MLB Trade Rumors: With Market Thinning would Alejandro De Aza fit with the Reds?

The latest flurry of trades and signings have left the market threadbare. Teams searching for center fielders are stuck with high-dollar free agents or forced to negotiate a trade.

That is exactly where the Cincinnati Reds find themselves this morning. While inking left fielder Ryan Ludwick to a two-year deal, the Reds are still in search of a replacement for Drew Stubbs.

While filtering through the tweets this weekend I noticed some interesting things. One rumor attracted my attention and made me wonder if the Reds haven't been aiming too high.

MLB Trade Rumors reported that the Reds and the Seattle Mariners were discussing a deal that would send center fielder Alejandro De Aza to Cincinnati.

De Aza had a decent year with the Chicago White Sox crafting a slash line of .281/.349/.410 as a leadoff batter and posted an OPS+ of 104.

Even though his OPS+ is just a shade over average, it towers over Stubbs' mark last year of 61.

His splits were ok except he doesn't hit southpaws as well as you would like. He does bat from the left side which is another point in his favor.

On the down side, he isn't quite the base-runner that Stubbs is. De Aza was successful in only 68 percent, while Stubbs had an impressive 81 percent success rate.

As the old adage attests, you can't steal first base. The Reds desperately need a leadoff man who can get on and set the table for the meat of the order.

Both men are 28, while Stubbs has had three consecutive seasons with over 500 AB. 2012 was the first time in five seasons that De Aza had more than 500.

De Aza is making minimum wage and isn't set to become a free agent until 2016. It is unclear what the Sox would get in return and how the three-way trade would work.

The Reds are only needing a temporary center fielder while hoping that the Billy Hamilton experiment in the outfield is a success.

Ludwick's two-year deal along with Hamilton's expected presence in 2014 means the Reds would need a good backup and De Aza would fill that job nicely.

Cincinnati Reds: Ryan Ludwick is Equivocating So What Is Contingency Plan?

The Cincinnati Reds may just as well have phoned in their appearance at the Winter Meetings. The only thing they did was put an offer on the table to Ryan Ludwick and sit on their thumbs waiting for a reply.

Reds' beat writer John Fay indicated that the offer was in the $13M - 14M range and was for only two years. Everyone in the Reds community knows that Ludwick was looking for at least three years.

The real stickler though, is not the length of the contract but the amount of it. Apparently another team (unknown to me) has offered him approximately $3M more for the length of the contract.

The Reds' offer would be paying him roughly $6.5M - $7M per campaign. Considering that he played 2012 for $2M that is a substantial raise for a decent (not exceptional) year.

I am not a mathematician but that sounds like about a 350% raise. Somebody check the math.

Ludwick did have a good 'bounce-back' year after faltering for a couple of seasons with the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. He slashed .275/.346/.531 with 26 HR and 80 RBI.

He, along with Todd Frazier, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce all picked up the slack when Joey Votto went down for 49 games. While Votto was on the shelf, Ludwick fashioned a nice line of .340/.404/.647 with 12 HR and 36 RBI in the 44 games he played in.

Ludwick claimed that he wanted to stay in the Queen City even after he declined the option for 2013. He is 34, which is beginning to be long in the tooth in baseball life. He probably doesn't have many years of baseball left in the tank.

Reds' GM Walt Jocketty made the offer several days ago and it was heavily reported that the deal would probably be done by the end of the meetings. It was not.

How long does it take for a man to make up his mind? Either you want to play in Cincinnati or you would rather go elsewhere for $1.5M extra per year.

That would be a no-brainer for most of us since we don't know what a million bucks looks like. He does though and I doubt he is pleading poverty. It would make perfect since for him to stay with the Reds because they are probably the front runners at the beginning of 2013.

He will have to get acclimated to another area, and if he falls short there, the career is probably over in two years.

He would have signed already had he been leaning in that direction. Jocketty should have called him on the phone, and in his best "Shark Tank" voice tell him that the offer is off the table in two hours or the Reds are out.

If he is gone the Reds need to fall to plan 'B' if there is one. If not they need to create one. They still need a center fielder who can bat leadoff. Michael Bourn?

Time is reducing his value as he becomes more shopworn as the days turn into weeks. Maybe he would play one year at a fire-sale price. Keep in mind that the Reds are in high hopes that Billy Hamilton will be ready at the beginning of 2014.

My friend Tyler Duma wrote a very good piece about the chances of obtaining Jacoby Ellsbury from the Boston Red Sox.

Dexter Fowler is another name that has been tossed around like a dog's chew toy. It is hard to estimate what his real upside is.

A plan that would sound pleasing to the ear to me would be signing Cody Ross. He has decent power, can play the entire outfield and can hit. He has a .262 career average and has an OPS+ of 107. His .324 OBP would preclude him from batting at the top of the order.

The Reds are still hoping that Ludwick calls them up and throws them a bone, but I don't see it happening.

MLB Winter Meetings 2012: Mediocre Performances = High Dollar Contracts

MLB teams apparently are willing to sign high-dollar contracts for mediocre performances.

The Winter Meetings are a usual hotbed of deals, fake deals and rumors by the score. This year is no exception. Where will Josh Hamilton go? Could Zack Greinke really go the Dodgers?

That is just a sampling of the top of the pecking order. Oh yes, don't forget Michael Bourn, will he be left out in the cold?

Look at some of the deals that have been done, some at the meetings and some prior to that. Jonny Gomes (I like him) made a deal with the Red Sox for two years at $10 Million. Wow!

That is after a season of .262/.377/.491 with 18 HR and 47 RBI. He was only making $1.75 Million after he had a breakout year with the Reds, knocking in 86 runs in his only season in which he surpassed 500 plate appearances.
Am I losing my mind or are those mediocre numbers for a corner outfielder/designated hitter?

The "Flyin' Hawaiian" AKA Shane Victorino posted his worse season offensively batting only .255 with an OBP of just .321. Fear not! He signed on with the same Red Sox for three years at $39 Million. That is a substantial raise over his $9.5 Million in 2012.

Do you see the trend here? Players are being paid premium prices for average to sub-par performances.

The Red Sox also signed catcher Mike Napoli after a vanilla season, of .227/.343/.469 hitting. His was the exact same deal as Victorino, three years at $39 Million. His raise was almost identical to Victorino's. It is expected that Napoli will start at first base for the Red Sox.

Maybe these salary increases could be considered "cost of living" raises. Whatever they are it makes me fondly remember seasons long ago.

In 1956 Mickey Mantle won the Triple Crown at age 25. He wanted the Yankees to double his salary from $32,500. GM George Weiss said he was too young to make that kind of money.

Mantle said that "he threatened to show my wife reports from private detectives he had gumshoe me and Billy Martin. He threatened to trade me to Cleveland for Herb Score and Rocky Colavito."

