BA's Rule V Draft Preview (Reds)

[Reds Nd2]

Kevin Howard was the first one named for what it's worth. I wonder how he projects in a National's uniform? The complete list can be found here.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/051202rulefive.html

Kevin Howard, 2b/3b, Reds

Howard has the biggest buzz coming into this year's draft after having a brilliant season in the Arizona Fall League. A fifth-round pick in 2002 out of Miami, Howard won the AFL batting title, hitting .409-3-16 in 88 at-bats. But perhaps his strongest asset was proving himself to be an adequate defender at third base. Howard played third in college, but played primarily second base since turning pro. He's a patient lefthanded hitter with a line-drive stroke, and has shown improved power. Some scouts in the AFL liked him better at third, and Howard could be solid at either spot making him the best overall position player available in the draft. Dan Uggla (Diamondbacks) is another utility player who dramatically upped his stock in the AFL, but Howard's lefthanded bat, which could be valuable off a big league bench, gives him the edge.

20 MORE WORTH A LOOK

Richie Gardner, rhp, Reds

Along with righthander Thomas Pauly, both are recovering from shoulder surgeries; Cincinnati thought the injuries were too much for teams to take a chance on

[Kc61]

I cannot understand giving Howard away: which is what the Reds are doing by not protecting him.

Is it so important to have roster spots for Sardhina, Standridge and Valentine?

Sometimes you really have to scratch your head. . . .

[Superdude]

I hate Dan O' Brien with a passion right now! Sardinha has proven time and time again that even in a best case scenario, he's only a back up guy. How are we that dumb?!

[KronoRed]

Let us :pray: that Howard is not picked

[Aronchis]

Howard doesn't play 2nd well and he will be 26 this season. Though I think he could be a late developing bench player.

I think he probably likes Bergolla better. I really can see DanO not liking Howard that much. Isn't his type. He is as good as gone, some other team will snatch him up.

[Gallen5862]

Are you allowed to trade unprotected players before the rule 5 draft? We might select some other teams players in the minor league portion of the draft.

[Superdude]

Howard is onyl 24 I think.

[paulrichjr]

I cannot understand giving Howard away: which is what the Reds are doing by not protecting him.

Is it so important to have roster spots for Sardhina, Standridge and Valentine?

Sometimes you really have to scratch your head. . . .


DanO has done some strange things but to me this might be the strangest. Why keep Standridge on the 40 or the other 2? Is there really a big line of teams looking for guys like them?


Note: I think this proves that Pauly and Gardner's injuries really are serious and they ain't coming back this year...

[KronoRed]

The 40 is packed full of guys I'd love to see gone.

[ochre]

Howard doesn't play 2nd well and he will be 26 this season. Though I think he could be a late developing bench player.

I think he probably likes Bergolla better. I really can see DanO not liking Howard that much. Isn't his type. He is as good as gone, some other team will snatch him up.

Kevin C. Howard

Position: 2B

Born: June 25, 1981
Not sure why you a so strongly set on defending O'Brien.

If there is buzz about a kid like Howard, they have trade value. Why is this so hard to see. Giving away stuff for free that has value in the market is asinine. I could honestly care less who O'brien likes better between the two. When he talks to other teams they ought to be the next coming of Joe Morgan.

[icehole3]

Howard is onyl 24 I think.


Howard was born 6/25/1981

[NC Reds]

DanO was too busy figuring out how to re-acquire Romano and Machado to protect Howard.

Our 40 man roster is packed with fodder. There is no excuse for not protecting Howard.

[Caveat Emperor]

For the second straight year, I'm going to advocate the Reds select 2B/3B Jake Gautreau from the Cleveland Indians organizations.

Not particularly because I think he's going to ever be anything special at this point (unfortuantely), but because I gotta rep for Tulane University baseball.

[flyer85]

Guys like Standridge and Sardihna have no value at all. Teams could take a Gardner or Pauly and stash them on IR for the year.

[Redsland]

The 40 is packed full of guys I'd love to see gone.
Testify!

:barf:

[WMR]

Why are people so upset about us losing Howard?

