Quote:
Originally Posted by camisadelgolf
I went with Cozart again. The only question is if he'll hit enough to be a starting shortstop. A starting shortstop with a .750 OPS and superb defense is worth more than a middle reliever or setup man with a 3.50 ERA, in my opinion.
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The Reds prospect list is very difficult to rate and I said early on that after the top 3, you could make a credible case for any order for the next 15 or 20 guys. Forgetting the guys below Dayton who there just isn't enough information on yet, the prospect list gets pretty muddled. Kyle Lotzkar has to answer a question about his arm and with Homer Bailey ineligible, no other starter candidate looks to be much more than a #5/swingman type. The bullpen guys look like a bunch of middle relievers with only Stewart and Roenicke with the power arms for a set-up role. Fisher, Manuel etc look like they could be valuable multi-inning guys but that may not be a rare enough commodity to rate them this high. The position player ranks have a lot of useful guys but many don't seem to project as 600 PA Mainstays. Alonso probably is at 1B and Soto probably is at 3B. Beyond those two there are a lot of questions. Can Todd Frazier find a position or will the Reds be forced to deal him to the AL where he can DH? Will Valaika be able to play defensively where his bat would look good? Can Dickerson, Heisey or Stubbs become a day in day out CF or are they all 4th OF/platoon guys who get exposed with too much playing time? Will Juan Francisco make enough contact to play at upper levels? Can Sean Henry or Shaun Cumberland be more than reserves? Will Devin Mesoraco improve enough defensively to stick at catcher? Will Danny Dorn ever be more than a platoon player?
If you think about it, beyond Alonso and Soto, Zach Cozart may have the best shot of being an everyday player of anybody in the system. His glove is solid at SS without question and his bat may just be able to get by at a spot with such a low bar offensively. His 2008 power surge is pretty encouraging. I think he could be a young cheap version of Alex Gonzalez with strong defense, some pop and a weak OBP. Its not ideal, but that can play at SS and be valuable while healthy and cheap. I have him at number 9 on my personal list and he's my pick here just ahead of Roenicke.