Cincinnati Reds Team |
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AARON HARANG: The 6-7, 270-pound
Harang led the Reds in
2005 in wins (11), quality
starts (19), innings (211) and strikeouts (163) in
2005. He twice had 10 strikeouts in a game. His
ERA was at 3.54 before he was hit hard in his final three starts. SCOUT: Short-arm delivery. Real short stride for a tall pitcher. Deceptive. He gets on hitters quickly with an 89- to 92-mph fastball that moves down in the strike zone. He's got a curveball that's more of an offspeed pitch; a smaller, cutter-like slider, and a real good split. He throws strikes. He was their best pitcher in the second half. SCOUT: He's a big, strong man, but he doesn't throw as hard as you think. He's at 90-mph, 91 at times. The best thing he does is move the ball around the strike zone and mix speeds. He's more of a control Ditcher.
BRANDON CLAUSSEN: Claussen moved into the starting rotation in 2005 and established career highs in every statistical category. He permitted three runs or fewer in 21 of his 29 starts and was
second on the staff in both wins (10) and quality starts (14). SCOUT: He doesn't throw that hard, his fastball's 88-89, but when he's down, it has pretty good life. His slider is small, but very quick. His changeup fades from righthanders. He uses all his pitches. Really shows a nice feel. SCOUT: I'm not crazy about his delivery. He throws from over the top and pushes the ball at times. But he has good command for a guy who doesn't have a smooth delivery.
ERIC MILTON: A free-agent signee, Milton struggled in his first season with the Reds. He became the first Reds pitcher to lead the majors in home runs allowed (40) since Tom Browning in 1991. His 6.47 ERA was the highest in club history for any pitcher with 30-plus starts and the second-highest in NL history. SCOUT: He's lost some off his fastball; he's 90-91 now, not the 93 he was in Minnesota (before the knee surgery), and those two or three mph can make a big difference to a four-seam, flyball guy. The lazy flyballs he used to get up in the strike zone with his fastball often turn into well-struck home runs at 90. SCOUT: He has a compact, high, three-quarters delivery, a solid-average fastball. One of the disturbing factors about him is he doesn't have the quality of curve ball that he had in the past. His slider is still a quality pitch, and his changeup is fine. He's around the plate. He just makes too many mistakes up in the strike zone.
DAVE WILLIAMS: Acquired in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh.
Listed as the Pirates' No. 5 starter in 2005, he was the team's only 10-game winner and set career bests in virtually every ategory. He was strong on the road, going '-4 with a 2.65 ERA, the third-best road ;RA in the National League. SCOUT: Soft-osser. Good delivery. He's in the middle 10s with his fastball. He has a slow curve-lall that could be a lot tighter, a very good hange. He knows how to pitch, but he has •ery little margin for error because of his ack of velocity. He could really suffer in hat small ballpark in Cincinnati because le's had some trouble getting the ball lown.
LUKE HUDSON: Hudson missed the first two months of the 2005 season with inflammation in his right shoulder. He pitched both as a starter and reliever, enjoying more success out of the bullpen. He was 6-8 as a starter with a 7.20 ERA; he allowed only two unearned runs in nine innings pitched as a reliever. SCOUT: He began the year on the DL (rotator cuff problems) and didn't show quite the velocity he had in the past. He was 88- to 92-mph with life down in the strike zone. He mixed in a tightly-biting curveball, a good changeup. His main issue has been his inability to repeat his delivery and release point.
DAVID WEATHERS: Weathers moved into the closer role in May after Danny Graves was designated for assignment. He converted 15 of 19 save opportunities and notched seven victories, one short of his career high. SCOUT: He's a sinker/slider reliever. He'll take the ball every day. He'll come after hitters. He throws right at 90 mph from low three-quarters; he changes speeds, he throws strikes. He gets in trouble when his arm angle drops and his sinker doesn't sink. The thing that bothers me about him is he's Just a little too inconsistent. He has stretches when he's just awful.
KENT MERCKER : A 14-year veteran, Mercker has 70-plus appearances each of the last two years. He allowed only two home runs in 102 at-bats vs. lefthanded hitters. A sore back hindered him in the second half. SCOUT: He's a little unusual. He's actually throwing harder now than he did a couple of years ago. Probably because he's healthy. He's in the low 90s with his fastball. He throws a good changeup and a very small slider he locates well. Although his main mission is to get out tough lefthanders, he's not bad against righthanders.
