Cincinnati Reds

Josh Hamilton shed no tears and used no prepared statement as he apologized and shared few details about his relapse with alcohol. Still, it was clear he was upset by what he had done.
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Scott Rolen might someday trace an unjust Hall of Fame snub to his 2005 collision with Dodgers' 1B Hee Sop-Choi - an incident that resulted in a labrum tear and ultimately required surgery. The following season, without the help of even one stem cell, he played 147 games and slashed .296/.369/.518. Rolen's shoulder began nagging him toward the end of 2007, requiring surgery for scar tissue removal. The next season, he injured his finger at the beginning of the season and experienced more shoulder troubles toward the end, but pieced together 108 OPS+ season as a Blue Jay.

He increased his production at the plate and attendance record in each of the next two seasons, appearing in 133 games with the 2010 Reds and helping lead the team to a division championship. Then Rolen went under the knife for his shoulder again late last July, after wearing down late in 2010 and seeming lost at the plate throughout 2011.

Depending on how you count them, Rolen will be mounting his third comeback from a major injury this season. This time he'll be doing it as a 37-year old. Anecdotally and statistically, Rolen is still a very good defender at third. His left shoulder injury doesn't affect his throwing arm and doesn't seem to significantly limit his ability to put his glove in the right place.

Slate called the labrum tear "baseball's most fearsome injury." While it's painful, nagging and career-threatening, most of the sensationalism is about pitchers and their throwing arms. Where I see Rolen's injury mattering most is in his swing and, consequently, his plate approach. He's already altered his batting stance at least once to accommodate his shoulder issue, likely sacrificing some power (though it's hard both to explain 2010 and to figure out how much to chalk up to normal aging). Last season, Rolen didn't have trouble making contact, but he did walk at a lower rate than he ever has while swinging at more balls out of the strike zone.

He only appeared in 65 games in 2011, so I don't know how much to read into his performance. Rolen's plate vision, an attribute that actually improves in many veterans, is likely still there. His walk rate dipped permanently below 10% after 2005, but he's been good for around 9% since then and was at 9.3% in 2010 (after altering his batting stance).

The body just might not be willing. If his bat speed and torque remain diminished, he may compensate by reaching for pitches he ordinarily would have taken for a ball. The extent to which his strength and confidence returns will determine his success this year and ability to avoid a bizarre, Star Wars surgery.

Though he's had a very distinctive career arc, I wondered if there were any comparable players for Rolen: third basemen with long, productive careers who battled through injury and played into their late 30s. Rolen is a very unique player and there aren't very many good comps for third basemen with a long injury history who have also stayed at the position for their entire careers and produced at his level.

Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones, who had knee surgery in 2010 and has struggled to play in more than 130 games since 2005, springs to mind. His ability to play at an elite level at age 37 (in 2009) is encouraging, but he's a much different player from Rolen, hitting for higher average (and reaching base more as a result), more power and getting much less value out of his glove. Jones maintained his high walk rate through the end of his thirties, where Rolen has stayed below 10% in 2006.

Wade Boggs, 1995

Boggs was a legendary "pure hitter," (whatever that means), with prodigious on-base skills, but his overall offensive output was similar to Rolen's over his career (ignoring era slightly). His age 37 season, marked by injury, was his last stand before his decline. Boggs suffered a hamstring injury late into his third season with the Yankees in 1995. That year was arguably his last All-Star caliber season. His bat lost a little pop, his defense likely suffered and he declined to merely average for the next three seasons. Boggs remained valuable at that level, until his final season in Tampa Bay (and baseball).

Rolen isn't going to reach base at an over .400 rate, but setting the floor at league average would be perfectly acceptable.There's reason to believe his defense could float him more than it did Boggs. Defensive metrics still like Scott and helped to lift him above replacement level last season, despite his worst season ever at the plate (269 PAs). Just as Boggs' on-base skills were pretty durable (he reached base at a .377 clip at age 41), Rolen wouldn't have to hit for the power he did in 2010 to have a Late Boggs-ian season at age 37. One last flash of former greatness would be all the Reds require.

