between Sappelt, Frazier, Alonso, Cozart, who's the most impressive?

[icehole3]

after seeing Frazier throw out a runner from LF the other day I have to go with him good all around game and he's got some serious pop in that bat, has hit nearly everything hard somewhere

[redsfandan]

Frazier or Cozart. Sappelt JUST came up and while Alonso has impressed with the bat, he's also done a nice job showing off his defensive inability. Still, it's a nice situation to finally see these guys showing off what they can do.

[buckeyenut]

If I am a team out there with a need at DH or 1B, I am drolling over Alonso this offseason. Kid can flat out hit.

That said, Frazier has been a lot more impressive than I anticipated. He could be a great utility guy for this team long term. Not convinced yet he can play every day, but as a utility guy, he adds a lot to the team.

[reds1869]

Frazier looks like he can be a solid regular, or at worst an upgraded Miguel Cairo. Long term I think Alonso has the highest ceiling of the three. I kind of view it as even between those two at the moment though Cozart and Sappelt look great too.

[cumberlandreds]

I'll not comment on Sappelt after one game. So I will leave him alone.

Frazier probably is the most impressive to me. He's got some real pop in his bat and he looks comfortable at every position he has played. He could be an extremly valuable member of the Reds from this point forward.

Alonso can flat out hit. No doubt about that. But he's either 1st baseman or a DH. It's apparent LF is just not for him. No foot speed whatsoever and just looks clumsy out there. Not his fault. I'm sure he's trying as hard as he can but if can't play the position then he shouldn't be ask to play it. The Reds have a franchise decision on whether to trade Alonso or Votto. This will be the most interesting thing the Reds do this winter.

Cozart looked really good in short time he received. It's just a terrible break he was injured. He looked smooth in the field and had some good life in his bat. Looks like a better than average SS to me.

The one thing about all of these guys when they came up is that they looked ready to play the MLB level. No deer in the headlights look from any of them. They look like they belong here. That's a credit to the Reds organization as a whole, IMO. Also shows where patience in bringing up players really pays off.

[PuffyPig]

Alonso has been as advertised. He can hit, his defense LF is very poor, but I'd rather see more.

Sappelt has played one game, no comment.

Cozart has shown zero played discipline, with no walks, so his stats will take a no dive when his BABIP equalizes. His defense has been good, so he's a vialble choice for SS next year as long as don't expect too much hitting.

Frazier has shown a lot of versatilty, not looking out of place at 3B or LF. He's asure bet to make the team next year, and may end up seeing lots of action at 3B if Rolen is injured. A great back up plan.

A really smal sample size, but Frazier has impressed me the most.

[lollipopcurve]

Sappelt -- For me, the big question is, can he play CF? Not sure we'll get to see much of that. He'll hit. Love him in the leadoff spot.

Cozart -- Solid. Most pleased with his very consistent play on defense and the occasional power. Possible SS solution for several years, pending development of others in the system

Frazier -- Not convinced he's a starter, mostly given what looks like subpar defense at 3B. Deserves to be given a shot to compete with Francisco there. Bat not great, but good enough. Organization might have made the right call in prepping him as a multiposition guy.

Alonso -- Bat looks ready. No Votto, but he'll produce enough to be a legit 1B solution if JV is gone.

All in all, I think the early returns on this crop are very positive, with Mesoraco yet to come.

[wlf WV]

Sappelt,I saw spring training.Why didn't they come up two months ago when it meant something?Is the only way we see change attrition?( they're always reactive,instead of being proactive)I think Baker's and Jocketty's biggest mistake since winter has been under utilizing the farm,whatever the reason.I still hate having to put draft picks we sign on the 40 man roster.I would rather give them more money.I wish MLB would outlaw it.I don't think it's good for the game,unless you're the prospect.

[wlf WV]

duplicate.

[Reds1]

I haven't seen enough of these guys to give a solid answer. It's what you might expect. I like Alonso's AB, but he's had some defensive issues. I like the future of the Reds that should include many of these guys. Sappelt is one that interest me. That catch he made in LF no other fielder would have made that of any of the new guys or starters this year. He also looks good at the plate, but not enough bats to really know much yet. It's exciting to see these guys though. I'm VERY happy we didn't trade all these guys for say a Bourne or even Pence.

[Unassisted]

Too soon to tell, but Frazier and Cozart have both impressed me about equally so far.

The one thing Sappelt accomplished in one game was to highlight Alonso's defensive shortcomings in LF.

I hope Alonso gets a trial at 3B, since he claims that was his natural position for most of his baseball life.

[OesterPoster]

Nice article from Frazier's hometown paper yesterday.

http://www.tomsrivernjonline.com/201...ue-experience/

Life in the major leagues also means time away from home for Frazier, and he says he misses a lot about the Toms River area. “Food. There’s nothing like Jersey food anywhere else. I also miss the beach and the boardwalk and my family.” he said “When I got sent back down in Philly I took a few days and came back home and went to the beach and had some Seaside boardwalk food. You can’t find Italian food like in New Jersey anywhere else.”

[Scrap Irony]

I really like Sappelt's short swing and contact bat. His defense also looks to be above average, as well as his leadoff capabilities. Still, way too early to tell. Ask back after September, when he plays both CF and LF enough to gauge.

Alonso can hit, but simply can't play LF. He's cost the Reds around five runs already, a huge number considering the few innings he's logged out there. But his bat is very good. Reminds me of the Hal MacRae situation.

Todd Frazier looks like he has good power. His glove also looks adequate for LF and 1B, but below average for the hot corner. (Slow on shots.) Won't hit with the same BA as either Alonso or Sappelt, but the power is similar. Insurance for Alonso, Stubbs, Bruce, Votto, Rolen, and Sappelt, IMO.

Cozart surprised me the most. Shows very good power for a SS and his BB rate in the minors suggests that will improve as well. Good, short stroke. Solid defensively as well, able to make all the plays.

So far, IMO, the Reds have brought up four legitimate major leaguers with upside and cost certainty. None of them are ill-prepared, nor are they over their heads. There are two and a half above average starters there, with the possibility of a few All-Star nods. This doesn't include the most likely impact bat/ position player nor does it include another 3B who exhibitis a plus hit tool and plus plus power.

This off-season should be interesting, as all six are ready but only four will have spots on the team. That means two go back to AAA for more (uneeded) seasoning, or they get dealt.

[bucksfan2]

Alonso can hit, but thats about all. He is very slow, pretty poor out in LF, and 1b is still up for debate. I think he profiles more as a DH than anything else.

[Nasty_Boy]

Alonso does look pretty unsure of himself in LF, which is to be expected when he's only logged a handful of games out there... I played INF through HS and college and ended up playing some OF in a summer league due to an injury, and although I didn't have any Alonso-esque mistakes I felt very uncomfortable. Hopefully the Reds make the right decision on the Alonso-Votto, Frazier-Francisco, Sappelt-Stubbs position log jams... I love Joey Votto and I want him to stay a Red but I can't help but wonder if trading him, say for Bautista and moving Alonso to 1B makes the Reds better in the long run due to contracts. I do know Alonso have been extremely impressive at the plate in a very short amount of time.