card winners play each other...winner gets team with best record.

*Eliminate the DH: Silliest rule in sport. No other sport plays the game by a different set of rules, based on the league. Adding to the mockery is using it in the AL park in the World Series. Play 162 games one way, then ask a NL team to add a bench bat to their lineup in the AL park and tell an AL team to subtract a bat in the NL park? Insane. Make a concession to the union by grandfathering in the rule and adding a 26th roster spot. Eliminate the DH by 2015

*World Wide Draft: An international player should not be able to offer his skills to the highest bidder. If a player from Japan wants to play in the majors then declare for the draft. Just like everyone else. The NBA has figured it out. Why can't MLB? It would be a step towards reducing the impact of big market teams and big spending.

MORE WAYS TO FIX THE GAME

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SI.com ranks MLB's General Managers:

14. Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds 
You could certainly make an argument that Jocketty should rate higher given his great success with the St. Louis Cardinals, the best team in the National League last decade. Given how much of that success came down to Albert Pujols' reign of terror, the presence of all-time great manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan's ability to nurse terrific performances out of incredibly sketchy pitching talent, though, there's only so much credit to go around. 

COMPLETE RANKINGS

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Cincinnati Reds’ manager Dusty Baker named Aaron Harang the team’s Opening Day starter on Wednesday, according to MLB.com.

Despite finish with just six wins in two straight seasons, the veteran right hander is set to start the first game of the year for the fifth straight time (one shy of Mario Soto’s record of six).

How does a guy that has looked as bad as Harang get the call over Bronson Arroyo, who has hit the 15-win plateau in each of the last two years?

"I know it probably won't be a popular decision," Baker told the website. "But talking to both of them, Harang seems to pitch better against top pitchers. After Day 1, it doesn't matter anyway."

The thought is to sandwich young gun Johnny Cueto in between Harang and Arroyo with Homer Bailey pitching in the No. 4 spot. With both veterans being inning eaters, the idea is not to “tax the bullpen”.

That does makes sense, but still why not Arroyo No. 1 and Harang No. 3?

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from USAToday.com...

With Opening Day a little more than five weeks away, the Reds' roster is taking shape.

PROJECTED LINEUP
1. CF Drew Stubbs
2. SS Orlando Cabrera
3. 1B Joey Votto
4. 2B Brandon Phillips
5. 3B Scott Rolen
6. RF Jay Bruce
7. C Ramon Hernandez
8. LF Chris Dickerson

There probably will be some type of platoon in left field. Phillips is not a prototypical cleanup hitter, but it worked well late last season with Rolen hitting fifth and Phillips fourth.

PROJECTED RESERVES
INF Aaron Miles
C Ryan Hanigan
OF Laynce Nix
OF Jonny Gomes
INF Paul Janish
OF Wladimir Balentien

The bench isn't particularly strong, but RHP Micah Owings — a career .300 hitter with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 170 at-bats — will be used as a pinch hitter, if he's on the roster.

COMPLETE ROSTER BREAKDOWN

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Aroldis Chapman impressed in his first live batting practice session on Wednesday (CNATI.com):

MLB cincinnati reds, aroldis chapman

from CNATI.com...

Jonny Gomes agreed to a contract Monday morning and will sign, pending his physical. Gomes drove from his Phoenix-area home to the complex, went to the clubhouse to greet his teammates and then take the physical.

It's a one-year Major League contract with a team option, Walt Jocketty said.

Gomes, 29, played in 98 games for the Reds in 2009, hitting .267 with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs. Gomes was arbitration eligible, but the Reds declined to offer him arbitration in December.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB cincinnati reds, jonny gomes

from John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer...

If you had to point just one thing that the Reds’ success or failure hinges on, it would be this:

Whether Aaron Harang is the pitcher he was in 2006 and ’07 or the pitcher he was in 2008 and ’09. Harang won 16 games in both ’06 and ’07; he won six games each of the last two years.

New pitching coach Bryan Price is confident Harang can get back to elite starter status.

“I don’t think there’s any question,” Price said. “I think he’s going to have a tremendous year. This is an established major league-innings guy with command. What I think is his best days are ahead of him. You’re going to see better stuff and better location.”

COMPLETE ARTICLE

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Press Release from Clear Channel:

On Monday, February 15 Cincinnati sports radio brands will be realigned both on air and online.  All ESPN radio programming will be moved to WCKY-AM (1530), teaming the Mike and Mike Morning Show, which features Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, with Mo Egger and local sports talk each afternoon. With this move, Cincinnati sports fans will enjoy popular drive time programming in one place on the 50,000 watt signal of “ESPN1530” and online at espn1530.com.