C'mon, with the glut of second basemen we've got beating down the door throughout the upper minors, how could we ever need Howard?

[KronoRed]

Howard seems to have a bat something Olemdo and Bergolla don't.

[KronoRed]

Howard was born 6/25/1981
Good lord he's younger then me :help:

[WMR]

(Definitely being sarcastic; IMO, leaving Howard unprotected to protect some of the other detritus currently littering the 40-man might just crack DanO's Ten-Worst moves since becoming GM... hmmm, maybe top 15)

[Superdude]

That would make a great thread! Dan O's Bottom 15.

[TOBTTReds]

I'm gonna shed small bit of light on why Kevin Howard hasn't been protected. In his last 3 years in the minors, playing 2nd base he has had 19, 25, and 24 errors. Those numbers are hardly accepted at SS. We need pitching, and good defense helps pitching. If we have a slight lack of offense at 2b when bergolla or olmedo play 2b, atleast they can defend. Playing 2nd base in the major league will be different than the minors too, and he will play more games. He just isn't made to be a good infielder.

Not saying I exactly agree with the move to not protect him, but this is a very large reason, I am sure. For all of you talking about how bad we need pitching, I'm surprised you haven't noted this stat. Good defense is VERY important to helping pitchers. Errors at 2nd base are almost unnacceptable.

[Aronchis]

I'm gonna shed small bit of light on why Kevin Howard hasn't been protected. In his last 3 years in the minors, playing 2nd base he has had 19, 25, and 24 errors. Those numbers are hardly accepted at SS. We need pitching, and good defense helps pitching. If we have a slight lack of offense at 2b when bergolla or olmedo play 2b, atleast they can defend. Playing 2nd base in the major league will be different than the minors too, and he will play more games. He just isn't made to be a good infielder.

Not saying I exactly agree with the move to not protect him, but this is a very large reason, I am sure. For all of you talking about how bad we need pitching, I'm surprised you haven't noted this stat. Good defense is VERY important to helping pitchers. Errors at 2nd base are almost unnacceptable.

Most definitely. Bergolla is loved because he fields 2nd base well, Howard struggles at the position. They tried to force Bill the job last Summer and he couldn't deliver. I expect he will be given another chance.

[ochre]

Minor league errors can be misleading. They do not have Major League groundskeepers for one thing. That is really all beside the point anyway. Chances are other teams aren't going to be all that eager to accept Howard as a key throw in to a trade if he appears to have no value to his own org.

Do you think Encarnacion is a weak fielder?

[TOBTTReds]

Do you think Encarnacion is a weak fielder?

Not sure if you were asking me, but no I don't. He struggles throwing the ball, but he has great hands. But 3rd base is 100% different than 2nd base.

[ochre]

Not sure if you were asking me, but no I don't. He struggles throwing the ball, but he has great hands. But 3rd base is 100% different than 2nd base.
indubitably.

Can we agree that Major League fields are better kept than Minor League fields as well?


:)

[Redsland]

And that minor league teammates are more likely to throw off-line balls your way, or to muff balls that you fire to them?

[Cooper]

i thought the rule 5 draft was today but it looks like i'm wrong.....when is it?

[Red Leader]

i thought the rule 5 draft was today but it looks like i'm wrong.....when is it?


12/8/05. Thursday.

[Nugget]

But didn't Bergolla play in the minor leagues last year. I'm sure they didn't spruce up the ground just for him.

[ochre]

But didn't Bergolla play in the minor leagues last year. I'm sure they didn't spruce up the ground just for him.
yep. 13 errors in 98 AAA games. As a contrast, Encarnacion was good for 19 errors in 78 AAA games. Howard had 24 in 129 games in AA.

My main point was that errors, particularly minor league errors, are not a good measure of defensive ability. It might well be that Howard is quite deficient defensively. If the Reds treat him like a player with no value that's what he'll have.