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• The Caravan swung to Columbus
  "It's a swing city, really," Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini said during a stop at Polaris Fashion Place mall in Columbus. Leading the Caravan to C-bus was Brandon Phillips and catching wunderkind Devin Mesoraco, who was glad to get a few more questions this year: "I get more questions now, it seems like. In the past when I was with Brandon [Phillips], he'd get all the questions. More people know who I am, I guess." BP then deadpanned "get me a Coke, groundhog," grinning and elbowing Thom Brennaman in the ribs. For pictures and Caravan wrap-ups, check out the fine work at OMGreds and Red Hot Mama.
• Commercially viable Reds
  The offseason is about selling tickets and selling out, and plenty of Reds have shilled for Corporate America over the years. Redlegs Review runs down some old television endorsements by Reds for products like Aqua Velva, Krylon Paint, and Pepsi, which tastes the worst of the three.
• "So you're telling me there's a chance"
  According to the Vegas bookmakers, the Reds are now a 25-1 shot for winning the WS and a 9-1 for taking the NL pennant. Sounds reasonable, no? (If I could short any of these, I'd bet against Miami to win the Series at 15-1.) But maybe some pessimism is in order. Redleg Nation ran some fancy algorithms based on the Reds' ZiPS projections, and spat out a 84-78 season. Then again, Reds Net Live thinks that simply avoiding last year's injury bug will be the difference-maker. Who's right?
• How would you improve baseball?
  May as well take advantage of an uneventful week in baseball to muse about what could make it better. I'm not crazy about some of these suggestions, but I've long been behind Christina Kahrl's idea to make relievers face off against more than just one batter: Her proposal: "Any pitcher has to face a minimum of three batters in an inning or complete that inning before he may be removed from a game.... The goal is to cut down on the shuffling from the 'pen and the interminable committee meetings that can make the last three innings of action in a ballgame seem anything but active." I'm all in favor of speeding up the game. To set up somewhat of a straw-man, purists who oppose efforts to speed up games are mistaken that history favors their view. Before night games, umpires routinely prodded players to hurry up the action to avoid calling games for darkness.
• Barry's in Brazil
  Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, with some other former players and with assistance from MLB International, is hosting Elite Camps next month in Brazil to instruct the best junior (14-17) talent in the area. Good to see MLB extending its reach down there, because according to baseball-reference there have been no MLB players from Brazil, Argentina, or Peru. That's less than Russia (8!), Austria-Hungary (4), Saudi Arabia (1), and "Atlantic Ocean" (1?).

• How much will GABP affect Mat Latos?
  We shall see, but this is a neat little tool that transposes batted balls hit at one park onto another. If you select Mat Latos in the Pitcher drop-down, you can see where all of his fly balls, triples, etc. hit off him at PETCO would go if they were hit at GABP. There's other factors to consider, like humidity and wind, but it's an interesting tool nonetheless.

• BP and Morgan memorilized on Fleer card
  A fun little picture of the mutual admiration society that is Joe Morgan and Brandon Phillips. El Beeperino may not be the player that lil' Joe was, but who is? I'm gonna miss his swagger when he flies the coop next winter, though I'll be comforted that the Reds plowed the savings into retaining Joey Votto.

• The Reds and SI Covers
  Baseblog looks back at the five most recent Reds to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. Like I said, it's a slow news day. Always nice to see Joey Votto posing with his bat next to the "time to get mean" headline.
• The Boston Globe ranks the teams, as they are
  They have the Reds 9th, fourth in the NL. Sounds about right. "GM Walt Jocketty made moves that indicate the Reds were a little sick of the way things have been going down, and they're happy to take advantage of St. Louis's and Milwaukee's offseason losses. They added closer Ryan Madson on a one-year, $8 million deal. They traded for Mat Latos to strengthen their rotation. They seem poised to make a legitimate run in the NL Central".
• Where the big money is heading
  If you're curious as to the geographical layout of the teams giving out the highest dollar contracts in baseball, then you're in luck thanks to Big Red Smokey. Not a surprise to see the clusters in the northeast and left coast, but there are also plenty of big deals in the upper midwest and deep in the heart of Texas.
• The Dunner is ready to forget about 2011
  Adam Dunn didn't get one of those huge deals last winter, but you probably know that he was overpaid at any price. He suffered through a wretched season, threatening to break the lowest AVG record (mercifully falling a few PAs short). To his credit, Big Donkey appeared at Chicago's recent SoxFest to meet with fans and answer the inevitable questions about his catastrophic 2011. Dunn's not offering any excuses and is looking forward to turning the page: "I'm going into this year feeling as good as I've felt in a long time and just ready to get started and quit talking about it. Doesn't matter where you go, everyone is talking about it. I realize that comes with (the territory), but I really can't wait for Opening Day." Me too, Adam. Me too.

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The Enquirer links to a piece from Chicago Tribune's Phil Rodgers
In which Rodgers posits that Joey Votto will inevitably be a Blue Jay. It's nothing we haven't heard before. The Blue Jays would look sharp with Jose Bautista and Joey Votto in the lineup together, and the Reds can't possibly sign Votto to a long-term deal. So the question is not if the Blue Jays will get their native son, but whether the Reds will trade him for a bevy or prospects or bid him farewell as he leaves via free agency.

It's all so speculative, though. There is nothing that says Votto actually wants to go to Toronto. Also, the Blue Jays have a publicly stated policy against signing contracts for longer than five years. And perhaps most obvious is the perhaps faulty assumption that the Reds don't have a prayer in re-signing him. I'm not saying they will, I'm just questioning the certainty that they won't. Either way, if you think this speculation is annoying now, it is most certainly only going to get worse.

FSO has announced their Spring Training TV schedule
It looks like the only Spring Training game that will be broadcast is a March 5th tilt against the Indians. That sucks. I know the live productions take some effort and treasure to produce, but I would have liked more than one game this spring. There is a robust schedule for Reds Rewind though, and a nightly show Reds Live - Spring Training 2012. So that should serve as an adequate appetizer for Opening Day.

