Alonso at 3rd?

[jesusfan]

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

An obvious question surrounds where Alonso will play once he reaches the Majors. The Reds already have a young rookie first baseman in Joey Votto.

"He played first most of the time at Miami, but Miami had a good third baseman," Buckley said. "We think he can play third base. He can definitely play first. He may be able to play third."

During his junior season at Miami, Alonso batted .370 with 24 home runs and 72 RBIs.

This was part of the Alonso signing article... I definitely like the idea, Edwin has soured in my eyes and I think he may have soured with the reds front office also... If only Alonso goes down and knocks the cover off the baseball and has a tremendous spring training maybe we have our 3rd basemen starting around July of next year.... He would definitely be a much needed boost of power on the team... Phillips, Bruce, Votto, and Alonso surrounded around whatever Free agent we make a play for could really turn this team around... However, he is young.. but because he is a seasoned college player I have hope that this will happen.. Ryan Braun played for the Brewers and tore it up when he was 23 and Alonso will be 22 in April.

[Rounding Third]

Everything that I have read, besides that, says he can play nowhere except 1B and a mediocre 1B at that. I think we see Votto in LF before we see Alonso at 3B.

[icehole3]

I agree Votto is more likely to move somewhere else, but Alonso hitting cleanup would be nice.

[lollipopcurve]

I don't see the 3rd base thing at all. I thought Votto looked passable in his few games in left last year, so maybe he will move. For 09 at least, I think you'll see both at 1B. Neither guy has proved indispensable yet, so I'd keep them at their best defensive position and let them focus on developing their best tool -- the bat.

[jesusfan]

I agree too about the Votto to left and Alonso at 1st move... If that happens do you see Edwin staying at 3rd or being moved, Frazier may or may not be ready and I'm not sold on Keppinger.. He will provide adequate defense at 3rd, but his stick has really went downhill, maybe it's just effects from the injury.... What do you guys think?

[Sea Ray]

I agree too about the Votto to left and Alonso at 1st move... If that happens do you see Edwin staying at 3rd or being moved, Frazier may or may not be ready and I'm not sold on Keppinger.. He will provide adequate defense at 3rd, but his stick has really went downhill, maybe it's just effects from the injury.... What do you guys think?

I still think Kepp is a fine hitter. He's starting to come around now. Before his injury he was arguably the Reds best offensive player. I think he'll regroup over the winter and go back to being an over .300 hitter with nary a strikeout.

[Superdude]

Votto-left...Alonso-first...EdE/Frazier-third

Unless Alonso's a whole lot more athletic than he leads on, wouldn't Votto be much more passable in left than Alonso would be at third?

[Blue]

Votto was terrible in LF last season. A noticeable defensive dropoff from Dunn.

[NorrisHopper30]

Everything that I have read, besides that, says he can play nowhere except 1B and a mediocre 1B at that. I think we see Votto in LF before we see Alonso at 3B.

He plays an above average 1b. Where are you guys hearing he plays a mediocre 1b?

[Steve4192]

"He played first most of the time at Miami, but Miami had a good third baseman,"

Ryan Braun played for the Brewers and tore it up when he was 23 and Alonso will be 22 in April.

Ryan Braun is an atrocious defensive third baseman, and Miami opted to move Alonso rather than move Braun. That tells me all I need to know about this 3B experiment with Alonso.

Yonder has good hands and solid defensive fundamentals but his range and arm strength, while solid for a 1B, are well below average for a 3B. The Reds should leave him at the position where he has a chance to excel rather than trying to shoehorn him into a position where there is a slight chance he might prove to be barely adequate.

[Grande Donkey]

Ryan Braun is an atrocious defensive third baseman, and Miami opted to move Alonso rather than move Braun. That tells me all I need to know about this 3B experiment with Alonso.

Yonder has good hands and solid defensive fundamentals but his range and arm strength, while solid for a 1B, are well below average for a 3B. The Reds should leave him at the position where he has a chance to excel rather than trying to shoehorn him into a position where there is a slight chance he might prove to be barely adequate.

Braun was gone when Alonso was at Miami.

[Steve4192]

Braun was gone when Alonso was at Miami.

I thought Braun was there his freshman year.

[redsof72]

I talked to a scout at length about Alonso about a week ago who had seen him play several times. He compared him some to Brett Wallace, the player the Cardinals drafted out of Arizona State. He told me Alonso was definitely below average defensively at first base and that there was no way he could play anywhere else, but he said Alonso would be the best hitting prospect in the organization the day he signed.

[Grande Donkey]

I thought Braun was there his freshman year.

Braun was drafted in 05. Alonso's freshman season was 06.

[Falls City Beer]

Trade Votto before the shine comes off.