Hall of Fame member Ralph Kiner said that in 1952 after winning his seventh consecutive home run title, a major league record he was called into GM Branch Rickey's office. He was making $90,000 that year.

His average had spiraled down to .244 and Rickey told him he was cutting his salary to $65,000. When Kiner asked why, Rickey asked him what place the Pirates finished that year. When Kiner told him they finished last, he was told, "We can finish last without you."

It certainly shows how times have changed.

Cincinnati Reds: Is Billy Hamilton The Key To the Reds Future?

If you talk about signing an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, the first question asked is about speedster Billy Hamilton.

Obviously, at least to the average Reds' fan, the franchise is structuring its immediate future to the fleet legs of the shortstop-turned-center fielder.

For clarification we will need to start by calling this little thief, Billy Hamilton 2.0 because there was a Billy Hamilton (nicknamed Sliding Billy) who was also very proficient at base-stealing.

The original version, also an outfielder, played from 1888 until 1901 and lead the league in stolen bases five times, twice copping 111 in a season. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1961 by the Veteran's Committee.

Yes he was an excellent base stealer, but he doesn't have the professional SB record for a season, does he? No, he does not, that claim goes to BHam 2.0.

In 2012 while playing with Bakersfield in high "A", and Pensacola in Double-A he set the record for professional baseball with a mark of 155. He was nailed 37 times to post an 81% theft rate.

He has speed to burn and he also has picked up his offensive skills as well slashing .311/.410/.420.

I was under the impression that he had played most of 2012 as an outfielder, however records at Baseball-
Reference.com do not reflect that. Their statistics show that he only played shortstop and DH.

The roster at Pensacola has him still listed as an infielder but when you click on his name it brings up his card and it shows him as an outfielder.

Here is the rub. So are we to assume that he is going to be a great outfielder just because he has a jetpack? Unfortunately speed does not necessarily translate into good center fielder.

There is already a man named Drew Stubbs there. He can't hit his arse with both hands but he can play very good outfield and can steal at the same rate as BHam 2.0. The problem is that Stubbs can't get on base but BHam 2.0 can.

Is that the typical player you build a team around? Don't look at me like that. I know Joey Votto is now a lifer with the Reds and so is Brandon Phillips. Jay Bruce will probably be there forever.

The thing is, everything moving forward revolves around Hamilton. They are hesitant to find a decent center fielder for more than a year and plead poverty when the name of a very good left fielder (Alex Gordon) comes up.

So Hamilton was originally blocked because of Zack Cozart and Didi Gregorius. Then came the brainstorm about transforming him into an outfielder. That experiment with Yonder Alonzo failed miserably.

I know Alonso and Hamilton are like apples and oranges, but experiments are what they are.

It is not as though you could put a glove and cleats on Usain Bolt and ask him to patrol the center field area for you, even if he could bat .350.

BHam 2.0 is probably a very athletic young man and will most likely make a smooth transition to the outer parts of the old ball yard, most nothing can be taken for granted. Nothing!

Keep in mind he was not a blue chip defensive shortstop.

If the experiment fails in Pensacola or Louisville or wherever he will be in 2013, or he drops back to a .260 hitter, what will the Reds have gained?

Joey Votto: Where Did The Power Go?

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto missed 49 games in 2012 due to injury.
After his return to the lineup he failed to hit a home run even though he had 105 plate appearances, begging the question, "Has he lost his power?"
He went on the Disabled List on July 16 and didn't return until September 5.
The team did very well in his absence, posting a record of 33-16 thanks to some great offensive production by Ryan Ludwick, Todd Frazier and Brandon Phillips.
Votto's average dropped a tad but his OBP actually improved after the layoff.
The alarming fact here is that he had never gone beyond 20 games without leaving the yard in his MLB career. He is currently on a 40-game skid without a home-run which will carry on into 2014.
His last round-tripper was on June 24 against the Minnesota Twins at GABP.
The home runs are not the only tool missing from his kit. His ISO (isolated power) prior to 2012 was .236. Prior to his injury he had an ISO of .262 for the year. After the injury it plummeted to an all-time low of .105.
Is Votto still a great baseball player? Of course he is, the best first baseman in the National League.
Hopefully the power will come back to him as he was probably apprehensive about another injury.
Votto was such a powerful hitter before, taking most of his homeruns to left and center field. I can't remember the last time I saw him pull the ball for a home run.
The pace he was on before the 2012 campaign began was over 31 homers per 162 games. His pace for last year on its own merit was not quite 23. That is a substantial difference.
There is still plenty of pop in the Reds lineup with Jay Bruce, Frazier, Phillips and perhaps Ryan Ludwick. The Reds will be fine even if he produces only one third of the long balls we have been accustomed to.
Is there cause for worry? Let's wait and see.

MLB Trade Rumors: Could the Cincinnati Reds Trade Leake, Stubbs for Alex Gordon?

For the Cincinnati Reds, the free agent market has dwindled to very slim pickings. Michael Bourn is too expensive, Denard Span is now with the Nationals and B.J. Upton has been gobbled up by the Atlanta Braves.

So with the exception of Ryan Ludwick and Cody Ross, the Reds have little to choose from. Neither of those two mentioned could serve the dual purpose as a leadoff batter.

Assuming they can't re-sign Ludwick. and with the free agent searches all but over, the Reds are going to have to make a trade to get a high-caliber left or center fielder who can bat leadoff and get on base.

We need to look at a team who has a decent player who meets our needs and who also needs help with their starting rotation.

Enter the Kansas City Royals.

There may be better players than he, but it would be very nice to see outfielder Alex Gordon in a Reds uniform this spring.

Gordon is the type of player that not everyone is too familiar with. He can bat leadoff, he bats from the left side and in the past two campaigns has fashioned a slash line of .298/.372/.478 .

From the defensive standpoint, he has won two consecutive Gold Glove awards, so he would fit nicely in the left corner of Great American Ball Park.

He can also hit with some pop, so 18-25 home runs would not be out of the question.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Gordon is under contract through 2015 with an option for 2016. He is set to make $9 Million in 2013, so he will not come cheap.

If the Reds are serious about having an outfield for the future, here is their boy. He could play left field, Chris Heisey could play center field and of course, Jay Bruce in right field.

Gordon has six years of MLB experience, yet he is only 28. He also has some versatility, as he can also play both corners of the infield should Todd Frazier or Joey Votto go down.

This is just a stop-gap year from all of the speculation concerning the possibility of Billy Hamilton being ready to take over in center field in 2014.

What about Drew Stubbs? "What about him?" I ask. He has had several years in which to prove he is a bona fide big league center fielder.

Has he done that? No. He is close to ownership of the strikeout record for a season by a batter. His average has continually sloped to the downhill drag each year. He cannot get on base.

He does play very well on defense, but Heisey can play an adequate center fielder to get the Reds Express to the next station. Heisey is also a much better batter than Stubbs.

