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Cincinnati Reds 2009 Preview
By Lyle Fitzsimmons
March 31, 2009
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Now, all they need is a name change, right?
The upstart Cincinnati Reds, having officially jettisoned the three-run homer approach in favor of youth, speed and defense, enter the 2009 season with more than a few observers likening them to the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays, of course, ditched the word "Devil" from their name heading into last year and went on to win a franchise-record 97 games en route to a stirring American League Championship Series win and an appearance in the World Series.
So, following that recipe, Dusty Baker and Co. will simply be going by the name "Cincinnati" this season and will no longer answer to the name "Reds".
Of course, any such nonsense would be welcome if it translated to success for the woebegone Ohio franchise, which has posted a winning record just four times since its last World Series crown in 1990 - and zero times since an 85- win run in 2000.
Baker enters his second season as manager and first under the regime of Walt Jocketty, the former St. Louis Cardinals boss who took over from Wayne Krivsky early last season after initially being hired as a special assistant to owner Bob Castellini.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2009 edition of the Cincinnati Reds, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
2008 FINISH (74-88) - Fifth Place (NL Central)
KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: P Micah Owings; OF Willy Taveras; P Arthur Rhodes; C Ramon Hernandez
KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: C Javier Valentin; C David Ross; OF Ryan Freel; OF Corey Patterson
PROJECTED LINEUP: Willy Taveras (CF); Jerry Hairston Jr. (LF); Joey Votto (1B); Brandon Phillips (2B); Jay Bruce (RF); Edwin Encarnacion (3B); Ramon Hernandez (C); Alex Gonzalez (SS)
PROJECTED ROTATION: Aaron Harang (RHP); Edinson Volquez (RHP); Bronson Arroyo (RHP); Johnny Cueto (RHP); Micah Owings (RHP)
PROJECTED CLOSER: Francisco Cordero (RHP)
MANAGER: Dusty Baker
INFIELD
Assuming Alex Gonzalez returns to health after missing all of 2008 with a left knee problem, the Reds are stable in the infield.
First baseman Joey Votto is back after a banner first season in the majors that saw him hit .297 with 27 home runs and 87 RBI and place second in the league's rookie of the year balloting. Defensively, he made 11 errors in 144 games.
At second base in Brandon Phillips, whose offensive production dipped noticeably from 30 home runs to 21 and from 94 RBI to 78. Still, he lashed 24 doubles and stole 23 bases in 33 attempts, while also making just seven errors in 140 games.
Gonzalez remains the biggest question mark at shortstop. He was held back from 100-percent participation at the outset of spring training, then tweaked a hamstring immediately upon going full speed.
Now 32, Gonzalez was a pleasant surprise in 2007 for the Reds, hitting .272 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI to go with a .975 fielding percentage.
Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion takes over in Dunn's absence as the team's biggest enigma. Still just 26, Encarnacion hit a career-best 26 home runs last season, but his average dropped from .289 to .251 and his error total jumped from 16 to 23.
Behind the plate, veteran Ramon Hernandez comes in via trade from Baltimore with a high-end defensive reputation and the ability to handle a young pitching staff. Any offense will be a luxury from the 32-year-old, who hit .257 with 15 homers and 65 RBI for the Orioles in 2008.
OUTFIELD
Gone are the days of Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, replaced by what Baker and Jocketty expects to be a more dynamic - if not quite as prodigious - trio.
Assuming the starting role in center is speedy Willy Taveras, who signed with the Reds after five seasons in Houston and Colorado. The Dominican stole a career-high 68 bases in 75 attempts in 2008, though his .308 on-base percentage - down from .367 a year earlier - is a concern.
Alongside Taveras in right will be second-year man Jay Bruce, who lit up the National League during his initial month with the Reds before settling to a respectable 21 home runs and 52 RBI by season's end. Only 22 years as of April 3, Bruce played at least 10 games at each outfield position and made 11 errors overall.
A platoon system could be in order in left, featuring second-generation big leaguer Jerry Hairston Jr. and youngster Chris Dickerson.
Hairston played 80 games at six positions for the Reds in 2008, including an error-free 24 games in left. He batted .326 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 261 at-bats. Dickerson, meanwhile, appeared in 31 games in his first taste of the majors last season and hit .304 in 102 at-bats.