[flyer85]

I vote for the Reds drafting Casey Daigle and keeping him on the roster all year long. It might cause some guys to attend more Reds games.:devil:

[big boy]

These are the Reds players in rotoworld's analysis:

Chris Dickerson - OF Reds - Age 23 - 5 percent
My No. 10 Reds prospect a year ago. Dickerson is a great athlete, but he's still raw for someone who turns 24 in April. Hit .236/.325/.383 with 19 SB for Single-A Sarasota.

Richie Gardner - RHP Reds - Age 24 - 10 percent
The Reds' minor league player of the year in 2004, Gardner started off with a 5.73 ERA in 13 starts in Double-A last season and then underwent surgery for a torn labrum in August. He hopes to be ready for spring training.

Carlos Guevara - RHP Reds - Age 24 - 15 percent
Screwball specialist had a 2.45 ERA and a 65/14 K/BB in 51 1/3 IP at Single-A Sarasota. Probably won't hold up so well at higher levels, but it'd be nice to see what he can do. The Reds have refused to challenge him.

Kevin Howard - 2B/3B Reds - Age 25 - 80 percent
Probably the best bet to go in the draft, Howard hit .296/.346/.428 for Double-A Chattanooga and then led the Arizona Fall League in hitting. He's a below average second baseman, so he might end up at third base for the long-term. The Marlins are one of the teams that could look at him as a cheap solution.

Javon Moran - OF Reds - Age 23 - 10 percent
.329/.378/.395 in 210 AB for Single-A Sarasota after recovering from a hamstring injury. Moved up to Double-A and hit .301/.341/.386 in 83 AB. Moran, acquired from the Phillies in the Cory Lidle deal in 2004, can play center and has stolen as many as 52 bases in a season. Still, he's not ready to contribute.

Thomas Pauly - RHP Reds - Age 24 - 10 percent
Pauly, who went 8-7 with a 2.97 ERA for Single-A Potomac in 2004, underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and didn't pitch last season. He probably won't be 100 percent next year.

David Shafer - RHP Reds - Age 24 - 10 percent
90-92 mph fastball and quality slider. Shafer had a 3.04 ERA and a 59/26 K/BB ratio in 53 1/3 IP between Single-A Sarasota and Double-A Chattanooga last season.

Preview of Thursday's Rule 5 draft (http://fantasybaseball.rotoworld.com/content/features/column.asp?sport=MLB&column=14)

[Red Leader]

I like the Dodgers Mike Megrew and the Blue Jays Davis Romero, both LHP's. Megrew is 22 and Romero is 23, but, the Reds have no picks, so it doesn't matter.

[flyer85]

I wouldn't mind a chance on Brownlie of the Cubs.

[Gallen5862]

We have picks in the AAA and AA portions of the rule 5 draft. We still have a chance to take some good players.

[Gallen5862]

The Reds now have the 8th pick in the rule 5 draft. The Reds resigned Jacob Cruz to a minor league deal and dropped Randy Keisler from the 40 man roster. So now who do you hope is available at our 8th pick to add to the 40 man roster?

[Patrick Bateman]

I'd go with Brownlie.

[KronoRed]

I'd add Howard to the 40 and forget the draft.

[Gallen5862]

It's to late to add Howard unfortunately.

[ochre]

I think Dan O might be eyeing Milton Loo with the 8th pick. Dan O's a visionary trailblazer and all.

[KronoRed]

Loo


*giggle*

[LoganBuck]

How about JD Martin? He had TJ Surgery but look at that K/BB ratio, and 10.01 K/9 wasn't bad either. TJ Surgery isn't as bad as it once was. He could contribute by mid season or at least ready to go on rehab.

[lollipopcurve]

DanO absolutely cannot resist the temptation to add a RH reliever. About 31 of the 40 roster spots are these guys, and I'll bet he makes it 32 today.

The bullpen???
RH -- Weathers, Belisle, Coffey, 2 of Hancock/Standridge/Simpson/Rule 5er
LH -- Mercker, Shack

I suppose the pick could be a lefty. But I'd be stunned if it's not a bullpenner of some sort.

[Red Leader]

I still hold out hope for Mike Megrew and Davis Romero, then.

There is something to hope for, YES!

Too bad it will be shot down by 2pm today and I'll go back to the gloom and doom.