So who would you bundle to get such a talent as Gordon?

I would start right there with Stubbs, as they will need an outfielder to replace Gordon. Since they are in need of starting pitching, I would offer up Mike Leake because the Reds are now top-heavy in starters.

Those two alone would probably not be sweet enough, so some other player would probably need to be tossed into the fray. Maybe one of the three prospects: Didi Gregorius, Neftali Soto or Henry Rodriguez could be thrown in there for sweetening. But only one of them.

So in 2014, you would project to having Gordon, Hamilton and Bruce as your outfielders.

This would all be contingent upon whether the Reds could re-sign Ludwick for a couple of years. It would clearly be cheaper in the long run, but Gordon will be playing after Ludwick has bade adieu to the game.

Cincinnati Reds: If Scott Rolen Doesn't Retire, What Will the Reds Do with Him?

According to Jayson Stark, Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolenhas said that he may still want to play in 2013. Stark also said that the Reds "would like him back in some role."

What type of role would that be—backup third baseman, infield coach or possibly player-coach?

Those are the questions concerning Rolen's possible decision to not ride into the sunset.

The keys to third base have apparently been handed over to Todd Frazier.

“Right now, Frazier would be penciled in as our third baseman next year,” general manager Walt Jocketty said, via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

Rolen has always been a starter and is probably sitting on a Hall of Fame career if it is over now. If he makes the decision to amble on, it could be detrimental to that possibility.

At best, most onlookers have him on the fence in regards to a Cooperstown ending. I am on his side in that skirmish but I may change my tune if he refuses to give up.

That is a hard fact that too many players cannot accept. It is difficult to step back, take a look and say, "That's it, I am done."

If he stays on with the Reds in 2013 as a player, what does it mean to the rest of the team?

If Frazier is going to be the third basemen, he doesn't need anyone looking over his shoulder.

If Rolen were to play third base, you probably could not get 75 games out of him, so what would be the purpo

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Cohesion is what the team needs, not some type of drama.

Putting Rolen at third and moving Frazier to left would not be an ideal twist.

Frazier proved his ability to be maneuverable last season, filling in all of those games at first for Joey Votto. Don't look at this as a quick fix to the search for an outfielder. Frazier is not, I repeat not your everyday left fielder.

Putting Frazier in left field would do nothing for the battle between Chris Heisey and Drew Stubbs. Unless of course, you think the Reds should move Stubbs or at least demote him in favor of Heisey in center field.

I think Rolen would be good as a full-time coach, not a player-coach. He has much to teach Frazier and others on the left side of the infield.

Perhaps he would be a good candidate for a managerial job down the road.

Rolen's indecision about retiring should have no effect on the team's search for an outfielder. I would personally like to see Ryan Ludwick back for another season in left field.

Apparently the Muckety-mucks in the front office are still thinking about people like Shane Victorino, Austin Kearns and even Scott Podsednik.

All three are most likely on the sunset side of their careers. With the exception of Victorino, the question becomes a non sequitur.

Considering the future of the organization it becomes apparent that speedster Billy Hamilton is being groomed to become the center fielder, perhaps as early as 2014.

That being said. the future of Drew Stubbs looks very shadowy, for sure. He still hasn't learned how to hit after a few years as the Reds' starting center fielder. Is it time for him to go?

In conclusion, the Reds do not need Rolen to come back as a player. If they have other options in mind, welcome him, if not wave goodbye as he rides into the sunset.

The wAR Between Statistics and Sabermetrics Is In Full Vigor

 

[caption id="attachment_269" align="aligncenter" width="555"] (C) 2012 Cliff Eastham[/caption]

The war (not to be confused with WAR) between "counting statistics" and sabermetrics is still in full vigor.

The latest skirmish was started over Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera being awarded the MVP trophy over Rookie-of-the-Year Mike Trout. Trout beat Cabrera in the category known as WAR (hmm Good God y'all...) and that is just about the only significant thing other than defense in which he prevailed.

Ted Williams was the last Triple Crown winner to be shunned by the sportswriters (twice), in 1942 and again in 1947. In both instances he thoroughly trounced the winners, Joe Gordon and Joe DiMaggio respectively. In case you wonder, he also won the WAR, but lost the battle.

The cultural aspects of the two camps are essentially old-school baseball purists (I will consider myself in league with these guys) and younger, well-meaning mathematicians who insist on finding a reason or assumption for every play in the game.

For openers, I do not profess to have even a working knowledge of most of the metrics employed by Fangraphs.com  and Baseball-Reference.com.

If you are over 55 it is a safe bet not to trust any statistic or metric that you can't compute yourself without the aid of an electronic device.

Another easy call is to not trust a number that is thrown into the mix as a "theoretical", "estimated" or "variable" figure.

By way of explanation it is easy to fortify my claim by looking at the metric known as WAR. While trying to school myself in the newer ways of the baseball world, I took a look at this metric on the Baseball-Reference website, as provided by Sean Smith.

Wins Above Replacement, as it is formally known, was introduced to that site in 2010. The reason for this metric is to "know how much better a player is than what a team would typically have to replace that player.” Sounds a little "iffy" already, but stay with me.

They then compare the player to "average in a variety of venues and then compare our theoretical replacement player to the average player and add the two results together."

It is difficult for me to visualize this alleged "theoretical replacement player." Does he look like Raul Ibanez or maybe Wilson Valdez?

I can come up with the average player by adding the stats for everyone in MLB and dividing the total by the number of players computed. Check?

Hold on though. Do I have to include every statistic for every player? Where would I be without my computer, calculator or tablet?

I don't know about you, but by this time I am becoming tired and haven't even computed the WAR for the first guy yet. But wait, there is more!

If you are a purist you will have to love this next statement. "There is no one way to determine WAR." Does that give me license to add another make-believe statistic to the pile?

I do not really enjoy quoting all of this, but I can't rework the words to give you a more formidable description. So be patient please.

"There are hundreds of steps to make this calculation, and dozens of places where reasonable people can disagree on the best way to implement a particular part of the framework. We have taken the utmost care and study at each step in the process, and believe all of our choices are well reasoned and defensible. But WAR is necessarily an approximation and will never be as precise or accurate as one would like."

Yet many, if not most sabermetricians take this metric (almost said statistic) as the cream-of-the-crop, uber-powerful number with which we can determine and ultimately rank each player of all time.

You know what isn't complicated? Home runs, runs batted in, batting average, ad nauseum. If a guy had 500 AB and got 175 hits his average is .350 (175/500 = .350). Easy, eh?

This qualifier here really does it for me: "We present the WAR values with decimal places because this relates the WAR value back to the runs contributed (as one win is about ten runs), but you should not take any full season difference between two players of less than one to two wins to be definitive (especially when the defensive metrics are included)."

So that is where I have been off the beaten path. I thought a win was only 9.5 runs (sarcasm).