Skip Schumaker sounds sour re: squirrel send-up
Topps baseball cards released a limited edition version of Skip Schumaker's 2012 card featuring the rally squirrel who interrupted his at-bat in Game Four of the NLDS last October. The squirrel became a minor but still cute story line as the Cardinals went on to take the pennant and the World Series trophy.

Predictably, Schumaker was whiny about it. "It's pretty ridiculous," Schumaker told FOXSportsMidwest.com. "I have a shoe on my baseball card. And a squirrel. It's pretty ridiculous...It's not disappointing, it's just ridiculous...I don't know how else to explain it other than that. You expect to have some sort of action shot or something but it's like a mascot card to me...I'm not frustrated, I just think people are going to look at it and laugh and that's ridiculous. I don't care about what I look like or anything but it's literally just a squirrel that has nothing to do with me."

He thinks it's ridiculous. What is it about St. Louis that makes the players act so ridiculous and say such ridiculous things? I'm genuinely concerned that there is a hidden pocket of magnetism or radioactivity or something ridiculous that drains the team of any sense of humor. I mean, what kind of person gets that ridiculous about a baseball card? And it's not even his primary card, it's a limited edition card. His regular card will feature him missing a ground ball up the middle or chopping a four-hopper to the first baseman or something ridiculous like that. This cute squirrel on a few thousand cards with his name on it though, that's just ridiculous to him. This whole thing is ridiculous.

FanGraphs likes the Jeff Francis signing
"In an offseason where Jason Marquis nets a somewhat lucrative one-year deal, it’s simply stunning to me that Francis, who for all his faults was a 2.6-win pitcher last season, had to settle for a minor league deal. Sure, there’s more red flags than a Chinese embassy here, but projection-wise you have to believe Francis has matured greatly as a pitcher to be a nearly 3-win hurler despite an 84.7 mph average heater. Can you even call that a heater? Maybe it’s a warmer. Joking aside, Francis hasn’t landed in an ideal place with the Great American Ballpark (120-133 home run park factors via StatCorner), but if he gains velocity back in his ongoing rehabilitation efforts, as a lefty he could carve out a nice, long career in the back of a number of rotations."

In case you missed it
a few days ago, Sheldon gave the blood and guts of the recent contracts that the Reds doled out. I'm still jumping out of my socks over the Madson deal. The Reds are only paying him $6.252 mil this season. SIX MILLION DOLLARS for a guy who everyone thought would get multiple years and tens of millions. $2 mil is deferred without interest and his $11 mil mutual option for next year comes with a $2.5 mil buyout. Now, that $11 mil option has almost no chance of being exercised. If he's good, he'll decline it and take a shot at the multi-year deal he didn't get this winter. Then that buyout won't apply and the Reds will have (hopefully) gotten a top-flight closer at a cut-rate price. High five, Walt.

SI's Joe Lemire unveils his first pre-season power rankings
The Reds come in at #9, and behind only the Phillies and Cardinals among NL squadrons. Here's the blurb: "Notable additions: SP Mat Latos, OF Ryan Ludwick, RP Ryan Madson, RP Sean Marshall, IF Wilson Valdez, UT Willie Harris, SP Jeff Francis Notable subtractions: SP Edinson Volquez, RP Francisco Cordero, SP Travis Wood, 1B Yonder Alonso Last year's predicted rise to prominence -- I pegged them as a darkhorse NL champ -- was premature on the assumption that all of the Reds' young core would improve with experience. This winter, however, Cincinnati made undeniable external improvements by adding Latos and Madson to replace Volquez and Cordero. Marshall is an excellent eighth-inning reliever, freeing heralded Cuban flamethrower Aroldis Chapman for a possible move to the rotation."

Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe has power rankings, too
and coincidentally, the Reds are at #9 on his list as well. The Cards, Phils, and Diamondbacks stand ahead of them among NLers. Here's the blurb: "GM Walt Jocketty made moves that indicate the Reds were a little sick of the way things have been going down, and they’re happy to take advantage of St. Louis’s and Milwaukee’s offseason losses. They added closer Ryan Madson on a one-year, $8 million deal. They traded for Mat Latos to strengthen their rotation. They seem poised to make a legitimate run in the NL Central."

Matt Klaassen at FanGraphs takes a look at the bunting slugger
In case you hadn't heard, Mark Teixeira recently said he was frustrated with the dramatic shift he was often seeing from defenses and that he was working on his bunting to counter it. I'm sure we all remember these defensive tactics deployed against the likes of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr back in the day, and the subsequent harpings of the Brennamen for them to lay a bunt down the 3B line.

Klaassen admits his methodology isn't the most rigorous, but the conclusions drawn are interesting nevertheless. It seems that sluggers (ISO > .200) who square to bunt are more successful (higher RE24) than the rest of them. So it lends a bit of credence to the Brennamen's idea of taking what is given.