STARTING ROTATION
Workhorse right-hander Aaron Harang was the biggest disappointment of 2008 for the Reds, tailspinning from consecutive 16-win seasons to a woeful 6-17 slate and plummeting from 234 innings to 181. The four-time double-digit winner has shown flashes of his former form in the spring and will need to be healthy for the Reds to challenge.
Brought over in a trade that cost the Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton in return, right-hander Edinson Volquez was a season-long phenom en route to a 17-6 mark in his first full big-league season. Just 25 years old, Volquez struck out 206 batters and allowed just 167 hits in 196 innings of work.
Veteran righty Bronson Arroyo returned to past form in 2008, winning 15 games and posting a 4.77 ERA in 34 starts after sliding to 9-15 in 2007. A five-time double-digit winner, Arroyo has logged at least 200 innings in each of his three seasons with the Reds, making a team-high 103 starts over that stretch.
Right-hander Johnny Cueto, 23, was part standout, part aggravation in his rookie season, striking out 158 batters and allowing 178 hits in 174 innings, but managing just nine wins in 23 decisions over 31 starts. The Dominican was too often wild, walking 68 batters and hitting 14 more.
Right-hander Micah Owings will likely open the season in the No. 5 slot after a strong spring season, his first with the Reds after being acquired in the trade that sent Adam Dunn to Arizona. Owings is 14-17 with a 4.97 ERA in 257 1/3 big-league innings whole also wielding a dangerous bat - .319 average, five home runs and 21 RBI in 116 at-bats.
BULLPEN
Hard-throwing right-hander Francisco Cordero was efficient, albeit injured, in his first season with the Reds, saving 34 games in 72 appearances while posting a 3.33 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old gave up six home runs and walked 38 batters.
Cordero is set up by a pair of 39-year-olds - holdover right-hander David Weathers and southpaw newcomer Arthur Rhodes. Weathers, who saved 33 games in 2007, was 4-6 with a 3.25 ERA in 72 appearances last season, while Rhodes, who signed as a free agent, was 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA over 61 appearances with Seattle and Florida in 2008.
Also providing innings in the relief will be right-handers Jared Burton, Mike Lincoln and Nick Masset and lefty Bill Bray. Former first-round pick Homer Bailey has been discussed as a bullpen option as well, assuming he's not inserted into the rotation as a starter.
BENCH
Catcher Ryan Hanigan backs up Hernandez, while the left-out Dickerson/Hairston platoon member and former Tampa Bay Ray Jonny Gomes are spare parts for the outfield. Jeff Keppinger may get more playing time at short if Gonzalez is hurt, though he's struggled mightily with the bat this spring. Also available for spot infield duty is lefty-swinging Laynce Nix.
OUTLOOK
Improved or not, it's a difficult road for the team formerly known as the Reds. Last year's division champion, the Chicago Cubs, are widely expected to contend for a World Series title, while the Central is also home to the 2008 NL wild card Milwaukee Brewers.
Aside from that, it's the Cardinals, Astros and Pirates in a race for respectability. Truth told, long-suffering fans in Cincinnati will likely term the season a success if the Reds are able to lead the second-tier pack and take third overall in the division.
It's not quite parade worthy, but, if the offense contributes at all, look for 82-85 wins.
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MLB Divisional Breakdown: AL West
By Lou Cappetta
March 31, 2009
It's the end of March, and spring training games are getting more competitive.
Pitchers are pitching more innings, and players are starting to get back into the swing of playing major league baseball everyday.
The transition from spring training to the regular season is beginning to take place.
With that in mind, there have been numerous predictions, division breakdowns, rankings, and lists about who will win, lose, win awards, and so on.
Anyone can pick division winners and losers, but it's time to dig into each division beyond just the order in which teams will finish.
The American League west may have been the least competitive division in baseball last season. The Angels had the best record in the game at 100-62, and easily ran away with the division. In fact, no other team in the AL west was even .500, as the second place Rangers finished 79-83, 21 games out of first place. The division also included the Mariners, who lost 100 games and posted the American League's worst record.
The Angels did loose a lot of talent, as they watched Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez receive big pay days in New York. It has given the other teams in the division hope, but those teams still have a lot of ground to make up.