RYAN WAGNER: Wagner missed the second half of the 2005 season because of inflammation in his right shoulder. Before he was sidelined, Wagner was O-for-2 in save opportunities and is now O-for-6 in his career when he's had a chance to earn a save. SCOUT: He continues to have arm trouble, probably because of his delivery; he puts a lot of strain on his arm. When he's right, he has a 92-, 93-mph fastball with excellent sink and a nasty hard, tilted slider. Command can be an issue at times, but if he's healthy, he's certainly the best candidate to close.
MATT BELISLE: A converted starter, Belisle pitched in various roles last season, including five starts and a brief stint as the team's closer. He went 2-6 with a 4.09 ERA as a reliever and 2-2 with a 5.25 ERA as a starter. SCOUT: They need to figure out what to do with him. They started him, closed with him, they've used him to set up. He has very good life with his fastball (89- to 92-mph) up and down in the strike zone. He has a good curveball with tight rotation, a solid changeup. He throws easily. He has deception from over the top. The main problem at this point is he makes mistakes up in the strike zone and pays for it.
JASON LARUE: He had his best season offensively in 2005, setting career highs in average (.260), doubles (27) and RBIs (60). He hit a career high .311 with runners in scoring position. He has recorded at least 12 home tuns and 50 RBIs the past four seasons. SCOUT: He was much, much better last year. One of the most improved players in the league. He's strong. He's a good fastball hitter. He's got some pull power. The hole? He has some issues with breaking stuff. Always has. SCOUT: He's a solid backstop. He handles pitches in the dirt well. He has an above-average arm. And he's a physical guy. He's one catcher who'll block the plate.
ADAM DUNN: For the second season in a row, Dunn produced 100-plus runs (107), walks (114)andRBIs(101), becoming the first player in franchise history to accomolish that feat twice. He also became the third Reds player with consecutive 40-homer seasons. He had 168 strikeouts in 543 at-bats. SCOUT: Long swing. Tremendous power to all fields. He's a rare combination of extreme patience and a lot of strikeouts. If you throw him a fastball down or make a mistake with an offspeed breaking ball, he can hurt you. On the other hand, he can be exploited up in the strike zone with fastballs. SCOUT: He's a guess hitter. He'll look pitch and zone, and cause serious damage when he guesses right. It'll be interesting to see how he handles first base. He doesn't have a lot of range in the outfield, but he catches what he gets to and throws well.
FELIPE LOPEZ: In his first year as the Reds' starting shortstop, Lopez established himself offensively as one of the best in the NL. His 23 home runs and 85 RBIs led the league's shortstnns and he tied Milwaukee's Bill Hall for the most extra-base hits (62). He had hit only 22 home runs in 940 career at-bats before 2005. SCOUT: He's better lefthanded than righthanded; classic low-ball hitter lefthanded, high-ball
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Though the Reds moved to address their
biggest need, pitching, with their second
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through sixth picks in the 2005 draft, they
started off with athletic center fielder Jay
Bruce. The 18-year-old Texan made steady
progress after signing for $1.8 million. Bruce is a few years away
from Cincinnati, and he may grow into a corner outfielder by then,
but the early returns have been positive.
Prospects
RHP Homer Bailey Top pick in 2004 is a couple of years away, but
is a potential No. 1 starter.
C Miguel Perez Ready to play in the majors defensively, must
improve with the bat to make the leap.
1B JoeyVotto Closest power prospect to the majors.
LHP Travis Wood Only 19, was almost untouchable in first pro
season with devastating changeup.
OF B.J. Szymanski Good athlete has had trouble staying healthy. |
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Eric Milton was supposed to be the Reds' big splash last season, and he made one — but it nearly drowned the entire team. The club-record 40 home runs he surrendered led the majors, and his 6.47 ERA was the second-highest in National League history. Unable to secure a high-calibei starter this offseason, the Reds' best hope for a turnaround in their rotation is for Milton to recover and turn in a season more in line with hij career numbers, which featured a 4.76 ERA before last year's debacle. |
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NL Central Baseball Sites |
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St. Louis Cardinals
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