Do you think Ozzie Smith had more value than Johhny Bench? WAR does,  73 to 72.3.  How about Bobby Grich over Many Ramirez?

Enough of  WAR, let us move on to a little defense since they may also sometimes be included.

Let us point our browsers to Fangraphs. First off is the UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating).

Here we are immediately adjured to bring into play yet another theoretical formula.

We find that this metric is an "advanced defensive metric that uses play-by-play data recorded by Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) to estimate each fielder’s defensive contribution in theoretical runs above or below an average fielder at his position in that player’s league and year."

This mumbo-jumbo is beginning to make my old head hurt. "each event is assigned a number of runs, or fraction of a run, which is equal to the average value of that event as compared to a generic PA, generally for that year and for that league."

It sounds like Pythagoras, Bill James and Norm Crosby got together to make something sound as though it makes sense.

Here is more statistical latin for you. "...with UZR the amount of credit that the fielder receives on each play, positive (if he makes an out) or negative (if he allows a hit or an ROE), depends on how often that particular kind of batted ball, in terms of its location, speed and several other factors, is fielded by an average fielder at the same position, measured over a time span of several years, in addition to whether the batted was a hit, out, or error (or FC)."

On what website do I find the speed of a ground ball to a shortstop? Are we using MPH (not a metric) or generic terms such as hard hit, lazy ground ball, or a seeing-eye grounder?

Look at this. "...the UZR engine estimates that it was a difficult ball to field". So now are we allowing engines to determine if a ball was catchable or not? Interesting.

In essence here, are we saying that because Ozzie Smith could have made a play, and that since Zack Cozart didn't, he should be penalized, even though he never laid a hand (or glove) on the ball?

On to pitching. BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) is a metric used to show a pitcher's true value. Are you listening - or reading?

This is from Fangraphs. "While typically around 30% of all balls in play fall for hits, there are three main variables that can affect BABIP rates for individual players: ...defense...luck...changes in talent level."

The defensive variable for BABIP basically claims that if a screamer is hit to third, a stud would make the play and a dud would not. A pitcher has no control over that.

Next, we look at luck variable. "Sometimes, even against a great defense, bloop hits can fall in. A batter may turn a nasty pitch into a dribbler that just sneaks past the first baseman, or they may blast a shot in the gap that a fielder makes a diving catch on. A pitcher can make the absolute perfect pitch against a batter, yet the hitter could still dribble it up the middle for a hit. That’s just the game."

That sounds like whining to me, sir.

Now, the changes in talent level. "Maybe a pitcher starts tipping one of their pitchers, their mechanics are off, or they start leaving too many balls over the plate. Balls get hit harder until the pitcher makes the necessary adjustments, but until then, the harder a ball is struck, the more likely it is to fall in for a hit."

That certainly is stating the obvious.

I can't go on, big headache coming. Do you even understand what I am trying to say? It may be too simple to understand.

Baseball doesn't really need theories, hypotheses or estimations. The boys of summer have been using the same yardsticks for scores of years. The numbers they have used have been easily calculated with a pencil in fairly short order.

Do we need a special set of metrics for everything that goes on in a game? I knew I should have studied calculus and chemistry. Now I will have to call Walter White to help me decide that Stan Musial was better than Kirby Puckett.

 

MLB Trade Rumors: Juan Pierre to the Reds?

Here is a big question for you. Should the Reds trade or buy a player or two, or stand pat and work with what they have?

Sounds like an easy question to answer, doesn't it?

You can hear the rumors bouncing off the walls. Trade for Carlos Quentin. Trade for Josh Willingham. Get Juan Pierre. How a bout Shane Victorino? Trade for Denard Span.

Those are all good players and they are all outfielders. Three of the five could be an excellent choice for a leadoff hitter which the Reds badly need.

The other two are power hitters who have already moved multiple times. Quentin is on his third team in seven years, while Willingham is on his fourth team in nine years.

Are we as Reds' fans ready to just pack it in and start over? Not me.

Quentin is a .252 career hitter while Willingham is playing over his head right now.

If you bring in either of the two, it would facilitate taking Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey out of the mix. Heisey's average is up considerably while Ludwick is without question the third best power hitter on the entire team.

I could envision bringing Pierre or Span in and putting them at the top of the batting order. In Pierre's situation he would probably be best suited as a left fielder, which would mean moving Jay Bruce back to center field and moving Ludwick to right. With his rag-arm Pierre is only suited for left field now.

Span could start in center right now meaning Drew Stubbs would be the odd man out, and why shouldn't he be? A leadoff hitter with an OBP of less than .300? Give me a break. He strikes out way too much and is as streaky as Jay Bruce.

Ludwick has come on strong and shown that he can be a run producer in the middle of the lineup. In his last 15 games he has a line of .286/.340/.653 with 5 HR and 8 RBI.

An addition of Willingham or Quentin at the expense of Ludwick does not pan out, I don't care who you are. They are both right handed batters and the Reds are top heavy in that area. Span and Pierre both bat from the left side. Victorino is a switch hitter.

When your problem is getting on base you do not load up on power hitters. You look for someone who can get on base. Enter Pierre!

He has collected 200+ hits in four different seasons, leading the league in two of them. He is a career .297 hitter and has led the league in stolen bases three times. Not to mention, he is a first-class bunter.

That is my suggestion. A lineup that would look like this - before the return of Votto.

LF - Pierre,  2B - Phillips, CF - Bruce, RF- Ludwick, 1B- Frazier, 3B - Rolen, SS - Cozart, Catcher, Pitcher

They could probably pick up Pierre for a decent prospect.

Joey Votto's Injury Leaves Cincinnati Reds Without a .300 Hitter

It is difficult to imagine a team winning a pennant, or even a division without having an active .300 hitter who is not a pitcher.

That is the hand the Reds were dealt when former MVP Joey Votto was scheduled for surgery. It is conservatively estimated that he will miss three or four weeks.

Rookie Todd Frazier played the first game of Votto's hiatus on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Reds lost their first game sans Votto, 5-3.

Not only are the Reds without a .300 hitter, they now have one left-handed bat (Jay Bruce) on the active roster.

We shall see what kind of mettle the Reds are made of. Many teams have lost their star player and had to scramble to fill a hole that was left.

At least now there is no debate on whether Frazier or Scott Rolen should occupy the "hot" corner.

Now there is a serious need for a good leadoff hitter with a left-handed bat. Enter Juan Pierre?

Pierre is a solid slap-hitter. He gets on base, and when he is there something usually happens. He is currently sixth in the National League in stolen bases with 21. His current line is .316/.354/.385.

Where would he play? In my strategy he would play center-field and Drew Stubbs would go somewhere and learn how to hit.

I realize Pierre isn't what he use to be, but who is? His throwing arm is just about one hair above Scott Podsednik's but he still moves around gracefully.

