Reds Trade Keppinger

Now that the Reds have traded Jeff Keppinger to the Astros here is where their roster situation stands as of today, with 30 players still in camp, and needing to cut down to 25.

They are going to keep 12 pitchers, 10 of which are definite:

1. Arroyo
2. Burton
3. Cordero
4. Cueto
5. Harang
6. Lincoln
7. Owings
8. Rhodes
9. Volquez
10. Weathers

For the last two slots there are four contenders

1. Bray and Herrera for the LH relief slot
2. Bailey
3. Masset

As far as the 13 position players, they still have 16 in camp, 11 of which are definite:

1. Hanigan
2. Hernandez
3. Encarnacion
4. Gonzalez
5. Hairston
6. Phillips
7. Votto
8. Bruce
9. Dickerson
10. Taveras (ugh)
11. Gomes - not 100% definite, but that's the rumor

That leaves two spots left.

One will go to an IF: Janish or Rosales
One will go to an OF: Nix, McDonald or Castillo

What I think Dusty will do:

1. Herrera
2. Masset

Bray will stay in Sarasota to keep working, Bailey will be assigned for now to AAA. The Reds will try to move Masset if they can to another team, then bring Homer up.

1. Janish
2. McDonald

Slight edge to Janish over Rosales because he's a better glove at SS and I think they are really committed to being better defensively up the middle this year. Janish has played a few spring games at 3B to see if he can do it and he looked good there.

The OF slot is a close call. McDonald has had a great spring. Nix started off well, but has tapered off. McDonald is a better fielder from what I've seen.

Castillo is kind of a wild card because he can catch, play 2B and OF. He's versatile and an excellent athlete, but I think he loses out because he's a jack of all trades and master of none.

P.S. At my last game in Sarasota, Reds vs. Rays, I left because of a long rain delay and I wanted to get on the road. BUT before I left I was able to shake Dusty's hand to wish him good luck. I also got Eric Davis' autograph.

3.28 Reds at Tampa Bay Rays

Saturday the Reds traveled south to Port Charlotte, new spring home of the Tampa Bay Rays for an afternoon ballgame. I've already blogged about this renovated facility for the Rays - it was packed, including the lawn seats for today's game. The Reds won 5-1.

The weather was somewhat noteworthy - I'd estimate there was a wind of about 40 mph blowing dead out to left field. I was shocked that more home runs weren't hit that way during the game. The flags were absolutely stiff.



Rays Notes

Jason Hammel, RHP who is locked in a battle for the Rays fifth starter, pitched really well. Over the 5 innings that he pitched the Reds didn't score, he gave up only 2 hits, struck out 4 and walked only 1 batter. He had excellent control. The Reds had a couple of hard hit balls but didn't really threaten over the first five.


Aki Iwamura, back from his participation on the winning Japanese team in the WBC, lofted a not-well-hit popup to the LF, who then drifted all the way back until he caught the ball on the warning track. Such was the effect of the wind.

Carl Crawford, back after fighting an injury, had two hits and stole his seventh base of the spring.



Reds Notes

Will Taveras walked then got picked off to lead off the game - that's twice this spring he has been picked off first base. To his credit, in the Reds 6th inning rally off Rays relief pitcher (for now) Jason Isrinhausen, Taveras executed a perfect hit and run play form the plate, slapping the ball to the vacated second base hole, with Paul Janish stealing.

Jeff Keppinger has become really pathetic - going O-5 on the day, including a K, and several ground outs. Batting second in the lineup (why?) in the sixth inning, with runners on first and third and the Reds trailing by a run, he popped up weakly to the second baseman.

Jay Bruce had a key, bases-loaded single, driving in two runs in the 6th inning, giving the Reds the lead, which they held. He lined a two strike pitch to CF. His batting average is now up to .292 and while I wouldn't say he is completely ready to go on Opening Day, he's close.

Ramon Hernandez had another challenging day behind the plate. He gave up an easy passed ball and remained ineffective at throwing runners out on the bases. Once again, Dusty looked angry (shook his head) at something Hernandez did, or didn't do, to stop the running game. Hernandez also missed a pop up that landed in foul territory at his feet. The wind played a role in that, but he seemed to have trouble with it beyond the wind.

I'm not calling this a "prediction" yet, but there is some chance that backup catcher Ryan Hanagan will get some more playing time at catcher than most people think. There are two reasons that may not happen - one is that the trade of Ryan Freel for Hernandez turned out to be GM Walt Jocketty's biggest off-season move, so there will be some internal pressure for Hernandez to play. Secondly, Hernandez was very public about his unhappiness at Baltimore, and how that lead to his subpar season. The basic premise of the Freel-for-Hernandez swap on the Reds end was that Ramon would be happier, and therefore better, this year. Starting Hanagan in a number of games would jeopardize that.

Joey Votto hit his third home run of the spring in the 8th inning.