The All AL West Team
» 1B Chris Davis, TEX
» 2B Ian Kinsler, TEX
» 3B Adrian Beltre, SEA
» SS Orlando Cabrera, OAK
» LF Matt Holiday, OAK
» CF Josh Hamilton, TEX
» RF Ichiro, SEA
» DH Vladimir Guerrero
» C Kurt Suzuki, OAK
» RHP Felix Hernandez, SEA
» LHP Erik Bedard, SEA
» CL Brian Fuentes, LA
Best Starting Rotation: Seattle Mariners
This would go to the Angels, but an injured Ervin Santana really hurts that rotation. The Mariners were picked to be a very good team last season, and mostly due to their pitching. Felix Hernandez is the best pitcher in the division, and prior to a poor 2008, Erik Bedard was considered an ace as well. Carlos Silva and Jarrod Washburn are both quality starters who also badly underachieved last season. Brandon Marrow will round out the rotation. Marrow posted a 3.45 ERA in 45 games last season as a reliever and spot starter.
Honorable Mention: LA Angels
Best Lineup: Texas Rangers
The Rangers may not be a good team, but they absolutely are a great offense. Their leadoff, second, and third hitters (Kinsler, Young, and Hamilton) were all all-stars in 2008. Hank Blalock, who is still a quality hitter when on the field, will move to DH in an effort to keep him healthy. The remainder of the Rangers' lineup is chock full of talented young hitter on the rise in Nelson Cruz, Chris Davis, Taylor Teagarden, David Murphy, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The question for the Rangers is not if they'll score runs, but will they be able to score enough to make up for their lack of pitching. Honorable Mention: LA Angels
Best Bullpen: LA Angels
Not many teams could loose Francisco Rodriguez and not miss a beat, but it seems the Angels may be able to do it. LA replaced K-Rod's antics and flamboyance with the solid and steady Brian Fuentes. Scott Sheilds continues to be one of the best set-up guys in the business. He'll share those duties with Jose Arrendondo, who was 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA, and only 42 hits allowed in 61 innings pitched as a rookie in 2008. Darren Oliver will continue to be the Lefty specialist after rescuing his career last season. Honorable Mention: Oakland A's
Best Hitter: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Hamilton was the feel good story of 2008. He battled demons of drug addiction to return to the game of baseball. That would have been enough, but Hamilton topped that by coming back as arguably the best hitter in the league. There are no holes in Hamilton's game as a hitter. He hits for average (.304 batting average in 2008). He hits for power (32 home runs in 2008). He scores and drives in runs (98 runs scored and 130 RBI in 2008). He has overtaken Vladimir Guerrero as the most complete hitter in the division. Honorable Mention: Matt Holliday, A's
Best All-Around Player: Ichiro, Seattle Mariners
Anyone who knows baseball knows Ichiro is a hitting machine. Eight straight seasons of 200 hits and a .300-plus batting average will earn a guy that reputation. But Ichiro is much more than a potent bat. He is still as speedy as they come, stealing at least 30 bases and scoring 100 runs in every season he's played in the states. He is arguably the best defensive outfielder in baseball. He has the range and speed to play center, and the arm to play right. He's a great all around player, and definitely the best in the AL West. Honorable Mention: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
Best Starting Pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Hernandez is only 23 years old and has electric stuff, but he has suffered from bout of inconsistency from time to time (finishing top 10 in walks and wild pitches last season). It can't help Hernandez's development that he has only pitched on one winning team and has three different pitching coaches the last three seasons. Despite only winning nine games in 2008, Hernandez still finished in the top 10 in ERA, strikeouts, complete games and shutouts. King Felix still has plenty of time to develop and improve on his consistency, and should be a dominant force for years to come. Honorable Mention: John Lackey, Angels
Best Closer: Brian Fuentes, LA Angels
It's not easy to step into the shoes of a guy who has been an consistent closer for the past five season, helped his team win the World Series, and broke the single-season saves record. But that will be Fuentes' job in 2009 for the Angels.
Fuentes has saved 30 games in three of the last four seasons and has been an all-star three times. He also was a part of a Rockies team that shocked the world by making it to the 2007 World Series. He's not a sexy name, but Fuentes is as steady as they come. Honorable Mention: Frank Francisco, Rangers
Best Rookie: Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers
Teagarden was phenomenal at the plate in his limited playing time last September. He crushed major league pitching, posting an OPS of 1.205, but hit only .211 with nine home runs between class AA and AAA. Still Teagarden is an above average defender behind the plate, and if Jarrod Saltalamacchia continues to disappoint, Teagarden could be the Rangers' starting backstop in no time. Honorable Mention: Trevor Cahill, A's
Most Underrated Player: Justin Duchscherer, Oakland A's
The Oakland starting pitching has been like the Star Wars films of late. They have had to different "trilogies" of pitchers, the first set slightly better than the first, but both really good.