Without a potent bat in the lineup the Reds are sure to be dead in the water. I don't believe they have the wherewithal to wait until the trade deadline of July 31.

Can Dontrelle Willis play first base?

Johnny Cueto: Has the Cincinnati Reds' Ace Lost His Confidence?

[caption id="attachment_257" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)[/caption]

     Johnny Cueto was hit hard and often last night, as the lowly Colorado Rockies dealt him his second loss in his last three starts.

     The beginning to Cueto's season had the earmarks of a Cy Young Award winning caliber year. After his first seven starts he boasted an ERA of 1.12 and had a very good H/9 ratio. At that point he had just given up 39 hits in 48-plus innings, which produced a WHIP of 0.972.

     Batters were only hitting .222 against the 26-year-old Dominican.

     That was when it appeared that the Cy Young aspirations walked down the road. In his last three starts he has a record of 1-2.

     That isn't even the bad part. He has been hit to the tune of .397 and has given up 27 hits in only 15-plus innings. His WHIP in those games is 2.210. His ERA for that period is 6.89. Quite a turnaround, wouldn't you say?

     In two of those three starts, including last night, Cueto has not survived the fifth inning. What has happened to make a genuine ace turn sour so quickly? Could there be a physical problem that hasn't been announced?

     Is there something wrong with his mechanics that wasn't displayed in the first seven starts?

     In all fairness to Cueto, sandwiched between his really bad starts was a quality start against the New York Yankees last Sunday. He picked up a win and allowed eight hits and two runs in seven innings of work.

     Perhaps someone should have told the Rockies, specifically Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki who combined for a 5-8 night with four runs knocked in, how good Cueto is.

     Apparently they were unaware as Helton took him deep in the second inning digging a hole that the Reds could not come out of.

     Players are of course human, and they have the same characteristics as most people. Therefore when a bad patch occurs, they can either let it roll off them like water off a duck's behind, or sulk and let the negativism invade them.

     If the latter happens as it did last season with Aroldis Chapman, bad, bad things can transpire. Remember, when he could not find the plate? It took a trip to Louisville to get things lined out.

     If Cueto is the pitcher most Reds fans hope he is, he will choose the "ducks-back" method and start a new season the next time out of the chute.

     Because, face it folks, the Reds need their ace to perform at a top-notch level.

Todd Frazier's Walk-off Home Run Leads Reds to MLB Leading 5th Straight Win

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Third-baseman Todd Frazier clubbed a solo, walk-off home run last night to extend the Reds MLB leading win streak to five.

They have knocked the Atlanta Braves out of first place in the NL East by beating them three straight nights.

In another pitcher's dual, this time between Tommy Hanson and Bronson Arroyo, the Reds came up winners 2-1.

The win, albeit ever so sweet, didn't allow the Reds to take over the top spot as the St. Louis Cardinals won their third straight leaving the Reds looking up from a half-game back.

Newly appointed closer, Aroldis Chapman (4-0) picked up the win with a burning performance in the ninth inning. He still hasn't given up an earned run this season and has now struck out 43 in only 24 plus innings. His WHIP is an unbelievable 0.575.

After posting a 2-4 night at the plate, Chris Heisey is batting an incredible .429 going 15 for 35 at the plate in his last ten games His season average has now risen to a respectable .267.

It was his fifth multi-hit game in that span. His play has sparked the entire team as they are 7-3 in that stretch

On the darker side of life, Jay Bruce continued his horrendous slump in the month of May. In a complete turnabout of the 2011 season, Bruce is batting just .258 for the season.

In his last eight games he is hitting, wait for it, .040/.138/.040 with no homers and just two batted in. In that span he has struck out 14 times in 29 plate appearances and drawn only two walks. During May he is batting .216 with three homers and just 11 knocked in.

Arroyo turned in his fifth quality start in nine trips to the hill. He pitched three-hit, one run baseball before giving way to Jose Arredondo with two outs in the seventh. In the games he has started the Reds have a 6-3 record.

Catcher Ryan Hanigan continued his hot hitting bringing his team high average to .322. His OBP of .392 and the fact that he is the best hit-and-run contact hitter on the squad would seem to be a perfect fit for the two hole in the batting order.

The Reds will look for a four-game sweep of the Braves Thursday night when they send Homer Bailey (2-3), to the mound against Randall Delgado (2-4).

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Johnny Cueto Allows the Atlanta Braves To Rip Off His Cape

Johnny Cueto who was off to a fantastic start to the season, met his match to the 'nth' last night in Atlanta.

The Braves chased the NL ERA leader before the fifth inning last night and served him with his first defeat of 2012 as they salvaged a split in the two-game set.

He has been so outstanding this year, that even four innings of 5 ER baseball just lifts his ERA to 1.89. That is saying a mouthful right there, I don't care who you are.

So far in his eight starts, six have been dubbed "quality starts." For anyone who doesn't know the meaning of that moniker, it is given to a starting pitcher who pitches a minimum of six innings and allows three or less earned runs.

In a season that has produced a host of excellent pitching statistics, nobody stood taller (until last night) than Cueto. Entering the game he had a Bob Gibson-esque ERA of 1.12, a 4-0 record, one complete game, and had come out of a game without surrendering a run three times.

His WHIP entering the game last night was 0.972. At night's end it stood at 1.089.

The Braves jumped on him for eight hits, however only one of those was for extra bases. Brian McCann lit him up to lead off the second inning with a 388 foot shot to the seats in right.

Cueto has served notice to all that he is not just the 'ace' of the staff but an 'ace' in and of himself. He has become arguably one of the best four or five starters in the National League.

He is rolling along with an ERA+ of 209. Clayton Kershaw is doing very well yet his ERA+ pales at 163. Roy Halladay who led the league in that category in 2011 checks in at only 118.

In the eight games he has started, the Reds have a record of 6-2. In stark contrast, the Phillies are only 3-5 when Halladay starts, the five losses are all in succession.

The Dodgers have a 6-2 record when last year's Cy Young Award winner Kershaw starts.

Everybody has a bad day at some point. Stephen Strasburg was treated poorly last night by the San Diego Padres, chasing him after four innings as well.

The beating Cueto took last night only proves that he is human, not that the Braves are his kryptonite. His cape may be gone, but he hasn't even learned how to fly yet. Beware!

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Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds send Henry Rodriguez to Blow-ville

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Waking up on Monday morning, Henry Rodriguez is one of the last people on earth I would want to be. Oh the pain, humiliation, and self-loathing that must be going on between his ears.

Every closer blows a game once in a while. Just ask Coco Cordero, Sean Marshall, and even the best of all-time, Mo Rivera. In fact, it was already the third one blown by Rodriguez.

Just because you are the third closer in the normal healthy pecking order leaves no wiggle room for error.

