Reds' off season filled with questions, concerns

Mesoraco's slam sends Reds over Braves
7:38 a.m.
Lost chances cost Cougars
5/25/12
Badin advances to regional final
5/25/12
West hopes to keep winning
5/25/12
Is third time the charm for senior?
5/25/12
> More sports headlines

By Hal McCoy Updated 8:23 AM Friday, September 30, 2011

The Season of Sadness for the Cincinnati Reds and their fans is over, a third-place disaster that was littered with injuries, bad pitching and bad situational hitting (can’t anybody drive in a run with the bases loaded?).

Most baseball followers thought the Reds would repeat as champions of the National League Central — and one prominent national writer, who obviously never visited Philadelphia in his life, predicted the Reds would win the World Series.

Maybe he thought the Phillies traded Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels to the Reds last winter.

They didn’t. And it showed.

So what’s the fix for 2012? How do the Reds climb back atop the Central — or at least scramble back above .500 after their 10th losing season in 11 years?

Here are five things for Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty and manager Dusty Baker to mull over while roasting chestnuts and sipping cognac in front of their winter fires:

1. Who is in left field?

The Reds had much more than a quorum this year with Jonny Gomes, Fred Lewis, Chris Heisey, Jeremy Hermida, Dave Sappelt, Todd Frazier and Yonder Alonso.

Did we miss anybody?

They need Alonso’s bat and he has been instructed to shed poundage and add speed afoot in the offseason and to work diligently at chasing fly balls. Hey, he can’t be as clank-fingered as Adam Dunn or Gomes or Kal Daniels (“I ain’t runnin’ into no wall for nobody”).

2. Who plays shortstop?

It isn’t Paul Janish. Given the chance this year to win the job, Janish was worse than expected with the bat (and they didn’t expect much) and every reader out there had the same number of home runs as Janish (zero).

Zack Cozart came up in August and was doing fair-thee-well until a freak accident at second base tore up his elbow. The job is his, but he must prove it in spring training. If it isn’t Cozart, who is it?

3. What is the starting pitching rotation?

There are more candidates than spots, but most of them were underachievers this year. Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake established squatter’s rights. After that? Bronson Arroyo, weakened by mononucleosis, was below his usual numbers and gave up 46 home runs. Homer Bailey is consistent only in his inconsistency. Dontrelle Willis won one game (his last start) in nearly half-a-season.

Edinson Volquez, the Opening Day starter, spent more time in the minors than in the majors, still asking people if they know where the strike zone went. Travis Wood was up and down, with heavy emphasis on down. The club is adamant that Aroldis Chapman will be in the rotation in 2012.

As it stands, the rotation is Cueto, Leake, Arroyo (money talks), Chapman and ???. Do they pick one from column C (Bailey, Wood, Volquez, Willis)? Or do they search outside — and if you are a starting pitcher, do you want to appear in half your games in Great American Ball Park, where you throw it and duck?

4. Who’s in the bullpen?

Have the Reds seen enough of Jose Arredondo and Nick Masset? Is Logan Ondrusek the guy they saw in the first half or the tallest (6-foot-8) tired pitcher in the majors the second half?

If Chapman is a starter, left-hander Bill Bray certainly can fill in as the set-up man.

Sam LeCure is a keeper. Do they re-sign closer Coco (Mr. Heart-Pounder) Cordero?

If not, who closes? The bullpen needs more than tinkering, it needs Mr. Goodwrench.

5. What about Joey Votto?

Baseball is a business, and when you are a small-market team business usually is bad. It isn’t likely the dollars-thin Reds can keep Votto when he becomes a free agent after 2013.

Heck, they might not be able to pay his $17 million for 2013.

So do they trade him this winter and get a solid left fielder?

That would enable them to move Yonder Alonso to first base, his natural position, instead of having him roam left field for a year.

Or, if they think they can contend for the playoffs in 2012, do they keep Votto one more year and trade him at the July nonwaivers trade deadline if they are not contenders?

Share this article