May 10, Minor League updates
 

Its an off day for the Reds, so we need this.

Norfolk at Louisville 6:35
Pensacola at Mississippi at 8:00
Bakersfield at Inland empire at 10:05
Dayton at Lake County at 6:30

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Reineke gives up a hit and a walk in the top of the 1st, but keeps norfolk off the board. The Bats get a hit from Costanzo, but Phipps GIDP ends the inning. 0-0 after 1.

The Reds should consider adding Costanzo. Lefty bat who can play 3B and hit a little. I know he's older, but they really need LH help - especially at 3B IMO.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Neither team scoredin the second. Neftali Soto had a single.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Lake County jumped out to a one-run lead on a triple to start their half of the first and a sac fly. Dayton answers with a run in the top of the second. Silva walks, Waldrop singles and a ground ball plates the run. And just that quickly Lake County retakes the lead on a solo home run in the bottom of inning number two. 2-1 Lake County.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Norfolk has plated a pair and is still batting in the top of the third. Chad Reineke has given up 6 hits in 2 and a third.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Reineke gave up a 2 run homer to Xavier Avery in the top of the 3rd.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Bats go down in the 3rd. Single for Navarro.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

mth, I do not usually consider you one to fall for a small sample size. While Costanzo has an acceptable .835 OPS in AAA this year, let's not forget that in double this sample size Costanzo turned in a AAA OPS of .630 last year. Costanzo is taking away valuable AAA PAs from the real prospect, HRod, IMO. No way do I want to see Costanzo up in Cincinnati, even if it is for the Red who deserves to be cut the most, Wilson Valdez.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Yeah, but he had an 800+ OPS in AA last year. Now he's hitting and the Reds really have no other internal options. They shouldn't have dealt Juan Francisco IMO. Hoover's been good, but talk about small sample size. If they were going to deal a 3B to help Atlanta while Chipper was hurting with Hoover as a target, I'd have dealt Frazier who seems to be a lot like a bunch of other flawed RH offensive players. At least Francisco offered a little diversity to the roster. Its much needed IMO.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Francisco offers diversity, but he doesn't really offer an upgrade.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

I really think Scott Rolen will end up with around a .700 OPS or even better this year. Let's not forget that Rolen has just a .203 BABIP at this time. His LD rate is slightly down, but still 18.3%. Considering Rolen's defensive aptitude and the fact that his bat will be acceptable this year, the Reds' aren't in dire straits at third base.

Cairo has proved to be a useful fill-in over the last few years and Frazier is really showing something in a very limited sample this year.

I believe the 3B problem is overblown on Redszone. Certainly Mike Costanzo is not an upgrade over any of the Reds current three third basemen on the 25-man roster.

If a premier 3B (David Wright) becomes available at the trade deadline, sure the Reds should see if they can get something done, but I don't think it is a black hole to the degree of us having to pimp our AAA third baseman who OPSed .630 in AAA last year.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

.765 OPS so far. Better than all but 3 or 4 guys on the roster. From everything I've seen, he's a better defender at 3B than Frazier as well. The Reds have other guys who do what Frazier does. They are really short on guys who can hit against RHP. He had an .820 OPS vs RHP last year (limited sample) .753 in 2010 and 1.190 in 21 PAs in 2009. For his career,he's at .829 OPS against RHP in 193 PAs. Seeing how the Reds face a RHP about 135 times per year, have a corpse playing 3B who needs lots of time off and really only hits against lefties anymore and have a roster filled with flawed middling RH power guys who don't hit against RHP, I think that qualifies as an upgrade.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Frazier > Francisco IMO.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Francisco has a better arm than Frazier, but I would take Fraziers glove at 3B.

Francisco does nothing for me at the plate that Frazier doesn't. Frazier does do things at the plate that Francisco doesn't though.

Re: May 10, Minor League updates
 

Frazier hits against LHP and plays lots of spots where the Reds already have guys who hit against LHP. Francisco hits against RHP and plays a position that has 4 other guys on the roster that can't do that (Frazier and his .713 OPs vs. RHP included). Having Francisco to add to the line-up against RHP would do more to upgrade the team than those other guys. Frazier can go in and hit against LHP, but he'd be replacing a guy who already hits against LHP.

This brings me back to my original point. The Reds need a guy who has a chance to hit against RHP who can play a position where the Reds don't have that. Right now Costanzo might be the best chance they have to do that.