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Jocketty on September Call ups

Could Yonder be the lone player coming up?

Quote:

CINCINNATI -- Tuesday means September callups can start arriving, but don't expect an army of fresh promotions from Louisville. No one will soon be rolling up Interstate 71 from Louisville to the tune of "The Ride of the Valkyries," by Richard Wagner.

Major League rosters are allowed to expand to up to 40 players. September callup time is often a chance for clubs to evaluate a prospect for potential use the next season. It's also a way to reward someone for a good season.
"We haven't really finalized it yet, but there won't really be that many," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We have most of them here. It's more a question of playing time. If you don't have playing time, there's no reason to bring them up."

The Reds already have 13 players on their active roster who spent time at Triple-A Louisville this season.

There is also the matter of the schedule. Louisville's season ends on Sept. 7. As West Division champions of the International League, the Bats will begin postseason play on Sept. 9.

Jocketty doesn't plan on tinkering with the Louisville roster until it is done playing playoff games.

"I think it's important," he said. "In most cases, you prefer to see them finish their season and go through the playoffs. The exposure to postseason play is very good."

The Reds have only five healthy players on the 40-man roster who aren't in the Majors. They are Double-A Carolina first baseman and 2008 first-round Draft pick Yonder Alonso and, from Louisville, pitchers Sam LeCure and Ramon Ramirez, third baseman Juan Francisco and first baseman Kevin Barker.

It will also be interesting to see if the Reds promote prospects not on the 40-man roster. Outfielder Chris Heisey, infielder Todd Frazier and left-handed starter Travis Wood already have been moved up one level from Double-A this season. Could they move up another? Louisville shortstop Chris Valaika, the organization's 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, had a tough start to the season offensively but has come on strong the past three weeks.

Jocketty said service time still counts for September callups but said he wasn't overly concerned about starting the clock on a player. It takes three seasons for a player to qualify for salary arbitration.

"It still adds up. It's not a big factor, but it is a factor," Jocketty said. "It depends on the player. Most cases, it's a guy you'll see next year, so starting the clock is not a big factor."

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