As the final trade deadline and offseason approach I have been thinking about what the Reds need to be a winning team.I would love to add Lackey, Harden, Holliday, O Hudson,etc,etc but that ain't gonna happen unless Warren Buffett buys the team. As ORG members know the team has limited resources (money for free agents and prospects for trade) so they can't fill every need as well as we fans would like. So what is YOUR ranking of the Reds' needs? Below is mine.

Note - this thread is about the 25 man roster for 2010 and beyond. Plesae don't list 'fire Dusty' or 'fire Walt'.

#1 - a shortstop. pretty simple, we have no one in the system who can man the position as a regular for 2010. Cozart is a nice prospect but I think we would do him a disservice by having him skip AAA.

Note: if Phillips were to move to SS we would need a player to play 2B in 2010 as the Reds don't seem to be fast tracking Frazier. My guess is he starts 2010 in AAA.

#2 - Another starting pitcher. Right now our rotation is Harang (ERA+ 103), Cueto (ERA+ 97), Arroyo (ERA+ 94), Owings (ERA+ 83) & Bailey (ERA+ 60). Yikes!!! Lets assume Cueto skips winter ball & Bailey improves for 2010. IMO the rotation still looks mighty shaky. Who else do we have? Wood is a nice prospect but I bet he starts 2010 in AAA. Maloney seems to be out of favor by the Reds brass. Maybe because of the flyballs. He could be trade bait this winter.

So pretty much any SP with an ERA+ of 100 or better would help the team.

IMO Volquez should NOT be counted on in 2010. Anything he gives us is a plus. His estimated return time is somewhere between 5/1/2010 & 8/1/2010. Pitchers one year from TJ surgery are not nearly as strong as they are 2 years after TJ surgery. Plus he didn't just have TJ surgery, he had some mass removed from the forearm muscles. Doesn't sound good.

#3 - Left fielder/stud hitter. for me this ranks below another SP. if the choice was Holliday and the rotation we have vs Lackey with Gomes in LF I'll' take Lackey. if the choice was a league average LF and the rotation we have vs an ERA+ 100 SP with Gomes in LF I'll' still take the pitcher.
Don't get me wrong. If Bob C opens up the wallet big time I'll take a SS, a TOR starter & a stud hitter for LF. I just feel we don't have those resources and we would be better off trying to fill the LF void cheaper.
IMO the Reds should keep Gomes (2010 cost $2-3M) and look for a LH bat for LF. Play Gomes in vs LHP (~40 games) and sit either the new LH bat or Bruce vs LHP. CF is manned by Dickerson and either Heisey or Stubbs.

#4 - 2nd catcher. Hanigan is a nice player but having him as the #1 catcher with either Tatum or some Paul Bako type backup won't cut it. I'd like the team to sign some veteran catcher who can handle the position defensively & OPS+ 90. .

#5 - adding another middle reliever. with the recent trades of 3 pitchers the pen is a bit thin. adding a decent vet for a 2 year/$4M deal (like Rhodes last year) seems like a solid addition to the team