What do you think went through H-Rod's mind? The bases were loaded, two outs and he still held a 6-5 lead. What was he thinking when he let that 2-2 pitch go to Joey Votto Sunday? Do you think he gave the ball a good dressing-down as he threw it? "Come on, ball, go right where I threw you."

Sometimes balls refuse to listen. Joey Votto swung at that ball as though he was mad at it. It sailed over the fence in center-field  and 28,361 people (or how many were still there wearing their soakers) went home happy.

Happy, I tell you. There is nothing like sending the team back on the road with a win under their collective belt. It was the sixth consecutive Sunday (all of them this season) that the Reds sent someone packing with a big defeat on their back. 6-0 on Sunday, that sounds good.

In a game that was tardy by over 3 1/2 hours, the Reds clawed back from a 6-3 deficit to avoid a series sweep. Votto had one of the best games of his career, belting the game winning granny along with two solo homers. In all he was 4-5 with six knocked in. He raised his average 24 points to .319.

Let us turn our focus back to the 25-year-old Venezuelan. Just the night before he struck out the side to notch his eighth save of the season.

Oh what a difference a day makes. Rodriguez, the hardest thrower in the National League could not just rear back and throw it this time. He should have had some mustard or something on it because Votto just mistreated it.

The big win coupled with the St. Louis Cardinals loss to Atlanta pulled the Reds to just 2.5 games off the pace.

With Scott Rolen being placed on the DL, the Reds called up left-hand batting Mike Costanzo to fill his spot on the roster. Todd Frazier is expected to get most, if not all starts at the hot corner in Rolen's absence.

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Cincinnati Reds Mediocre Start: Putting a Positive Spin on it

The Cincinnati Reds have been very inconsistent this young season. Strike that your Honor, let's say it this way: The Reds are playing .500 baseball despite losing Ryan Madsen, Nick Masset, Bill Bray, Mike (yes you can call him Mike) Cairo, and most recently Scott Rolen.

Their current two-game skid at home is alarming. I take that back Judge, shall I rephrase? Is there a better pitching staff than the Washington Nationals? If there is I wish they would stand so the jurors could see them.

Gio Gonzalez was beating the Reds like they stole something Friday night. I will withdraw that statement your most High Excellency. Let's go this way: The Reds need to be commended for their ability to stay within Grand Slam distance against a pitcher with nine strikeouts in five innings.

Mike Leake was pitching as poorly as anyone on the Reds' staff this season in that game. That sounds rough, too negative you know? Move to strike your Honor. Look at how good the Nationals looked against Leake. Good on ya Mike! Especially since they are without Jayson Werth, Mike Morse and Mark DeRosa.

I bet they could have really lit it up with those guys on the card.

If the St. Louis Cardinals weren't losing as well the Reds would be 5.5 games back. That was clearly a negative remark Mr. Eastham. Sorry Judge, move to strike. Watch this: Even playing .500 ball and in the midst of a two game losing streak the Reds find themselves firmly entrenched in second place.

The Reds are getting nearly nothing in the way of offense from their left-field experiment. C'mon Judge how can I spin that around? Wait, I got it. If Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick would go on a crash diet, they would soon be batting their weight. Ahh, much better.

Matt Latos pitched as well as he could for as long as he could last night. It just wasn't good enough. Thank you Jose Arredondo.

I can really spin this one, stand back. You should have seen how pretty the first pitch was that Arredondo offered up to Danny Espinosa. It must have surely been to his liking as he placed it deep into the seats in right-center field.

That, in effect was your ballgame right there.

So far in this series, the Reds have struck out 26 times in 18 innings. Sorry, I apologize. Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann came into Great American Ball Park and pitched as though they were Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale (may he rest in peace).

Too much spinning, feeling dizzy, queezy, I can't go on much longer.

In the final game of the set, the Reds will send veteran Bronson Arroyo to the hill against Edwin Jackson. Oh, by the way, Jackson already pitched what was arguably the best game against Cincinnati all season long.

On April 14, he pitched a two-hit gem allowing one run, yielding only one walk while fanning nine in a complete game which he threw only 92 pitches in.

The moral of this story is that you cannot always find something pleasant to write about if you want to foster discussion among the troops. Call me negative, call me Stormy, call me Caesar Cliffius, just don't call me Polyanna.

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Sean Marshall of the Cincinnati Reds Gives Me Coco-itis When He Attempts to Close

Francisco Cordero, AKA "Coco" got me hooked on Maalox when he was with the Cincinnati Reds. Heartburn City was where I was living.

He could come into a game with a clean slate and by the time it was over the chalkboard looked like Einstein was writing equations that only he could understand.

That same characteristic has been passed down to his successor, albeit by misfortune, Sean Marshall.

Marshall is considered to be one of the best setup men in all of baseball. I can attest to his eighth-inning prowess by watching him battle against the Reds while with the Chicago Cubs.

A setup man extraordinaire! But not a closer. I am sorry to tell you this but it is the plain unadulterated truth. Love you Man. Good on ya Sean. Coco-itis is nothing to be looked at or talked about mindlessly.

The first dose of Maalox on Marshall's watch started April 26 in a game against the San Francisco Giants. The Reds were all keyed-up for a three game sweep and then it started.

The top of the ninth with the Reds leading 5-3. Marshall promptly issued a base on balls and surrendered a single. After striking out Brett Pill on three pitches, he let Angel Pagan leave the yard and give his team what turned out to be the win 6-5.

Wow! Just wow. You know you have stunk up the place when you have to decisions on your line in the box score: a blown save and a loss.

Visions of that catastrophic scenario played in my mind as I watched him face the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon.

Zack Greinke and Johnny Cueto had engaged in an old fashioned pitcher's duel, with the Reds scoring in the top of the ninth to take a 2-0 lead.

Then it happened.  With a 2-2 count to Ryan Braun to open the inning, the guts started churning. That burning sensation. The next pitch saw Braun leave the yard and with him any confidence I ever had in Marshall.

After taking Aramis Ramirez to a full count, he dispatched the third baseman with a swinging strikeout. Maybe he can get out of this thing after all. Burn.

Then Corey Hart hit a ball so far into center-field that Drew Stubbs was closer to the wall than pee on a board. Nice catch, two outs now. Hold steady son.

Jonathan Lucroy belts a line drive single to left field and the nausea becomes audible. My stomach is growling and asking Dusty Baker if he sees what it sees. Baker is working overtime on his toothpick.

Norichika Aoki blooped the first pitch into short left where nobody was and became the winning run on first base. C'mon Dusty, send him into that sweet night, because he won't go gently.

The Coco-itis begins to subside as Baker takes the ball from Marshall and he trots off into a place called Humiliation.

What message does that send to the enemy? You have just taken the spear from your most decorated warrior and given it to an understudy.

If that isn't tantamount to waving the white flag then I don't know what is.