Along with the move of ESPN programming to the more powerful signal, the station will also broadcast Major League Baseball games, the MLB play-offs and World Series, NBA games and play-offs. It will continue to be the Cincinnati radio home to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville football and basketball broadcasts. ESPN1530 will also continue as the Home of the Cincinnati Bengals, carrying all Bengals’ broadcasts, pre-season, regular season and post-season.

Fox Sports Radio programming will now be heard fulltime on WSAI-AM (1360). Popular personalities, including Ohio native Dan Patrick, Jim Rome and Tony Bruno will all be heard on WSAI-AM (1360) as the station is rebranded as “Fox Sports1360.”

Online, one of the most visited websites in Cincinnati media, 1530homer.com will be rebranded as homer247.com. The new site will continue to be the go to website for all things sports and the lifestyle of a young male consumer. The very popular blogs of Lance McAlister, Mo Egger and Nick Brunker will continue on this rebranded website, along with breaking sports and lifestyle news.

“The most powerful brand in sports, ESPN, is now combined with the most popular afternoon drive sports talk show in the Cincinnati market,” said ESPN1530 program director Tony Bender. “Plus, some of the biggest events in sports will be combined in one place, on ESPN1530! New ratings research has shown the Mike and Mike Morning Show to be one of the top shows in the market each morning for male consumers. This move gives the sports’ fan access to Mike and Mike on a much more powerful signal,” concluded Bender.

The moves of the Fox Sports Radio and ESPN programming will take place beginning at 6am Monday, February 15, as the Mike and Mike Morning Show will be simulcast on both ESPN1530 and Fox Sports1360. At 10am the final switch of programming will take place.

****
MY TAKE: This is a great move for Clear Channel and local sports radio listeners. "Mike & Mike In the Morning" is the best sports talk show on. While I personally watch it on ESPN2, it will now be nice to know that I have an option. In addition, I for one am getting tired of Jim Rome and his "have a take, don't suck" attitdue. "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd is more refreshing and thought provoked. The lost hour of programing (2p-3p) with the "Scott Van Pelt Show" seems like a wasteland, but in syndicated radio that is sometimes with what your left for. The real question becomes how long 1360 stays a sports station.

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from BaseballProspectus.com:

Five-Star Prospects
1. Aroldis Chapman, LHP

Four-Star Prospects
2. Mike Leake, RHP
3. Todd Frazier, INF

Three-Star Prospects
4. Yonder Alonso, 1B
5. Travis Wood, LHP
6. Chris Heisey, OF
7. Brad Boxberger, RHP
8. Juan Francisco, 3B
9. Yorman Rodriguez, OF
10. Billy Hamilton, SS

Two-Star Prospects
11. Miguel Rojas, SS

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB cincinnati reds, reds minor league rankings, reds top prospects

It was like the AT&T commercial where actor Luke Wilson is in a restaurant and is having a random person text everyone in the whole country who has AT&T.  The random guy asks everyone to text him back to see just how many people have AT&T out there.  His phone starts to buzz so much it falls off of the table.  At 2:15 p.m. today, that happened to me.  My cell phone's text inbox had a life of its own and obviously something big was going on.  And much to my delight, it was the news that the Cincinnati Reds had traded their blunder from last year, Willy Taveras.

Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Jocketty knew that he could not trust manager Dusty Baker to keep Taveras on the bench this season, so he somehow traded him for not just a living, breathing human being, but a useful, living, breathing infielder.  Jocketty dumps Taveras, his $4 million contract and  infielder Adam Rosales on to the Oakland Athletics for veteran infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named later.  The later player could be a lamppost- it does not matter.  This is grand larceny.  Taveras was one of the worst players in the Major Leagues last year both offensively (.240/ .275/ .285) and defensively and only Baker's insistence to play him was more frustrating than watching him.  He was so bad that Oakland immediately designated Taveras for assignment the moment the trade became official.

The good news does not end there.  Though the Cubs gave the A's $1 million to pay for part of Miles's 2010 salary when they traded him in December, that $1 million stays with the A's in this trade.  The Reds are on the hook for all of Miles' $2.7 contract.  Still, adding in Rosales' minimum contract leaving the books, the Reds end up saving about $1,700,000 on the deal.  They got rid of Taveras and saved money?  What is A's GM Billy Beane thinking?  Nobody could want Taveras and claim his contract or trade for it- the A's will be saddled with it.

This is now the best move of the offseason FOR THE 2010 SEASON that the Reds have made.  The other notable moves are not as important for this season; Adrolis Chapman's days of contributing to the big league will probably begin in 2011 (too many control issues right now- his walk rates in the lowly Cuban leagues were in the four to five per nine innings- yikes! ).  Recently signed shortstop Orlando Cabrera ($2 million for 2010 with a club buyout of $1 million for next year) is a slight upgrade at shortstop.  Though he can hit better than incumbent shortstop Paul Janish, he is nowhere near the fielder that Janish is. 

