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Thread: 2012- 3rd Base

  1. #1
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    2012- 3rd Base

    It's definitely one of the more intriguing positions on this team. How do you think it will look in 2012?

    Rolen is back, but he's going to be a huge question mark for this team. I doubt you'll see him put up that insane production that he did in 2010, but he's the kind of player who's likely to be highly motivated in his final year with this team, in the twilight of his career. However, he's more fragile than ever.

    Cairo is signed for another year, and that deal isn't looking too shabby right now. He's been a well above-average stopgap the last two years around the field, and is one of the most reliable options on this team.

    Francisco's time has come. At this point in his minor league career, he is what he is, and that is an impatient power bat that preys on weaker pitchers, and a massive but error-prone arm.

    Frazier brings good defense, slightly more defense, moderate power, and a winning attitude. He's fallen off a bit these past two years (with a .260 batting average), but still gets good reports from scouts.

    Alonso is an unlikely possibility at this point, with the plan involving him spending all of his time practicing in LF. However, if that experiment continues to flop, he could try to make good on the rumors of his abilities at 3B.

    I think you have to go primarily with a Rolen and Francisco platoon as the main plan. Rolen should get most of the veteran and TOR pitchers who will easily fool Francisco, while Francisco should face some of the younger and lower-quality pitchers, who he should be able to destroy. Frazier should be waiting in AAA or traded (it's hard to find room on a roster that has Cairo, Alonso, Sappelt, Francisco, and Frazier all in the mix for two or three spots), while Cairo should get some playing time but primarily remain on the bench to back up the rest of the team.


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  3. #2
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    162 games for francisoc please, enough with the one armed one legged rolen

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    i see rolen being the starter with cairo and francisco each playing once a week.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Not that anybody seems to be listening to me, but I'll keep saying it anyway... Juan Francisco has a strong and accurate arm. I've seen his defense improve greatly in his time in Louisville. This season in particular there was a noticeable improvement. The guy has been given an unfair rap on his defense. AND he's a beast with the bat.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by HalKing View Post
    Not that anybody seems to be listening to me, but I'll keep saying it anyway... Juan Francisco has a strong and accurate arm. I've seen his defense improve greatly in his time in Louisville. This season in particular there was a noticeable improvement. The guy has been given an unfair rap on his defense. AND he's a beast with the bat.
    I'm going by what I've read by scouts, which may be outdated. How's his range looking? I'd like to give him a fair shot at third next year; he nearly did this time, if he had been performing early on and hadn't gotten injured.

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    malingered here too long malcontent's Avatar
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by nux fan View Post
    162 games for francisoc please, enough with the one armed one legged rolen
    I think it's touching the way he carves out the initials "WJ" in the infield dirt with his motorized wheelchair before each game.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by The DARK View Post
    I'm going by what I've read by scouts, which may be outdated. How's his range looking? I'd like to give him a fair shot at third next year; he nearly did this time, if he had been performing early on and hadn't gotten injured.
    His range is better than Rolen's

    But to be fair Rolen is 106 years old

  9. #8
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    They see me Rolen...

  10. #9
    Member HalKing's Avatar
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Early this season Francisco's range was where I would have said his defensive liabilities showed up. Turned out that he was playing through a knee problem and he eventually had surgery on it. When he came back off the DL there was a noticeable improvement in his all around game. I think that showed up last night when he legged out that triple. I think defensively you just have to keep in mind that he is a big guy and not the most nimble guy on the field. Similar to a Sandoval or even Rolen... big guys can be decent fielders, but he's never going to be in the category of Zimmerman, Wright or Longoria.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by HalKing View Post
    Not that anybody seems to be listening to me, but I'll keep saying it anyway... Juan Francisco has a strong and accurate arm. I've seen his defense improve greatly in his time in Louisville. This season in particular there was a noticeable improvement. The guy has been given an unfair rap on his defense. AND he's a beast with the bat.
    I gotta step in here...a beast with the bat? beast as in what? sure he tears up pitchers that are weaker pitchers....he rips the fastball as good as anyone, or hits them as far as anyone.....but we need someone who is not going to flare at a curveball as it bounces in front of the plate....that is just bad pitch recognition and you just dont see it that often at this level....batters might swing and miss at a curve, but at least it finds its way past the plate.....Juan is a bright star that would be a super star if he could just learn to see some pitches, I dont want him learning that on this team, we have enough guys cutting their teeth with the big league club, dont need another.

  12. #11
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by lidspinner View Post
    I gotta step in here...a beast with the bat? beast as in what? sure he tears up pitchers that are weaker pitchers....he rips the fastball as good as anyone, or hits them as far as anyone.....but we need someone who is not going to flare at a curveball as it bounces in front of the plate....that is just bad pitch recognition and you just dont see it that often at this level....batters might swing and miss at a curve, but at least it finds its way past the plate.....Juan is a bright star that would be a super star if he could just learn to see some pitches, I dont want him learning that on this team, we have enough guys cutting their teeth with the big league club, dont need another.
    Why do Bruce and Stubbs get enough rope to hang themselves with, but Francisco and Heisey don't?

    I'm tired of this.

    Give Francisco and Heisey 300 to 400 at-bats. Give them some more the next season and see if they improve on the last season. If they don't, move on to the next guy.

    I'm tired of some guys getting zillions of chances because they were a #1 pick, and other guys getting yanked around, and not getting the same opportunities. Francisco and Heisey have done as much as those other guys to deserve the same chance.

    If they crash and burn, so be it. Then we move on. But I think the Reds should atleast find out what they got, and do it by giving them a fair chance to succeed.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Quote Originally Posted by HalKing View Post
    Not that anybody seems to be listening to me, but I'll keep saying it anyway... Juan Francisco has a strong and accurate arm. I've seen his defense improve greatly in his time in Louisville. This season in particular there was a noticeable improvement. The guy has been given an unfair rap on his defense. AND he's a beast with the bat.
    I am hoping your right and will give you more credit for seeing him more often in Lville and his progress this season. When I critique his play, it is the little I have seen of hm first hand when Lville comes to Durham-and in those games he has yet to complete a play on a ball hit to him for an out. Granted its a small sample of only a few games, but he looked downright awful on a few of them. That said, 3rd is a desperate position of need for us IMO, and hope he is our 3'rd of the future if he continues to improve. I also think I hold back optimism after pulling hard for EdE and watching that drown.
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Unless he is physcially unable to go opening day Scott Rolen will be the Reds 3rd basemen with Cairo on the bench as the backup. My bet is Juan F. will start at AAA with the idea from the Reds should Rolen go down he will take over but they will want him to play everyday which he won't do in cincy with a healthy Rolen on the Roster. Frazier will be in AAA as will Yonder unless he is traded this offseason.

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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    rolen belongs in the infirmary, healthy or not healthy francisco should be playing every day

  16. #15
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    Re: 2012- 3rd Base

    Francisco is going to make the decision fairly easy unless something happens in ST. Even if Rolen is healthy he cannot play everyday and expect to finish a season, Francisco will platoon at 3rd with him imo.


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