Logan Ondrusek came on to put out the fire (the one the Brewers had started plus the one in my belly). He made it very interesting however, by loading them up with a walk before inducing a game ending popup to Chris Heisey.

The moral of the story is if Aroldis Chapman is throwing aspirins at 101 mph and blowing them by the batters, don't press your luck by bringing in a so-called closer just to appease traditionalists.

Seriously, my entrails cannot afford the further damage that will be caused by Marshall remaining in the closer role.

The entire time Cordero was closing for the Reds I can only recall Baker bringing the hook out to get him twice. It may have been more but that is all that I can recall. He has already done it with Marshall in only his seventh chance for a save.

To add insult to injury, Marshall is credited with a 'Hold' instead of being awarded another 'Blown Save'.

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Cincinnati Reds Prospect Billy Hamilton: Square Peg in Round Hole Syndrome?

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Geez, be stuck in court for two days as an expert witness, and you miss all the Bleacher Report excitement. I don't know where to begin.

Close friend and former featured columnist Illya Harrell wrote a piece about the emergence of Billy Hamilton as a bona fide top prospect that has rocked the Reds community there.

In his article, Harrell doesn't necessarily condone a trade of the highly regarded speedster, merely providing fuel for thought, as opposed to providing 10 reasons why the Reds are off to a slow start in slideshow format.

He described how the Reds currently have a true Rookie of the Year prospect in Zack Cozart, and therefore Hamilton is blocked as a shortstop. Should the Reds see what size fish could be caught if they threw Hamilton in the creek as bait?

It was particularly interesting to see that most fans and writers here see the answer to the problem as moving the youngster to various positions to accommodate his base-stealing ability.

Arguing as to the validity of Hamilton's offensive prowess, some fans seek to move Cozart to third base, thus allowing Hamilton to play shortstop.

Some claim he should be converted to an outfielder. Did all the love for Drew Stubbs suddenly evaporate?

This debate has all the earmarks of the burning question, "What do we do with Yonder Alonso?"

Drew Stubbs
John Grieshop/Getty Images

The result of that question was answered when the Reds sent the top prospect to the San Diego Padres bundled with Yasmani Grandal, Brad Boxberger and Opening Day starter Edinson Volquez for Mat Latos.

I won't go into details as to what Latos has done or the fact that Volquez' ERA is below 3.00.

The point to be made is that nobody is sacred to an organization, Joey Votto excepted.

A player may be worth his weight in gold on offense, but if there is no square hole to insert the square peg into, a round hole is not the answer.

Hamilton lacks the power to play either a corner infield or outfield position. Left field and third base are the burning futuristic questions for the faithful of the Queen City.

Many have complained that Chris Heisey has yet to have his time card punched regularly enough to be discarded from the LF slot.

Others are still hopeful that Ryan Ludwick will turn the clock back four years and demonstrate what an asset he can be.

Cozart has never played third base on any professional level. The fact that he is an excellent athlete does not preclude the fact that he may not be able to adjust to it.

Some have made the transition from shortstop to center field successfully. Hall of Famer Robin Yount comes to mind first.

But before grooming the youngster Hamilton for center field, you should be certain that Stubbs is not what you thought he was when he was your first-round draft choice in 2006.

Is Hamilton faster than Stubbs? Have they been clocked together? Stubbs has very good range, and many think he is an excellent defensive player. He can also hit for power and was third in the NL with 40 stolen bases in 2011.

That being said, "What do we do with Billy Hamilton?"

Square peg for a round hole, anyone?

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Cincinnati Reds Claw Their Way Past Milwaukee Brewers into 2nd Place

The Cincinnati Reds have been one of the National League's top run-producing teams the past couple years. This year they started off like they were poured out of a molasses jar.

Scott Rolen cracked his first home run last night as the Reds extended their win streak to three games and clinched their third series win of the young campaign. The win also pulled the Reds 2.5 games back in the NL Central Division.

Some significant highlights have taken place recently that should serve notice to the rest of the league.

Mat Latos is actually as good as advertised. As his harshest critic, I believe I see the light.

In his last performance in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants, he went seven strong innings of shutout baseball allowing only four hits and two walks.

As I mentioned in an earlier article, "He will be working the rest of the month to get his ERA down below five." That is a true statement but he is well on his way as his ERA dropped about 2.5 runs in the one game.

Ryan Ludwick is turning out to be a good acquisition. He leads the team with three HR and 10 RBI. His upper-deck blast on Tuesday chased starter Matt Cain and opened the door for the Reds' winning rally.

Bronson Arroyo is not over the hill as many had irreverently proclaimed. In his last three starts, his ERA is an eye-popping 1.71 and his WHIP is 0.936.

Aroldis Chapman has developed into a feared pitcher. You can almost see the dread on the batter's faces when he takes the mound. The burning question in all fan's minds is whether he will remain a setup man or become a starter.

If the latter were true he would have to knock Mike Leake out as he has become the least effective member of the starting rotation.

Drew Stubbs actually looks as though he has become a MLB player. His strikeouts are down and he has started to prove his worth.

Sean Marshall showed that the loss of Ryan Madson is not a season killer. He has saved four games in four attempts.

The three-game win streak is second in the National League only to the astounding Washington Nationals, who have won four straight and stand alone atop the NL East Division.

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Cincinnati Reds' Anorexic Bats Have Now Become a Cause For Concern

The Cincinnati Reds are off to one of the poorest starts in the National League. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres have a lower batting average after the Reds first nine games.

The team has already had a pair of two-hitters thrown at them  thus far with a three-hitter thrown in for good measure.

Their anemic .191 batting average and failure to provide run support has made it very hard for the pitching staff to work. It is plenty of pressure for a starter to go out and know his team isn't going to give him three runs to work with.

Their OBP of .255 is only better than the Pirates in the NL.

Is it time for concern? I would say so. They are already three games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-6 record and currently on the crest of a three-game skid.

Either the Reds batters have lost their touch or they have faced the best pitchers in baseball. I know the latter is not true. Of the beatings they have taken so far, only Gio Gonzalez is a top-of-the-line starter.

Of course when you have an OBP of only .255 you are not getting on base. The long ball has suddenly disappeared.

With a team total of five round-trippers, Jay Bruce has delivered 60 percent of them. He also hit the last one the team has in the third game of the season.

A six-game home run drought may not seam so bad, but the longest the Reds went in the 2011 season without a homer was eight games.

Take a look at in individually for a moment. Only four of the 'starting' players have an average over .200. Zack Cozart is leading the way with a .313 average as the lone .300 hitter on the squad.

Joey Votto is hitting .290, followed by Brandon Phillips at .250 and Bruce at .235.

The only two players who have a decent OBP are Votto (.410) and Cozart (.371).

If the total average isn't depressing enough, look at what happens when you only analyze the losses. The average descends to a miserably .126. That boils down to only 25 hits in the six games (25-199).

