The Reds Will Finish 2nd...

[HalMorrisRules]

According to Baseball Prospectus (PECOTA) and Revenge of the RLYW (CAIRO). Both have them in second behind the Cardinals and winning 82 and 85 games respectively and just a few games out of the wild card. While not getting them into the playoffs, this would be an excellent step forward and would get them out of the consecutive losing season funk they are in.

PECOTA (http://www.baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/)

CAIRO (http://rlyw.blogspot.com/2010/01/extremely-early-2010-mlb-projected.html)

[will5979]

I could live with that, especially just finishing above .500.

[mattfeet]

I could live with that, especially just finishing above .500.

Yea, for sure. Id take that season for sure! I wouldn't mind 90 wins, but I won't hold my breath, either.

-Matt

[BLEEDS]

I will be amazed if we score 780 runs. That's almost 100 more than last year.

Not sure where they get those projections from - surely not from our current roster. They must have factored in Damon in LF, Cabrera at SS, and Manny Ramirez at DH...

PEACE

-BLEEDS

[Redlegs Homer]

I would assume they are predicting a healthy season which would lead to the big increase in runs if Bruce and Votto can play the whole season.

[Baseball Lover]

I can't make threads yet, but I had some questions about the future of the Reds.

What is your desired future outfield?

I always thought Dickerson did not get enough respect for being an average offensive player with great defense in both CF and LF. Why is it that when I chat to Reds fans, it sounds like they don't want him to start in 2010 and figure him to be gone soon?

Why is there love for Wladimir Balentien? I don't understand, whenever I watch the guy he seems to bring nothing to the table.

Is Stubbs overrated? His bat has seemed suspect to me, though his defense is great. What makes him so much better than Dickerson? Is it just because he is younger and has potential to get better? Both are very good defenders, is Stubbs significantly better?

Where do Heisey, Frazier, and others figure into the future OF?

I see Francisco talked about as a future LF, but isn't he a 3B? Is he expected not to stick at 3B? If so, then there is a VERY crowded OF. Can't some of these specs be flipped for a solid starter on the trade market?

I think this year the OF should definitely be Dickerson-Stubbs-Bruce. If the prospects come along nicely and the FO thinks that one of them would be an upgrade over Dickerson, then trade Dickerson for specs. Hopefully he performed well enough to warrant a good prospect in return.

Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated :)

[Redsfan320]

I can't make threads yet, but I had some questions about the future of the Reds.

What is your desired future outfield?

I always thought Dickerson did not get enough respect for being an average offensive player with great defense in both CF and LF. Why is it that when I chat to Reds fans, it sounds like they don't want him to start in 2010 and figure him to be gone soon?

Why is there love for Wladimir Balentien? I don't understand, whenever I watch the guy he seems to bring nothing to the table.

Is Stubbs overrated? His bat has seemed suspect to me, though his defense is great. What makes him so much better than Dickerson? Is it just because he is younger and has potential to get better? Both are very good defenders, is Stubbs significantly better?

Where do Heisey, Frazier, and others figure into the future OF?

I see Francisco talked about as a future LF, but isn't he a 3B? Is he expected not to stick at 3B? If so, then there is a VERY crowded OF. Can't some of these specs be flipped for a solid starter on the trade market?

I think this year the OF should definitely be Dickerson-Stubbs-Bruce. If the prospects come along nicely and the FO thinks that one of them would be an upgrade over Dickerson, then trade Dickerson for specs. Hopefully he performed well enough to warrant a good prospect in return.

Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated :)

Alright, here we go:

Question 1:


What is your desired future outfield?

This year: Gomes, Stubbs, Bruce

The future: Heisey/ Francisco, Stubbs, Bruce

Question 2:


I always thought Dickerson did not get enough respect for being an average offensive player with great defense in both CF and LF. Why is it that when I chat to Reds fans, it sounds like they don't want him to start in 2010 and figure him to be gone soon?

He's prone to injury, and he's not a great offensive player, but I've never heard anything about people "figuring him to be gone soon."

Question 3:


Why is there love for Wladimir Balentien? I don't understand, whenever I watch the guy he seems to bring nothing to the table.

I don't know. I'm certainly with you on this one.

I'll try to answer the rest later.

