Positives about the 2009 Reds

[Kc61]

Somebody posted a thread like this on the Sun Deck. I do see positives.

Guys who did really poorly last year have been replaced. The main fifth starters had a 7 plus ERA. The centerfielder had a .238 OBP. The main catcher hit .217 with an OBP of .299. The replacements aren't necessarily all world beaters but should do better.

Cueto and Volquez have experience under their belts and the Reds now have four very good arms in the rotation with some good candidates for the fifth slot.

The team will have better all around speed with Taveras and Dickerson. Obviously, there is less power than last year but the speed will help defensively and maybe help to compensate a little on offense.

The bench should be better. Assuming Dickerson starts, the team will have Gomes, Kepp, Hairston, Hanigan, and one other guy on the bench. Probably a lefty hitter. Last year's bench wasn't as good.

More of the core will be young players. Votto, Bruce, Volquez, Cueto, Burton, Bray, Dickerson, Hanigan, all should get considerable playing time. EE, Owings, Massett, Ramirez (if he's on the roster) and Taveras are still young too. And, over the season, others will be getting ready at AAA -- Valaika, Bailey, Roenicke to name three.

Team should no longer lose as much against lefty pitching. Hernandez, Gomes, new righty bats with some power.

So there are some good things to watch for. Maybe you can think of others.

[IowaRed]

hopefully we are 1 year closer to seeing the departure of Dusty Baker as manager, rather than 1 year closer to him being extended/resigned

[flyer85]

addition by subtraction

[dfs]

They are going to save a ton of money on fireworks that they can then turn around and invest in player development?

yeah, I don't really have anything either.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

A high 2010 draft pick?

[Chip R]

RedsZone won't have to worry about crashing at the trading deadline.

[SMcGavin]

I'm looking forward to watching Bruce and Cueto get better. Danny Ray Herrera will be a fun guy to watch if he makes the squad. But really, if Bruce gets hurt or something, this team is going to be really hard to watch.

Team should no longer lose as much against lefty pitching.

Not trying to pick on you, I know the media says it all the time, but it's competely wrong.

Reds 2008 vs LHP: 30-25
Reds 2008 vs RHP: 44-63

[membengal]

I'll be rooting for EE and Votto to make leaps to .900 OPS kind of anchors. Bruce to .850 would be nice.

[Kc61]

I'm looking forward to watching Bruce and Cueto get better. Danny Ray Herrera will be a fun guy to watch if he makes the squad. But really, if Bruce gets hurt or something, this team is going to be really hard to watch.




Not trying to pick on you, I know the media says it all the time, but it's competely wrong.

Reds 2008 vs LHP: 30-25
Reds 2008 vs RHP: 44-63

IMO the team may hit lefty pitching better with this new group. Gomes and Hernandez do add two potentially good bats against lefties. I was aware that the w-l record vs. lefties turned out pretty well last year overall.

[Falls City Beer]

We'll get to see if Walt Jocketty can win with a Montreal Expos budget. I know the overwhelming opinion is that he's lost it, never had it to begin with, buoyed exclusively by the Cards' $90 million budgets, etc. That will be interesting to me to see if he can re-invent himself.

[deltachi8]

They aren't the Pirates?

[cumberlandreds]

They may have just saved me from switching from DISH to DirecTv so I could buy MLBEI. At the moment I don't feel like going through the trouble of switching so I can watch 100 loss team play all summer.

[cumberlandreds]

They aren't the Pirates?

But are they the Royals?

[Hoosier Red]

I'll be rooting for EE and Votto to make leaps to .900 OPS kind of anchors. Bruce to .850 would be nice.

If those three things happen, the Reds will score enough runs to win 85+ games.

I was looking at the OPS we could reasonably expect from the lineup;
Taveras .700(PLEASE)
LF Platoon .850(Gomes is a career .870 vs. Lefties, and Dickerson crushed Righties)
Bruce .850
Encarnacion .900
Votto .900
Phillips .820
Hairston .820(A big drop off from where he was, but still recognizing he's been solid enough when healthy.)
Hernandez .730

Call me crazy, but I don't see the black holes you guys do. There are two, but they'll likely be less of a black hole than last year. And the guys who are getting better could likely get a lot better.

[wolfboy]

Relatively cheap entertainment in a bad economy.