Baseball Nation's Grant Brisbee runs down the candidates for "Worst to First"
Last year, the Diamondbacks followed up their nearly-100 loss 2010 campaign with an NL West division title. This kinda thing happens every now and again, or at least often enough that it has become of a staple of off-season speculative conversation. Of relevance to the Reds is his take on the Houston Astros, in their last year as an NL Centraler, and their chances of taking the division this season: "Nope."

One of the loyal readers of Halos Heaven sent a hand-written trade proposal to Angels GM Jerry DiPoto
and to much surprise and delight, he received a note back from DiPoto. I gotta say, I'm not sure how to react to this. At first, I was all like, "Dig it, man. That's a really classy move from the new GM. He's doing the little things to make headway with the fanbase." But then I was all like, "Hmmm...I wonder how often he does this. He probably gets letters like this all the time, and I really hope he doesn't spend all his time replying to them personally." So yeah, I'm not sure what to think. I'll just say it's really neat and move on.

Kevin Goldstein at the world wide leader asked a group of big league executives to compare Yoenis Cespedes to some current major league CFs
The list of comparables includes our very own Drew Stubbs. To see how they ranked him against Cespedes, you'll need to be an insider. I'm not.

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What began humbly as a pretentiously-titled section on the left sidebar of this website now contains "several" pages rather than "a couple." The Reference Desk is your easily-accessible resource for up-to-date player information - contract status, injury histories and now, Twitter handles. Here are some of the recent additions to our holdings, which I hope will help answer FAQs about the Reds and better prevent you from ever having to visit any other site.

Reds Players on Twitter

This section dropped just this week. I'm not nearly as proficient on Twitter as many of you, but this is my attempt to put together a listing of all current Reds players who have active Twitter handles. Some Tweet more than others. I've left off Ryan Madson, who it seems had an authentic handle at some point but hasn't Twatt (not positive that's the past tense of Tweet) in nearly two years. I'm hoping to add Reds media personalities, veterans and a Dallas Latos category soon. Feel free to offer your additions and corrections.

Complete Org Chart (MLB Daily Dish)

This was discussed in a FanShot, but MLB Daily Dish - SBNation's news and trade rumors pub - mapped the players and contract vitals in the Reds' system from low-A to the majors. You should offer your feedback here or on their thread if you haven't already.

2012 Spring Training Invitees

Hopefully this is a current list of all non-roster invites to big league camp this Spring. I'm not sure yet if Wifrin Obispo - who was just signed to a minor league deal and who may actually be a food and drug conglomerate - received an invite. Let me know if we missed anyone.

Any suggestions for information that isn't currently easy to find and might fit in this section would be more than welcome. As soon as we wrap the Community Prospect Rankings, we'll be looking at Composite rankings of Reds' farmhands and logging prospect histories, leaning on past Community rankings. Stay tuned. That is, stay near the Desk and please be quiet.

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Ryan LaMarre impressively wins his first trip onto the ballot. I'm wondering, it must be just name recognition at this point, right? Not much has been made about his impressive base-stealing year, but a prolonged slump in April and a huge BABIP swing in May (.403) make me not too thrilled with that season, in that run environment, from someone who should be so far ahead of his peers there. Let's hope he makes major improvements in Pensacola next season.

Same choices as yesterday, vote now.

Junior Arias, 3B, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-#19
(Billings) .251/.320/.452/.772, 8 HR, 30 RBI

Pros: Toolsy. Will be a monster at the plate if he can get his mechanics together and figures out how to hit. Time is on his side.
Cons: Still really raw. Went up a rookie ball level and numbers didn't improve. Does not walk.

Sean Buckley, 3B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .289/.372/.551/.923, 14 HR, 41 RBI

Pros: Showed a ton of power potential, hitting 14 HR in 225 AB. Good bloodlines.
Cons: Struck out a lot, needs to curtail that. Doesn't have a track record for hitting for average in college.

Tim Crabbe, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-#14
(Dayton) 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K, 7 BB, 1.17 WHIP
(Bakersfield) 3.41 ERA, 111.0 IP, 123 K, 46 BB, 1.29 WHIP

Pros: Two above average pitches, profiles as a solid reliever. Put up good numbers in the Cally League, which is a pitcher's nightmare.
Cons: Needs a 3rd pitch if he wants to be a starter. Kind of old for his level, so needs to go to AA and pitch well.

Drew Hayes, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 1.35 ERA, 60 IP, 89 K, 27 BB, 0.93 WHIP

Pros: Dayton's shutdown closer in 2011. Throws 3 pitches with good velocity on his fast ball (91-94).
Cons: Needs to improve command with his fastball and secondary pitches.

Chris Manno, LHP, 23, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Hagerstown) 1.04 ERA, 43.1 IP, 69 K, 15 BB, 0.81 WHIP
(Bakersfield) 0.53 ERA, 17.0 IP, 31 K, 6 BB, 0.71 WHIP

Pros: Amazing numbers since being traded, especially for the league environment. Deceptive delivery, with major league bullpen potential.
Cons: Below average fastball velocity. Secondary pitches need work.