320

[Baseball Lover]

Thanks :). So Dickerson figures to be a solid 4th OF in the future for the Reds? Fair enough. He can probably be a starter on a second division team or a starter on a team that is already stacked offensively.

[Redsfan320]

So Dickerson figures to be a solid 4th OF in the future for the Reds?

Yeah, I would think so.

Now, back to your questions:


Is Stubbs overrated? His bat has seemed suspect to me, though his defense is great. What makes him so much better than Dickerson? Is it just because he is younger and has potential to get better? Both are very good defenders, is Stubbs significantly better?

I believe so ( to the last question). He's got more power, and he seems like a better all-around player.


Where do Heisey, Frazier, and others figure into the future OF?

Well, you're gonna get lots of different opinions on this. They've both been very solid in the minors.


I see Francisco talked about as a future LF, but isn't he a 3B? Is he expected not to stick at 3B? If so, then there is a VERY crowded OF. Can't some of these specs be flipped for a solid starter on the trade market?

There are a lot of options in the OF, as you can see in the poll I just created. The problem with him staying at 3rd is that we just extended Rolen's contract.

This would suggest that the Reds don't see him at 3rd, or it could just suggest that they think he needs more time. Then he started playing LF in winter ball.


I think this year the OF should definitely be Dickerson-Stubbs-Bruce. If the prospects come along nicely and the FO thinks that one of them would be an upgrade over Dickerson, then trade Dickerson for specs. Hopefully he performed well enough to warrant a good prospect in return.

I would prefer Gomes over Dickerson if we re-sign him, which it appears we are very close to doing, but okay. Good post. Or part of a post.

Glad to help.

320

[HalMorrisRules]

ESPN Commentary (http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/2208/reds-looking-like-contenders)

[Baseball Lover]

Thanks again, will be interesting to see how everything pans out over the next year. The Reds farm certainly seems stacked with solid talent.

[double21d]

I'm excited about this season coming up and for the first time in a long time I have reason to feel that way. Instead of gaping holes in the lineup and pitching staff, there are smaller weaknesses that could hurt the team but could be easily patched later in the year or next year.
You also have to be excited about the wealth of talent that is waiting for a chance to plug in those holes in the future.

[Ohioballplayer]

I think they will sign Gomes, and will have a platoon in left with Dickerson/Gomes in 2010, with Dickerson spelling stubbs in center every once in a while, with Taveras sadly.

[Baseball Lover]

I'm excited about this season coming up and for the first time in a long time I have reason to feel that way. Instead of gaping holes in the lineup and pitching staff, there are smaller weaknesses that could hurt the team but could be easily patched later in the year or next year.
You also have to be excited about the wealth of talent that is waiting for a chance to plug in those holes in the future.

I still think the staff has glaring holes. It's hard to assume that Bailey will maintain the success he had in 09 throughout 2010 and really hard to assume Chapman will break camp in the rotation. Owings or Maloney will most likely get the 5th spot, which both seem like weak candidates at this moment. The top 3 are all solid, but nothing to jump and down over.

[Kingspoint]

...2nd from last in the division.

[mlh1981]

The Cardinals will be right there in their customary spot, but I see no reason why this team can't leapfrog some of the others. The Cubs are aging, the Brewers are "meh," and I think we are certainly better than the Astros and Pirates.

[Ghosts of 1990]

The central is weak. As long as youngsters like Bruce, Votto, and Stubbs hit we'll be right there until the end I think.

[fugowitribe]

I see what the Reds have done this off season as a stop gap between losing and the future. When was the last time we went into opening day and instead of counting on guys to play above their norm or play the way they did in the best part of their career (EE and AGon last year) we count on this years team to be.their average. If we don't have a combination of slumps, we will win. It is for this reason that I personally believe the hype.

[Redlegs Homer]

2nd isn't ridiculous by any means. The Astros and Pirates are definitey 5th and 6th, and 2 through 4 is a crapshoot.

[tobttr]

2nd isn't ridiculous by any means. The Astros and Pirates are definitey 5th and 6th, and 2 through 4 is a crapshoot.

It sure isn't. The only questions are predicated on falling in love with somebody (Bailey, Stubbs, Bruce, Chapman) too soon. If these guys produce at a level even remotely close to what we have been led to expect, 2nd is not out of the question at all.