Edinson Volquez had a good line - in fact he gave up just one earned run, his first in 19 innings pitched this spring - but he didn't have very good control. He was constantly pitching from behind in counts and walked four hitters.



Bray, Burton and Masset pitched well in relief.

Hickory Hollow

After the game I drove to Bradenton to eat dinner at the Hickory Hollow restaurant - which I'd raved about here a few days ago. It was spectacular again this time. I ordered the combination of pork spare ribs and BBQ chicken. My sides were cheesy potatoes and cole slaw.

As I was leaving this rooster was sitting on the chairs outside in the waiting area near the front door. It was loudly sqwaking "cock-a-doodle-do" several times. I thought they only did that when the sun came up. Anyhow, I wondered if it was worried about being caught and served for dinner!

3.27 Night Reds at Yankees

On Friday night the Reds traveled north to play the Yankees at the newly named George M. Steinbrunner Stadium, which used to be called Legends Field. As befits the Yankees, their minor league park has a major league feel. There is a large upper deck and several luxury box areas.

Their concession stands serve something out of the Flintstones, a large turkey leg. The guy in front of me was eating one, although he only took one bite and threw it under his chair. No kidding.


Yankees Notes

The news broke this week about Derek Jeter leading off for the Yankees. He'll do well in that role, I expect to see him stealing more bases this year as a result.


Johnny Damon still has a weak arm in the OF. The Reds took advantage of every opportunity to take the extra base on him.

Mark Teixeira made a few nice plays at 1B, and also had a single with an RBI.


The most noteworthy performance was by C.C. Sabathia who pitched 7.2 innings and basically shut down the Reds after we scratched out three hits on him in the second inning. He gave up a total of 4 hits and had 7 Ks and no walks. He's ready for Opening Day.




Reds Notes

The Reds left their left-handed starters at home. Dusty had seen first-hand the way LHP C.C. Sabathia handled the likes of Joey Votto and Jay Bruce last year when Sabathia was with the Brewers. I'm sure our lefties didn't mind the day off, or not facing C.C.

Brandon Phillips, who is our best hitter against LHP, did have a single, but also made an error in the field.


Dusty played his former LF Jacque Jones at 1B in this game, for a reason that escapes me. Jones made two really bad plays in the field in one inning leading to Aaron Harang being charged with 2 unearned runs.

Ramon Hernandez looked a little shaky behind the plate, giving up a passed ball and not controlling the Yankees running game (Yankees running game?) very well. Dusty was clearly unhappy with something Hernandez did, or didn't do, on a successful double steal.

Aaron Harang, who has had some good starts and bad starts this spring, causing some concern about his readiness to return to his 2006 and 2007 form, pitched really well in this game. His line score doesn't reflect it, but he was in control pretty much for all of his 6 innings. He struck out 5 and walked 2. I'm starting to feel pretty encouraged about his upcoming season.

3.26 Night Reds vs. Twins

The Reds played a rare night game at Ed Smith Stadium on Thursday against the Ft. Myers-based Minnesota Twins. The Reds won 6-4. You are allowed to stand along the perimeter of the inside bowl of the stadium, one deep. I decided to watch most of the game from right behind home plate.

Twins Notes

The Twins' starting pitcher was Nick Blackburn, who pitched pretty well. He is not overpowering, but was spotting his pitches well against the Reds on Thursday. He gave up two earned runs and three hits in four innings.


The other pitcher of note for the Twins was shut-down closer Joe Nathan. He came on to pitch a 1-2-3 6th inning, with two strikeouts.



Reds Notes

Jerry Hairston Jr. is still showing signs of rust at the plate, although he has looked very smooth in the field at SS taking over for the injured Alex Gonzalez. He muscled a pitch into left field for a 2-run single in this game.

Chris Dickerson made another great play in the field, gunning down a runner at the plate that was trying to score on a base hit. The throw arrived on a line drive all the way to the catcher and beat the runner by a couple of steps. Wish I had a picture of it.

Willy Taveras struck out, walked (!) and had a single, but was caught stealing.

Micah Owings started as pitcher for the Reds and did not look sharp. He somehow managed to only give up one run despite surrendering six hits and five walks in four innings. He is a tremendous athlete, though. Not only is he a good hitter - doubling down the left field line in his only AB - but he is a very fast runner. He could pinch hit and pinch run for the Reds this year.


The Reds bullpen, with the exception of Closer Fancisco Cordero, was excellent again. Mike Lincoln, David Weathers, Pedro Viola and Josh Roenicke all finished their assignments without giving up a run.

Special mention ought to be made of Daniel Ray Herrera, a LHP who not only hasn't given up a run this spring, but he's only let one runner on base out of 22 that he has faced. He has 8 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.



Jay Bruce hitting.



Catcher Ramon Hernandez hit his first home run as a member of the Reds.



Jeff Keppinger, who's frustrations at the plate continued, hit three virtually identical ground balls between the shortstop and second base, one of which snuck through on 6-hops for a single.