Gabriel Rosa, 3B, 18, BA-UR, Sickels-#17
(AZL Reds) .245/.314/.406/.719, 2 HR, 10 RBI

Pros: Good speed on the basepaths, and scouts love his plate approach.
Cons: Rookie debut wasn't spectacular, still a very raw talent.

Josh Smith, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 2.97 ERA, 142.1 IP, 166 K, 33 BB, 1.09 WHIP

Pros: Struck out a lot of hitters last year, was the ace for a playoff team.
Cons: According to most scouting reports, doesn't really project as anything other than a back-of-the-rotation starter at best. Low 90s fastball, and his out pitch is a breaking ball that could get exploited by better hitters at higher levels.

Kyle Waldrop, OF, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .273/.305/.471/.776, 5 HR, 29 RBI

Pros: Former football recruit and huge left handed bat. Broke out slugging .471 for Billings in 2011.
Cons: Plate discipline is an issue.

Ryan Wright, 2B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .298/.348/.522/.870, 7 HR, 32 RBI
(AZL Reds) .318/.375/.636/1.011, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Pros: Showed good power potential. Should advance fast through the system. Versatile in the field.
Cons: Could walk more. Attended a school that jch likes.

Poll

Who is the Reds #21 prospect for 2012?

10%

Junior Arias

19 votes

9%

Sean Buckley

16 votes

6%

Tim Crabbe

12 votes

2%

Drew Hayes

4 votes

28%

Chris Manno

49 votes

17%

Gabriel Rosa

31 votes

15%

Josh Smith

26 votes

3%

Kyle Waldrop

6 votes

5%

Ryan Wright

10 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

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Junior Arias takes the 23rd spot on the list in one of the tighter races we've had, beating Josh Smith by only 5 votes. Still going on potential with him, but if all goes well, he'll be seeing the bright lights of Dayton for a good chunk of this year.

Two spots left. Vote.

Sean Buckley, 3B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .289/.372/.551/.923, 14 HR, 41 RBI

Pros: Showed a ton of power potential, hitting 14 HR in 225 AB. Good bloodlines.
Cons: Struck out a lot, needs to curtail that. Doesn't have a track record for hitting for average in college.

Tim Crabbe, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-#14
(Dayton) 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K, 7 BB, 1.17 WHIP
(Bakersfield) 3.41 ERA, 111.0 IP, 123 K, 46 BB, 1.29 WHIP

Pros: Two above average pitches, profiles as a solid reliever. Put up good numbers in the Cally League, which is a pitcher's nightmare.
Cons: Needs a 3rd pitch if he wants to be a starter. Kind of old for his level, so needs to go to AA and pitch well.

Drew Hayes, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 1.35 ERA, 60 IP, 89 K, 27 BB, 0.93 WHIP

Pros: Dayton's shutdown closer in 2011. Throws 3 pitches with good velocity on his fast ball (91-94).
Cons: Needs to improve command with his fastball and secondary pitches.

Josh Smith, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 2.97 ERA, 142.1 IP, 166 K, 33 BB, 1.09 WHIP

Pros: Struck out a lot of hitters last year, was the ace for a playoff team.
Cons: According to most scouting reports, doesn't really project as anything other than a back-of-the-rotation starter at best. Low 90s fastball, and his out pitch is a breaking ball that could get exploited by better hitters at higher levels.

Kyle Waldrop, OF, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .273/.305/.471/.776, 5 HR, 29 RBI

Pros: Former football recruit and huge left handed bat. Broke out slugging .471 for Billings in 2011.
Cons: Plate discipline is an issue.

Ryan Wright, 2B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .298/.348/.522/.870, 7 HR, 32 RBI
(AZL Reds) .318/.375/.636/1.011, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Pros: Showed good power potential. Should advance fast through the system. Versatile in the field.
Cons: Could walk more. Attended a school that jch likes.

Poll

Who is the Reds #24 prospect in 2012?

• Sean Buckley
• Tim Crabbe
• Drew Hayes
• Josh Smith
• Kyle Waldrop
• Ryan Wright

  152 votes | Results

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I think this was the right pick here. Last year's 2nd round pick seemed like a great one, as scouts really liked his approach at the plate. He played 3B all of last year, but is still a ways away from the big league roster.

Vote now.

Junior Arias, 3B, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-#19
(Billings) .251/.320/.452/.772, 8 HR, 30 RBI

Pros: Toolsy. Will be a monster at the plate if he can get his mechanics together and figures out how to hit. Time is on his side.
Cons: Still really raw. Went up a rookie ball level and numbers didn't improve. Does not walk.

Sean Buckley, 3B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .289/.372/.551/.923, 14 HR, 41 RBI

Pros: Showed a ton of power potential, hitting 14 HR in 225 AB. Good bloodlines.
Cons: Struck out a lot, needs to curtail that. Doesn't have a track record for hitting for average in college.

Tim Crabbe, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-#14
(Dayton) 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K, 7 BB, 1.17 WHIP
(Bakersfield) 3.41 ERA, 111.0 IP, 123 K, 46 BB, 1.29 WHIP

Pros: Two above average pitches, profiles as a solid reliever. Put up good numbers in the Cally League, which is a pitcher's nightmare.
Cons: Needs a 3rd pitch if he wants to be a starter. Kind of old for his level, so needs to go to AA and pitch well.