In fact, the reason that Cabrera signed with the Reds is that they were the only ones who offered him a shortstop job.  Not a good sign.  As long as he hits .285/ .335/ .425, he can overcome the lost defense.  These are not easy demands for the 35-year old Cabrera.  No, getting rid of the last of Dusty Baker's recruits is the biggest move.  By the way, have you noticed how quiet Baker has been this offseason and how few of Baker's "guys" (anyone with awful on- base percentage) were signed.

The trade boosts the Reds' win total from 80 to 84 in my calculations.  If they can stay relatively healthy, get anything out of Chapman, or get big years out of Homer Bailer, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto, it could go to 87.  How did I get that calculation?  Simple - addition by substraction.

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Better late than never, at least that’s what Reds’ fans are saying to themselves as February begins.

In a span of 48 hours the Reds have improved themselves at their weakest position, shortstop, and ridded themselves of one of the biggest burdens on their roster.

The team struck first by signing free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to one-year deal to a one-year deal worth $770,000, with a signing bonus of $1.25 million. There is a $4 million mutual option for 2011, with the Reds owing Cabrera $500,000 if he declines the option and $1 million if he the club declines the option.

Cabrera, 35, last season played for the Athletics and Twins and combined to hit .284 with 36 doubles, 9 HR and 77 RBI in 160 games. He led all Major League shortstops in RBI and ranked fourth among players at that position with 83 runs scored.

The native of Colombia finished the 2009 season with a 16-game hitting streak (.397) to help the Twins finish 12-4 and win the American League Central Division title.

In 1,732 career games for the Expos, Angels, White Sox, A's and Twins, the 2-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner has a .275 career batting average. Last season, Cabrera produced at least 186 hits for the third straight year and for the fourth time in his career. Five times in his career he played at least 160 games in a season.

In order to help make room for Cabrera the Reds sent outfielder Willy Taveras and utility man Adam Rosales to Oakland for infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named later.

"I'm happy to be reunited with Aaron, who played a key role in our World Series championship in St. Louis," said Jocketty, "He's a quality infielder, a quality person and will be an asset to our club."

Miles, 33, was hampered last season by injuries to his throwing shoulder and elbow and made just 74 apps for the Chicago Cubs. On December 3 he was traded to Oakland.

Miles is a career .282 hitter in 717 games for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and Cubs. In 2008, he hit a career-high .317 in 134 games. Miles was a member of the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship club and has played every defensive position, including three appearances as a pitcher, except first base and catcher.

Taveras, 28, last season for the Reds hit .240 with 1 HR, 15 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 102 appearances for the Reds. Rosales, 26, in 2009 hit .213 in 87 games for the Reds and .349 in 30 appearances at Class AAA Louisville.

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from MLB.com:

The Reds remain in the running for free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and it appears there are only two other suitors -- the Rockies and Nationals -- a Major League source told MLB.com on Thursday night.

Cincinnati has definitely made an offer to Cabrera, who is also considering Colorado and Washington. It did not appear that any of the three teams were close to reaching a deal on Thursday.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB cincinnati reds, colorado rockies, washington nationals, orlando cabrera

With pitchers and catchers reporting in less than a month, the Reds are popping up in the rumor mill regarding a handful of the remaining free-agents:

JOHNNY DAMON – After the Yankees have said no thanks to Damon (at least at his current asking price), agent Scott Boras told ESPN.com that he is trying to engage the Tigers and Reds in his client. However, it is highly unlikely either team has the money in their budget to interest the veteran outfielder.

ORLANDO CABRERA – Reds’ GM Walt Jocketty confirmed that the club has considered making a run at Cabrera.  The move makes great sense if the Reds can get him on a 1-year deal at their price. The longer he remains a free agent the better the chances get. Still, Reds’ beat writer John Fay doesn’t see it happening due to budget constraints.

NOAH LOWRY – The Reds are amongst a reported 15 teams expected to have scouts at a throwing session to watch the 29-year old lefthander on Tuesday. Lowry has battled outlet syndrome the last few years and hasn’t made much of an impact the past few seasons for the Giants.

JONNY GOMES – The Reds non-tendered Gomes rather than giving him a raise or facing arbitration. He remains on the market, but after hitting 20 homeruns last season in limited action in Cincinnati, don’t expect him to stay there long. The team does not appear to be in the mix to bring him back.

MIGUEL CAIRO – The team already did make a move to sign the 36-year old utility man to a minor league deal on Wednesday. He has played for eight different MLB teams and spent most of 2008 playing for the Phillies’ AAA club where he hit .287/.325/.392.

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