By Sean T.
Hello All! Harry Musgrave here. Everyone’s … well almost everyone’s favourite reporter for all things St. Louis Reds.
Well, well, well can you believe it!? The Reds actually decided they needed to shake things up, they figured that rolling out basically the same pitching staff and to a lesser degree the same lineup and expecting different results every year doesn’t work! I ams so excited that I don’t just have to copy my last 3 season previews. Maybe the Reds are tired of finishing in 3rd place?
I am stunned, flabbergasted and flummoxed (in a good way) – the Reds added a new top end starter, they spent the most money in free agency and to add a cherry on top they acquired a catcher who can actually catch! Gone is fan favourite and star Fred Ronsell, who was the runner up for MVP in 2006.
Now I have no idea if any of these changes will help the club, but hey at least they are actually trying something new. My old heart can’t take all this excitement and chatter around the team
Well let’s get at it and take a look.
Hot of the press the Reds have acquired the defensive minded James Bell from the Packers to address their catching position. Bell is a light hitter but he should be able to call the game and handle the staff much more efficiently than anyone the Reds have had over the past decade or so – give or take. If he can help some of the starters improve their numbers this will work out well for the Reds. The question is who will backup Bell, will it be Hunter Vigors and his good bat or will it be last year’s starter Paul Bett? My wager will be on Bett (do you see what I did there?) who is a more balanced option than Vigors.
At first base we will most likely see a platoon with Nathan Davis and veteran Emerson West Both players were solid last year but nothing to write home about. The Reds will expect these guys to hit about .270 and maybe 5th or 6th on the lineup. West has a career BA of .292 while Davis is .278. Davis is more polished defensively with 2 Grande Snaggers to his name.
At second base it looks like Brooklyn native John Keyte has the inside track. Keyte is all business on the field and he has a stellar glove. The problem is he had a brutal season last year that was marred with injury. If he struggles early he could be riding the pine. The Reds really like the idea of Keyte and Carne in the middle of the infield.
Third base looks like a bit if a question mark at this point. Lewis Nowell will probably get the first shot at the hot corner. His bat gives him the edge but his fielding could be a big question mark. Veteran James Putnam may get some time there as well. Emerson West can also play third so you may see him over there as needed.
One spot there is no question about is at the shortstop position. Eugenio Carne is the defending WL most valuable player and he will starter at SS. Don’t expect too much from the bat of Carne, although he has some surprising pop as he led the WL with 6 homers last season. Carne will be the leader in the infield for sure.
Despite losing star Fred Ronsell in a trade in the offseason, the outfield should be a strong point for the Reds. Now in left field Golden Reeves is back for his 6th season – time flies. Reeves is a 3 time golden bat winner – including last season and a 2-time WL most valuable player award winner. He hit .294 with 29 extra base hits last season. He will be at the top of the order and expect similar numbers from the New York, New York native.
At center field is the talk of last season in St. Louis was George Cook. Cook burst onto the scene in 1907 and won the centre field spot from Reeves. At the ripe old age of 22 he hit .297 and won the WL ‘s Greenhorn Cup award. He may leadoff this season with the departure of Ronsell. Can he follow up on his rookie season?
Apart from the Ronsell trade, the biggest news this offseason for Red fans was the signing of Salvator Spencer . The Reds threw a lot of money at a 34 year old that virtually nobody has heard of. Word is he can hit and hit well, but this is all based on a few scouts watching him play semi pro baseball in Sacramento. Spencer is a big gamble for the Reds who are hoping he will play one of the corner outfield positions. If he pans out the Reds should have one of the best outfields in the league.
The other big change is in the starting rotation. For the last few years the Reds rotation has been subpar – the one thing that has hampered them from ever making a serious run at the division title. Hopefully they have taken a step to addressing that issue with the acquisition of Kurt Kesey from the Chicago Doves. Kesey was one of the WL’s premiere pitchers in 1907 – going 23-17 with a 1.95 ERA. He lead the league in innings pitched (355.2) and strikeouts (185). He immediately becomes the team ‘s #1 starter. Can Kelsey take the Reds to the next level??
What the Red’s do with the rest of the rotation is a bit of a question mark. Will they go with a 4 man rotation for the first time? Murl Webb will be in the rotation for sure as he has been the best of the others over the past few seasons. He went 22-13 with a 2.17 ERA last year. Charles Mason will be the favourite for the number 3 spot, but his control really let him down last year as he led the league with 131 walks. Either way veteran Willam Barrow and top prospect Jeffrey Broome will play important roles.
How will the Reds do with all these changes? People smarter than myself are predicting a better year for them, but for now I am just happy with the intrigue around the new players.