Drew Hayes, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 1.35 ERA, 60 IP, 89 K, 27 BB, 0.93 WHIP

Pros: Dayton's shutdown closer in 2011. Throws 3 pitches with good velocity on his fast ball (91-94).
Cons: Needs to improve command with his fastball and secondary pitches.

Josh Smith, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 2.97 ERA, 142.1 IP, 166 K, 33 BB, 1.09 WHIP

Pros: Struck out a lot of hitters last year, was the ace for a playoff team.
Cons: According to most scouting reports, doesn't really project as anything other than a back-of-the-rotation starter at best. Low 90s fastball, and his out pitch is a breaking ball that could get exploited by better hitters at higher levels.

Kyle Waldrop, OF, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .273/.305/.471/.776, 5 HR, 29 RBI

Pros: Former football recruit and huge left handed bat. Broke out slugging .471 for Billings in 2011.
Cons: Plate discipline is an issue.

Ryan Wright, 2B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .298/.348/.522/.870, 7 HR, 32 RBI
(AZL Reds) .318/.375/.636/1.011, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Pros: Showed good power potential. Should advance fast through the system. Versatile in the field.
Cons: Could walk more. Attended a school that jch likes.

Poll

Who is the Reds #23 prospect for 2012?

30%

Junior Arias

36 votes

14%

Sean Buckley

17 votes

6%

Tim Crabbe

8 votes

6%

Drew Hayes

8 votes

26%

Josh Smith

31 votes

5%

Kyle Waldrop

7 votes

9%

Ryan Wright

11 votes

118 votes | Poll has closed

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Who? The guy we got for Jonny Gomes, that's who! He was seriously lights out in Bakersfield last year. Right now, he's basically what Boxberger was but doesn't throw as hard. I'll be interested to see how he does as Pensacola's closer.

Same choices as yesterday, vote away.

Junior Arias, 3B, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-#19
(Billings) .251/.320/.452/.772, 8 HR, 30 RBI

Pros: Toolsy. Will be a monster at the plate if he can get his mechanics together and figures out how to hit. Time is on his side.
Cons: Still really raw. Went up a rookie ball level and numbers didn't improve. Does not walk.

Sean Buckley, 3B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .289/.372/.551/.923, 14 HR, 41 RBI

Pros: Showed a ton of power potential, hitting 14 HR in 225 AB. Good bloodlines.
Cons: Struck out a lot, needs to curtail that. Doesn't have a track record for hitting for average in college.

Tim Crabbe, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-#14
(Dayton) 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 25 K, 7 BB, 1.17 WHIP
(Bakersfield) 3.41 ERA, 111.0 IP, 123 K, 46 BB, 1.29 WHIP

Pros: Two above average pitches, profiles as a solid reliever. Put up good numbers in the Cally League, which is a pitcher's nightmare.
Cons: Needs a 3rd pitch if he wants to be a starter. Kind of old for his level, so needs to go to AA and pitch well.

Drew Hayes, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 1.35 ERA, 60 IP, 89 K, 27 BB, 0.93 WHIP

Pros: Dayton's shutdown closer in 2011. Throws 3 pitches with good velocity on his fast ball (91-94).
Cons: Needs to improve command with his fastball and secondary pitches.

Gabriel Rosa, 3B, 18, BA-UR, Sickels-#17
(AZL Reds) .245/.314/.406/.719, 2 HR, 10 RBI

Pros: Good speed on the basepaths, and scouts love his plate approach.
Cons: Rookie debut wasn't spectacular, still a very raw talent.

Josh Smith, RHP, 24, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Dayton) 2.97 ERA, 142.1 IP, 166 K, 33 BB, 1.09 WHIP

Pros: Struck out a lot of hitters last year, was the ace for a playoff team.
Cons: According to most scouting reports, doesn't really project as anything other than a back-of-the-rotation starter at best. Low 90s fastball, and his out pitch is a breaking ball that could get exploited by better hitters at higher levels.

Kyle Waldrop, OF, 20, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .273/.305/.471/.776, 5 HR, 29 RBI

Pros: Former football recruit and huge left handed bat. Broke out slugging .471 for Billings in 2011.
Cons: Plate discipline is an issue.

Ryan Wright, 2B, 22, BA-UR, Sickels-UR
(Billings) .298/.348/.522/.870, 7 HR, 32 RBI
(AZL Reds) .318/.375/.636/1.011, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Pros: Showed good power potential. Should advance fast through the system. Versatile in the field.
Cons: Could walk more. Attended a school that jch likes.

Poll

Who is the Reds' #22 prospect for 2012?

