Looking Forward to the 2012 Reds Minor Leagues

[corkedbat]

A lot of guys you mentioned for Louisville will be free agents so I don't know how exactly it'll turn out. I'll do my prediction soon.

Yeah, at the very least, just about the entire L'Ville bench probably be. Like I noted in my previous post, if they aren't retained, they will probably be replaced for the most part by minor league free agents from other organizations,

I think this is close to how they will start out, but I think there will be a lot of promotions (especially in the IF spots) fairly early in the year.

[batsfan]

My first Bats prediction:

Rotation:
One of Wood/Leake/Volquez
Daryl Thompson
Scott Carroll
Clayton Tanner
One of Klinker/Villareal/Free Agent

Bullpen:
Jordan Smith
Nick Christiani
Jeremy Horst
Travis Webb
Carlos Fisher or Jared Burton
Brad Boxberger
FA

Lineup:
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Neftali Soto
2B: Chris Valaika or Henry Rodriguez
3B: Juan Francisco or Todd Frazier
SS: Kristopher Negron
LF: Danny Dorn
CF: Dave Sappelt
RF: Denis Phipps
DH: Bill Rhinehart

Bench:
Corky Miller or FA
Quintin Berry or Felix Perez
Miguel Rojas or Cody Puckett

This team will be amazing offensively, and should have a good bullpen, but the rotation needs a FA or two for this to be a contending team. I like what I saw from Tanner on Sunday though.

[Scrap Irony]

Louisville definitely needs arms-- both starting and especially bullpen-- to compete.

The Bats have to lean on Thompson and Carroll as the erstwhile aces of the staff next season. (I am assuming a deal of some sort or a major league bullpen job will keep Volquezx, Wood, or Leake at the big league level.) Beyond those two, Tanner deserves a shot to see what he is. Were I Cincinnati, I'd search for another Dontrelle Willis type, who once was good and needs another chance. I'm guessing a guy like that becomes a TOR pitcher, meaning you could cobble the fifth starter from flotsam floating around the AAA level or AA hopefuls.

I like Boxberger in the closer role, gaining experience. After that, Fisher is solid (at AAA at least) and Smith should be. Christiani, Horst, and Webb deserve looks, as they did well enough to earn them. Beyond that, there's absolutely nothing. It's a barren wasteland of relief pitching.

The offense will be solid to outstanding. However, I think both Puckett and Rodriguez will be in AAA (assuming Rodriguez's ankle heals well enough to play at full strength before then.) Puckett will slide to LF, with Dorn as the utility guy between OF, DH, and 1B.

The probable lineup, IMO:
Berry CF
Rodriguez 2B
Phipps RF
Soto 1B
Grandal C
Campbell 3B
Dorn DH
Puckett LF
Janish/ Negron SS

Valaika also plays a super utility role but around the infield, with 400+ ABs over the course of the year, assuming health and no movement onto Cincinnati. Campbell needs the challenge, as he's getting older. He's also a free agent, but I'm guessing the year he's had has left a good taste in his mouth about the Cincinnati system, so he stays. (With Francisco and Frazier staying in Cincinnati or being dealt to another team, they'll need him.) Berry takes Sappelt's spot, as Sappelt has nothing left to prove at the AAA level and will be kept as a fourth OF, starting in LF or CF, or dealt as part of a package for a bone fide TOR starter. Berry also needs reps at the highest minor league level, as he's getting older and played well in AA, relatively speaking.

[cinreds21]

DT is out of options, by the way.

[dougdirt]

DT is out of options, by the way.

I am not sure the Reds should do this, but I think someone should.... this guy can pitch in the Majors. Someone should have him on their team. There is room on plenty of rosters for an arm like his. Whether its out of the pen or not.

[camisadelgolf]

Just a guess . . .

Cincinnati		Louisville		Pensacola		Bakersfield		Dayton
STARTING LINEUP		STARTING LINEUP		STARTING LINEUP		STARTING LINEUP		STARTING LINEUP
2B Brandon Phillips	CF Quintin Berry/fa	CF Ryan LaMarre		SS Billy Hamilton	CF Theo Bowe
LF Chris Heisey		2B Chris Valaika	2B Henry Rodriguez	2B Ronald Torreyes	2B Ryan Wright
1B Joey Votto		LF Danny Dorn		RF Bill Rhinehart	CF Yorman Rodriguez	3B Sean Buckley
3B Scott Rolen		1B Neftali Soto		1B Chris Richburg	3B David Vidal		1B Robert Maddox
RF Jay Bruce		3B Todd Frazier		DH Stephen Hunt		1B Dominic D'Anna	RF Josh Garton
CF Drew Stubbs		 C Yasmani Grandal	 C Mark Fleury		LF Juan Duran		LF Juan Silva
 C Devin Mesoraco	DH Cody Puckett		SS Didi Gregorius	DH Donald Lutz		DH Jaren Matthews
SS Zack Cozart		RF Felix Perez		3B Brodie Greene	RF Dayne Read		SS Juan Perez
			SS Kris Negron		LF Josh Fellhauer	 C Tucker Barnhart	 C Wagner Gomez

