the gloom and doom is kinda depressing. i have been looking at what we will have next year and it looks pretty good.
1B - Votto
2B - Phillips
SS - need #1. Janish seems like a utility infielder. Valiaka has question marks. Cozart is in AA.
3B - EE seems pencilled in here warts an all. Frazier should arrive sometime next year and I hope he pans out and is at 3B in 2011.
RF - Bruce. yeh he stunk this year but still has immense potential
CF - Dickerson, Stubbs and/or Heissey
LF - need #2. the Reds could use Heissey or Dickerson here. they may go get a bat here either for the long term or as a stopgap waiting for Alonso (Votto to LF?). Alonso hopefully will arrive sometime next year. depending on how Dickerson plays from here out and how Stubbs/Heissey play when they get the call we'll know better how to address LF this offseason.
C - Hanigan
Bench - Sutton, Rosales, Valaika, Dorn, Janish,etc. Lots of cheap bench players available to us. We could also sign a couple of guys to minor league deals like we did this year with Gomes, Nix, Ward, Jones,etc.
We need to find a backup catcher which shouldn't be too hard.
SP - Potentially very strong 1-2-3-4 with Cueto-Harang-Volquez-Bailey.
Owings seems a fine #5 while we wait for guys with bigger upsides like Stewart, Leake, & Wood. Arroyo is still around but the Reds would love to find a team desperate enough for pitching to take on his deal. $11M for a BOR starter can be better spend elsewhere.
RP - Cordero, Rhodes, Massett, Herrara, Fisher, Roenicke, Burton. Thats seven deep right there.
Overall 2010 looks pretty promising. Our pitching could be really strong if Volquez & Bailey pitch well. we have four guys with TOR potential. The pen looks strong and deep. We will have an infusion of talent with Stubbs & Heissey being ready opening day and Frazier/Alonso likely coming mid season.
The only glaring need for 2010 is a shortstop.
Why could 2010 be a lot better than 2009?
1. a healthy Volquez
2. a whole season of Bailey
3. a healthy EE
4. a new improved Jay Bruce
5. our losses are few: Weathers, Gomes, Nix, R Hernandez
6. get a shortstop and i really like our chances in 2010 (and beyond)