Last season, after Oakland traded the last of the "Big 3 part two", Duchscherer stepped in as the new ace. The seven year veteran, and two time All-Star was already a very good relief pitcher before making the transition to starter.
While Joba Chamberlain was doing the same thing amid much greater fanfare, Duchscherer was having the better season, going 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts before hip surgery ended his season.
Since Duchscherer is the only veteran in the A's rotation this year, he will be looked upon to lead Oakland in their playoff push, and people still may not know his name...or be able to pronounce it. Honorable Mention: Mike Napoli, Angels
Most Overrated Player: Gary Matthews, Jr., LA Angels
Gary Matthews, Jr. is a solid bench player and very good defensive player, who turned one pretty good season (2006 with Texas, .313-19-79) in to a huge contract with the LA Angels. Matthews was not as good prior to 2006, and he hasn't been as good since. In fact, Matthews, who mad almost $ 10 million in 2008, will probably be the Angels' fourth outfielder.
And The Winner Is...LA Angels
The Angels will come back to the pack in 2009, and all three other teams in the division will be better than they were last season. Still, the A's are taking a lot of chances on older veterans like Nomar Garciaparra, the Mariners will struggle to score runs (their clean-up hitter is Russell Branyan), and the Rangers pitching is still terrible. LA won't win the division by 21 games again, but they are still the most well balanced team.
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MLB Preview: 4 Teams to Keep an Eye On
By James LeBeau
March 31, 2009
New York Yankees: 2008 was a year of change for the Yankees as out was longtime phenom manager Joe Torre and in was former Yank Joe Jirardi. His first season was a tough one as injuries plagued his team to an 89-73 record; a record that caused the Yanks to miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. That feeling of change that began last season continues into this year as NYY opens up a new stadium with a bevy of new, high-priced talent.
Key Losses: Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu
Key Additions: CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Texiera
Why Should You Watch? There’s an old saying that money can’t buy championships, yet the Yanks try to do that year in and out by throwing incomparable offers to almost every big name that becomes available. It will be interesting to see if the big bucks given this off-season will equate to winning.
Tampa Bay (Still Devil-Less) Rays: They did the unimaginable in 2008 and bucked a decade of futility to get to the World Series last season with a roster that was one of the youngest in baseball. What makes that even more impressive is that they leapfrogged the Boston Red Sox and Yankees to do it. Who says you need high priced players to win? Not the Rays.
Key Losses: None
Key Additions: Pat Burrell
Why Should You Watch? The experts say that this team overachieved last season and that a big drop-off is to be expected despite the addition of Burrell. It will be interesting to see if that will be the case and if they can keep up with the high (priced) powered Yanks again.
New York Mets: The OTHER New York team suffered a late meltdown that caused the Mets to miss out on the playoffs. This collapse was mainly due to an inconsistent bullpen and a lack of production from key players. To add insult to injury, division rival Philadelphia won the World Series. This year there are no excuses as the team went out and addressed their main need, the bullpen, so there is no option for the Mets but to be playing in October.
Key Losses: Pedro Martinez, Damon Easley, Billy Wagner
Key Additions: JJ Putz, Francisco Rodriguez
Why Should You Watch? Like I said, losing isn’t an option this year as the money was flowing this off-season and expectations are high. Plus, in a market as big as New York, can you imagine the media flogging the team would receive if they miss the playoffs 2 years straight?
Pittsburgh Pirates: When you experience 16 straight losing seasons, something has gotta give…right? The train wreck that is baseball in Pittsburgh is banking on developing young players as opposed to paying for aging talent and the prospects are there, though they still may be a few years from panning out. The Bucco’s will need the pitching staff to hold up there end of the bargain if they hope to be competitive (a “duh” statement but highly accurate in this situation).
Why Should You Watch? Notice I didn’t mention Key losses or additions, that’s because there never usually is any in Pittsburgh. You will keep an eye on this team because you can’t help yourself; we are a country that gawks at train wrecks and you don’t get a much bigger one than the Pirates. A 17th losing season (a new MLB record folks!) is a very strong possibility,
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