13%

Junior Arias

18 votes

16%

Sean Buckley

22 votes

9%

Tim Crabbe

13 votes

4%

Drew Hayes

6 votes

30%

Gabriel Rosa

41 votes

18%

Josh Smith

25 votes

5%

Kyle Waldrop

7 votes

2%

Ryan Wright

4 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

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The 2012 Cincinnati Reds have announced to the world that they'll take aim at a championship, in part thanks of a series of moves made by general manager Walt Jocketty during this offseason.

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The seventh greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Heinie Groh.

Groh is by far the least known of our top ten players, and that's a shame, because he has a legitimate case for the Hall of Fame. Most of that case was built in a Cincinnati uniform. Groh was the best third baseman ever to play for the Reds.

Originally signed by the Giants, Groh went to Cincinnati in a deal made early in 1913. He was a second baseman as he hit .282 that year and .288 in 1914, but was shifted to third base to use his agility for fielding bunts in the Deadball era. Today, Groh would be left at the keystone. Groh hit .290 in 1915, then .269 with a league-leading 84 walks in 1916. Over the next three years, Groh would be the best player in the National League, though no one realized it at the time, nor do they today.

The NL was in a down period, with few stars of its own and Rogers Hornsby still on the horizon. The biggest names in the game were Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Eddie Collins, all in the AL. Groh led the league in on-base percentage in 1917 and 1918, and in OPS in the world championship year of 1919. He also led the NL in hits and doubles in 1917, in runs and doubles in 1918. He would have been a good choice for MVP in any of those seasons, if they had been voting for it then.

If Groh is remembered today, it is for using a "bottle bat." Small at a generously listed five-foot-eight and about 160 pounds, Groh wanted a bat with a large barrel for contact hitting, but needed a small handle for a better grip. He special ordered a weapon that, instead of tapering gradually from barrel to handle, instead had virtually two distinct sections, looking like the glass milk bottles common at the time. And a baseball classic was born.

Groh usually batted third for those teams, with Jake Daubert second and Edd Roush batting fourth. He didn't have reach-the-fences power, but slapped the ball around the field and found holes. His batting averages for 1917-1919 were .304, .320, and .310. Groh was quick but didn't steal a lot of bases, topping out at 24. He just hit lots of singles and doubles, and drew lots of walks.

Groh dropped off a bit after that, batting .298 in 1920. In 1921 he held out through the early season, and became incensed with the team's negotiating. He finally agreed to sign only if the Reds would trade him immediately to the Giants. Judge Landis held up the deal until after the season, but his .331 in 97 games was his last work as a Red.

In 1211 games in Cincinnati, Heinie Groh batted .298 with a .378 on-base average and a 130 OPS+ as well as 158 steals. He also played stellar defense.
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The eighth greatest player in Cincinnati Reds history is Vada Pinson.

He signed with the Reds in 1956 and started as a first baseman, which given his speed looked rather silly. They moved him to the outfield in 1957 and he was the MVP of the California League, hitting .367. He hit .343 in the Pacific Coast League in 1958, and he arrived in Cincinnati, hitting .271 in 27 games.

Starting in 1959 he took over as the Reds' center fielder. He led the league in doubles with 47 and runs scored with 131 as he hit .316 and made the All-Star team. He was off and running. He led the league in doubles again in 1960, though he never would again. 1961 as a pennant year in Cincinnati, and Pinson hit .343 and led the league with 208 hits as a big part of it. He was third in the MVP vote and won his only Gold Glove.

He was now established as a star and a Cincinnati icon. He would drive in 100 runs each of the next two years. Pinson batted either second or third in the order, often just ahead of Frank Robinson. They were thought of together. Pinson provided solid production on both offense and defense. He was also durable, playing nearly every game.

Pinson began to fade a bit in the mid-60s. He was still hitting, but not as much as before. He hit .288 with 16 homers in 1966, the year after Robinson was traded, then .288 with 18 homers in 1967. In 1968 he missed some games and dipped to .271 with just five homers. With the overall low offense of the year, his OPS+ was still above average, but the Reds took the hint and traded him to St. Louis, getting Bobby Tolan.

Pinson would kick around for several more seasons but was past his prime. As a Red, he hit .297 in 1565 games with 186 homers, 814 RBI, and 221 stolen bases.
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Even though right-hander Mat Latos knows most of the Reds as opponents, he practically leaped at the chance to fly almost all way across the country and meet them for the first time as teammates.

How important was it to him? He and his wife, Dallas, spent fewer than 24 hours in Cincinnati before climbing back onto a plane and heading back home to the West Coast.

Lato was invited by Reds general manager Walt Jocketty to participate in the Jan. 23 kickoff of the team's annual winter caravan tour of the Midwest. Latos shook hands with most of the members of the traveling party, including second baseman Brandon Phillips.