BENCH			BENCH			BENCH			BENCH			BENCH
 C Ryan Hanigan		 C Corky Miller/fa	 C Kevin Coddington	 C Chris Berset		 C Danny Vicioso
IF Paul Janish		IF Miguel Rojas/fa	IF Alex Buchholz	OF Drew Poulk		OF Kurt Muller
OF Dave Sappelt		OF Denis Phipps/fa	OF Andrew Means		UT Devin Lohman		UT Jefry Sierra
UT Yonder Alonso				
UT Miguel Cairo		

ROTATION		ROTATION		ROTATION		ROTATION		ROTATION
SP Johnny Cueto		SP Scott Carroll	SP J.C. Sulbaran	SP Josh Smith		SP Robert Stephenson
SP Mike Leake		SP Clayton Tanner	SP Pedro Villarreal	SP Dan Corcino		SP Jake Johnson
SP Bronson Arroyo	SP Matt Klinker		SP Josh Ravin		SP Dan Renken		SP Tanner Robles
SP Homer Bailey		SP Chad Reineke/fa	SP Matt Fairel		SP Kyle Lotzkar		SP Dan Tuttle
SP Edinson Volquez	SP Tom Cochran/fa	SP Tim Crabbe		SP Stalin Gerson	SP Tony Cingrani
			SP free agent		SP Mark Serrano		SP Luca Panerati	SP Mitch Clarke

BULLPEN			BULLPEN			BULLPEN			BULLPEN			BULLPEN
CL Aroldis Chapman	CL Brad Boxberger	CL free agent		CL Drew Hayes		CL James Allen
SU Nick Masset		SU Jordan Smith		SU Clay Shunick		SU Dan Wolford		SU Brooks Pinckard
SU Logan Ondrusek	SU Nick Christiani	SU Justin Freeman	SU Chad Rogers		SU Cole Green
MR Jose Arredondo	MR Jerry Gil/fa		MR Jordan Hotchkiss	MR Brian Pearl		MR Justice French
LH Travis Wood		LH Jeremy Horst		LH Mace Thurman		LH Chris Manno		LH Chris Joyce
LH Bill Bray		LH Donnie Joseph	LH free agent		LH Blaine Howell	LH Matt Leonard
MU Sam LeCure		MU Travis Webb		MU Curt Partch		MU Pat Doyle		MU Jamie Walczak

[mace]

I couldn't begin to quibble with an effort as comprehensive as that.

Quick question, though: So you're figuring on Francisco being out of the organization?

[corkedbat]

I couldn't begin to quibble with an effort as comprehensive as that.

Quick question, though: So you're figuring on Francisco being out of the organization?

Can't speak for camisdelgolf, but in my projections, I assumed that Alonso, Francisco, Frazier, Sapplet, Mesaraco, Valaika and Negron are either with the big club, included in deals or (in the case of the last two) released or gone as MiL FAs.

[cinreds21]

Cam's is pretty close. However, Hynick and McCulloch are not free agents so I would assume one, if not both, will factor in somewhere.

[camisadelgolf]

I couldn't begin to quibble with an effort as comprehensive as that.

Quick question, though: So you're figuring on Francisco being out of the organization?

Yeah, I figured Francisco to be gone. He's out of options next year, but maybe we could see him make the team over Yonder Alonso, making Alonso the everyday third baseman or left fielder in Louisville.

[cinreds21]

Yeah, I figured Francisco to be gone. He's out of options next year, but maybe we could see him make the team over Yonder Alonso, making Alonso the everyday third baseman or left fielder in Louisville.

Damn, I didn't even realize/think about that. That really does change things. I really think Tampa or Minnesota or SOME AL team would covet him.

[RedsManRick]

Billy Hamilton in the Cal league is going to be fun.

[camisadelgolf]

Damn, I didn't even realize/think about that. That really does change things. I really think Tampa or Minnesota or SOME AL team would covet him.

Matt Maloney, Daryl Thompson, and Carlos Fisher will also be out of options next year.

[cinreds21]

Matt Maloney, Daryl Thompson, and Carlos Fisher will also be out of options next year.

Yea. I knew about Maloney and DT and didn't really think about Fish. I think the first two could be traded for something. It won't be much, but better than nothing.

[JaxRed]

I'll quibble. Josh Garton is organizational filler. I see Waldrop in Dayton next year.