Cliff, why don't you say something good about the team? Everybody knows the bright spots on the squad are a very few pitchers who have really stepped up. This article is only touching on the offensive woes we are, as fans, forced to agonize through.

The first few games could be urinated away as cold weather follies, but the trip to DC hasn't been anywhere close to freezing.

The current three game losing streak is second only to the Pirates (Pirates fans I promise you I am not trying to beat up on you).

Mike Leake (0-1) will take the ball for the Reds today against southpaw Ross Detwiler (1-0) who will attempt to extend the Washington Nationals winning streak to six games.

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Joey Votto Gets Four Hits As Cincinnati Reds' Bats Come Alive

First baseman Joey Votto went 4-5 and Wilson Valdez added three hits as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 in walk-off fashion on Wednesday. Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey singled in the winning run with one out in the ninth inning.

This marked the second time in six games that the Reds have had walk-off wins.

In near freezing temperature at Great American Ball Park, the Reds jumped on Jaime Garcia for 11 hits and chased the southpaw in the fifth inning.

Votto who got out of the gate slowly thus far, scorched two doubles and two singles to raise his average to .333. In the first four games he had stuck out six times in 13 at bats.

Valdez, filling in for the injured Brandon Phillips, hit three singles in four at bats with an RBI as he and Votto collected half of the Reds' 14 hits.

Drew Stubbs and rookie Zach Cozart both added two hits as the Reds leveled their record to 3-3.

The hit explosion was a welcome sight as the Reds had managed only two runs and seven hits in the first two games of the series. It pulled the team average up to .201 which places them 11th out of 16 NL squads. They are averaging a mere 2.5 runs per game which puts entirely too much pressure on the starting pitchers.

Cozart continued his hot hitting as his .455 average puts him behind only Carlos Ruiz' .462 in the NL. He has hit safely in all six of the Reds' games and has at least two hits in half of them.

Stubbs has shown more plate discipline as his strikeout rate is down to around 25 percent.

Jay Bruce has brought his average up to .304 and is still leading the league with 3 HR.

Heisey has demonstrated once again why he is the premier pinch-hitter in the league. He is now 2-2 with 2 RBI when coming off the bench. By contrast, he is batting just .091 when starting in the outfield.

The team will begin a four-game set against the NL East leading, Washington Nationals (4-2) on Thursday. Mat Latos (0-1) will be looking to atone for his bad performance in his debut with the Reds. He will face southpaw Gio Gonzalez (0-0) in the series opener.

The Nats will be hosting the season home opener as Gonzalez will be looking to make amends for his first outing as well.

Cincinnati Reds' Zack Cozart Is Only Star in Dreadful Offensive Start in 2012

Zack Cozart is the only position player on the Cincinnati Reds to be batting over .300. Allow me to qualify that statement; the only one with more than one game played.

The rookie shortstop is hitting .500/.563/1.000 in the first four games and has hit safely in all of them.

The big average he is carrying is not unusual or extraordinary for this juncture of the season. The rest of the team, however is far below what anybody would have expected.

In being thumped by division-rival and defending World Series champion St.Louis Cardinals 6-1 Monday night, the Reds managed only three singles against the Cards' five-hole starter, Jake Westbrook.

They are currently 23rd out of 30 MLB teams with a collective batting average of .218. By contrast, the NL leading Cardinals are batting at a torrid .317 pace. Everyone was concerned about how they would do with three top people gone from the squad. Albert who?

Cozart, 26, has already enjoyed two multi-hit games this season and has played flawlessly on defense.

Former MVP Joey Votto has been especially disappointing. After becoming richer than Montgomery Burns on "The Simpsons" much is expected of the Canadian born first-baseman. He is batting only .154 with 1 HR, but his team high six strikeouts are more distressing. He is presently being fanned at a 46 percent clip.

Jay Bruce has hit with power when he has hit, but is only flashing a .267 average at the moment. He continues to lead MLB with 3 HR.

Other than opening day starter, Johnny Cueto, the Reds starting pitching has been less than stellar. It is not the pitching that is keeping them from winning however, it is the paltry batting deficiencies.

Left-field tandem Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick are batting just .200 in the young season.

Rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco it hitting .333 but has appeared in only one game thus far.

Since Juan Francisco's departure on that midnight train to Georgia, the Reds have no decent bench bat from the left side. Oh sure there is Willie Harris, but there certainly isn't 'game changer' written on the back of his jersey.

The highly-touted pitching staff has come up short as a unit, with only six teams in MLB having a higher ERA than their 4.75

This leads to a deep question. Have the opposing pitchers been that tough, or have the Reds' bats just been that quiet?

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Cincinnati Reds' Aroldis Chapman Is Off to a Terrific Start in 2012

Aroldis Chapman enjoyed one of the best Cactus League seasons on any team. He should have been placed in the starting rotation as the team talked about all spring.

Pitching coach Bryan Price has worked with him and have his delivery more compact and less hectic. Still a little herky-jerky up in there, but it is working fine.

Instead, he got bumped to the bullpen in lieu of Homer (American Psycho) Bailey. If anyone was watching, Bailey had a spring that would usually send someone to Louisville if they were fighting for their job.

Chapman has come out firing. In his first assignment on opening day against the Miami Marlins, he came in as a setup man in the eighth inning with the Reds up 2-0. He faced three batters, threw 10 pitches and recorded two strikeouts, while recording his first hold of the season. You could see him smiling as he walked near Jose Reyes as he made him look silly on a fast ball for the last out.

Newly acquired setup man-turned closer, Sean Marshall nailed it down in the ninth with an almost mirrored performance.

In Sunday's spectacular come from behind win against the Marlins, Chapman came into the game in the eighth inning with the Reds trailing 5-4. He had a perfect inning with a strikeout. In the ninth inning, still trailing 5-4 he got the first two batters out before Reyes tripled and was stranded as Chapman struck out Emelio Bonfacio with 100 mph fastballs.

Of course the Reds came back and gave Chapman the win on a Jay Bruce homer and a walkoff RBI by Scott Rolen.

His line for the two games thus far is 2G, 3IP, 1H, 0W, 5K, o.ooERA, 1-0 with one hold. His WHIP is 0.333 and is strikeout ratio is 15/9.

I must admit it is fun to watch him and easy to become excited with the chance you will see him four or five times a week in the eighth inning as opposed to every fifth game as a starter.

The control problems that haunted him in 2011 are apparently a thing of the past. He walked 41 batters in the 50 innings he worked last year, averaging nearly eight per nine innings pitched.

I realize the season is young and there is much baseball to be played. I wonder now that if he shines too glossy in the pen, will Dusty Baker keep him in there?

I imagine that will all depend on how the rotation pitchers work out. My hunch tells me that Bailey will be the first to falter.

He looks to be enjoying himself and that is important. That is a good thing, because it is time he begins to earn that $30M the Reds shelled out to land him.