"I don't want to walk into spring training and feel like the odd man out, with weird looks when everybody first gets there," the 24-year-old Latos said.
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The Reds paid a high price to win now in a division softened by the departures of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.
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The Reds did very little last offseason, but that is not the case this winter. After a lot of effort to land a top starting pitcher, they finally snagged Mat Latos from San Diego. They also added closer Ryan Madson to replace Francisco Cordero. ARRIVALS: LHP Sean Marshall (trade with Cubs), RHP Mat Latos (trade with Padres), RHP Ryan Madson (free agent from Phillies), OF Ryan Ludwick (free agent from Pirates), OF/INF Willie Harris (minor league free agent from Mets), INF Wilson Valdez (trade with Phillies), LHP Jeff Francis (minor league free agent from Royals). DEPARTURES: RHP Edinson Volquez, 1B Yonder Alonso, RHP Brad Boxberger and C Yasmani Grandal (traded to Padres); LHP Dontrelle Willis (free agent, signed with Phillies), C Ramon Hernandez (free agent, signed with Rockies), LHP Matt Maloney (waiver claim by Twins), LHP Travis Wood (traded to Cubs), OF Dave Sappelt (traded to Cubs), RHP Francisco Cordero (free agent, signed with Blue Jays), LHP Jeremy Horst (traded to Phillies). FREE AGENTS: SS Edgar Renteria. ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: None. MEDICAL WATCH: --3B Scott Rolen (left shoulder surgery in August 2011) was limited to 65 games in 2011. He is expected to be ready by spring training. --SS Zack Cozart (Tommy John surgery on left elbow in August 2011) is expected to be ready by spring training.


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--General manager Walt Jocketty confirmed that representatives of RHP Roy Oswalt contacted him to see if the team had any interest in signing the 34-year-old free agent, who was limited by back problems to 24 starts last season. Cincinnati's payroll prevented any interest. --The Reds still had not formally announced the signings of OF Ryan Ludwick to his major league contract or LHP Jeff Francis to his minor league deal that includes an invitation to spring training. When Ludwick is signed, the Reds will need to make a roster move, since the 40-man roster is full. The breakdown: 19 pitchers, two catchers, 15 infielders and four outfielders. --The Reds announced that they will meet a team of their top minor league players in the final spring training game of the season at Great American Ball Park on April 3, two days before the opener against the Miami Marlins. Doug Flynn, utility infielder on the mid-1970s Big Red Machine teams, will serve as the on-field host and some Reds coaches and players will wear microphones so fans can listen in on what's happening on the field. --Another clue that RHP Homer Bailey has the edge over LHP Aroldis Chapman on the fifth slot in Cincinnati's starting rotation is Bailey now is out of options. Chapman has options left, which the Reds will most likely use to let him complete his conversion from relief back to starting at Triple-A Louisville. --The signing of RHP Jose Arredondo to a two-year contract means Cincinnati has avoided going to arbitration for eight consecutive years. The last player who reached arbitration was RHP Chris Reitsma, who lost in 2004. What makes that run more remarkable is it goes through two ownership groups and three general managers. BY THE NUMBERS: 15 -- The number of non-roster players invited to Cincinnati's spring training camp. The breakdown was nine pitchers, four catchers and two outfielders. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think we all feel optimistic. With all the moves (general manager Walt Jocketty) has made this winter, we're very anxious to get going. There's a real upbeat feeling through the whole staff, the whole organization. You want to win every year, but we're doing everything we can to bolster this ballclub to where it's going to be a postseason team." -- Reds owner Bob Castellini, on the excitement surrounding the Reds during the team's annual winter caravan.


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Even though right-hander Mat Latos knows most of the Reds as opponents, he practically leaped at the chance to fly almost all way across the country and meet them for the first time as teammates. How important was it to him? He and his wife, Dallas, spent fewer than 24 hours in Cincinnati before climbing back onto a plane and heading back home to the West Coast. Lato was invited by Reds general manager Walt Jocketty to participate in the Jan. 23 kickoff of the team's annual winter caravan tour of the Midwest. Latos shook hands with most of the members of the traveling party, including second baseman Brandon Phillips. "I don't want to walk into spring training and feel like the odd man out, with weird looks when everybody first gets there," the 24-year-old Latos said. "I just wanted to get in and know what to expect." Latos is somewhat familiar with Cincinnati's spring training camp in Goodyear, Ariz., since his former team trains in Peoria, Ariz. He also will find some familiar faces at camp, including outfielder Ryan Ludwick, a Padres teammate in 2010 and 2011. Seeing the Reds add Ludwick and closer Ryan Madson as free agents had Latos eager to get started. "The team has a lot of talent at every position," Latos said. "I think, with adding Madson to the back end of the bullpen and adding Luddy, two good guys, if just adds to the ballclub. Hopefully, we can make a postseason run."


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Junior Arias takes the 23rd spot on the list in one of the tighter races we've had, beating Josh Smith by only 5 votes.

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Robinson impacted Cincinnati amid segregation
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The Dallas Morning News is reporting former Cincinnati Reds player and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton had a relapse earlier this week when he drank alcohol at a bar.

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From John Kiesewetter's TV spotlight column: Cincinnati Reds games return to Fox Sports Ohio at 7 p.m. Monday, the first of four "Reds Classic Rewinds"... DOWNTOWN - Investigators have given Messer Construction Co.

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DALLAS - The Dallas Morning News is reporting Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton had a relapse earlier this week when he drank alcohol at a bar.
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