Reds Recap and Spring Storylines

First off, please forgive me, I realize that it has been quite awhile since I've posted on my blog. A new semester is always busy, and we've sort of been in a difficult time to talk about baseball, with little stories to discuss. So I'll give several brief accounts of what's going on, and what I think about them.

Joey Votto signed a 3 year, $38 million deal. He will earn $5.5 million in 2011, $9.5 million in 2012, and $17 million in 2013. He also got a $6 million signing bonus. Essentially, with the signing bonus and the money for the first year, Votto will make what he would have in arbitration. And that was all the Reds wanted to do - lock up his three arbitration years, without breaking the bank. The dollar amounts for all three years are very affordable for Cincinnati. And let's face it, Joey will probably not be here in Cincinnati past 2013, unless he's willing to take a discount, or the Reds' payroll has increased drastically due to an almost nightly sell out at Great American. Otherwise, it simply is not feasible for a small market team to pay one player $20+ million a year.

Johnny Cueto signed a 4 year, $27 million contract. Here, the Reds bought out three of his arbitration years, and one of his free agent years. This is a tremendous deal for Cincinnati, as long as Cueto continues to grow and mature into a solid number two starter. It's fairly obvious that he will most likely never be a shut down ace, but he can be a solid member of the rotation. Of course, the fear is that Cueto will become lackadaisical now that he will be paid millions of dollars. Let's hope his production does not drop off.

Edinson Volquez inked a one year, $1.625 million deal to avoid arbitration. Volquez supposedly turned down a four year deal that would have been similar to Cueto's. He's banking on the fact that he can have another tremendous year like he did in 2008, and parlay that into a massive deal. Can't blame Volquez on this line of thinking. I would do it too. Volquez has better stuff than Cueto, and has more potential than him too. If he can harness it, and his emotions, he is the shut down pitcher the Reds lack. If he doesn't though, he could be trade bait in the future.

The Reds signed outfielder Fred Lewis to a one year $900,000 contract. He mainly plays left field, and bats lead off. At 30 years old, with a history of foot injuries, I question his defense and speed. Also, I hate the idea of a platoon, particularly when Jonny Gomes is a more important player (and a better one) than Lewis. Honestly, how important is the leadoff man? He doesn't come up as the leadoff hitter every inning, and probably will only do so an inning or two in a game. It's overrated. The Reds never had a leadoff hitter last year, and led the National League in runs scored. Gomes is a leader on this club, and well respected by his teammates and the fans. I expect him to take the potential platoon as a challenge, and to put up an even better year than last year. Perhaps Walt Jocketty brought in Lewis to be the leadoff man, or simply as a shrewd investment to motivate Jonny Gomes.

Some of the Reds doing conditioning drills in Goodyear.

Pitchers and catchers officially report tomorrow to Goodyear, Arizona for the Cincinnati Reds. Then, it's just 12 days until the first spring training game. Opening Day is just a matter of weeks away. Let's check out some spring training story lines to look out for with the Reds this year:

1. Who is the number 4 and 5 starter? It will come down to Homer Bailey, Travis Wood, and Mike Leake. Leake forced the Reds' hand last year, since there was a lack of depth at the time in the rotation, and he pitched outstandingly to make the team. He will have to do it again this year. Bailey is out of minor league options, so he would be picked up by some other team if he did not make the roster, and his arm is too good to let go. Wood has a leg up because he is a quality left hander.

2. Jonny Gomes vs. Fred Lewis. I've already given my opinion on this. Lewis is a highly talented outfielder that has the potential to leadoff, but has been inconsistent at times in his career. This type of player has ruined the Reds' seasons in past. Think Corey Patterson and Willy Taveras. Jonny Gomes is too valuable not to get 500+ at bats in the heart of the order.

3. Paul Janish vs. Edgar Renteria. I'm not a big fan of Renteria, and I personally believe he is on the decline. Renteria and Janish would most likely put up similar numbers if given the same number of at bats, so the job should go to the better fielder. That would be Janish. And the Reds have enough offense in their lineup to make up for any deficiencies that Janish has.

4. Aroldis Chapman. Nobody can go very long without mentioning the 105 mph throwing left hander when talking about the Reds. His stuff is absolutely filthy, and Francisco Cordero could be on a short leash early on. With such a competitive division, can the Reds really afford to live on the wild side with an inconsistent Coco at the back end? Chapman is as intimidating as they come, and could be to the Reds what Neftali Feliz is to the Rangers.

5. The Stubbs conundrum. If Fred Lewis doesn't bat leadoff, does Stubbs? Or is he down at the 6th or 7th spot? His unique combination of lightning speed and thunderous power leaves Dusty Baker and the Reds in a tough spot. If he drew a few more walks, Stubbs could bat leadoff and utilize that speed. Or, he could drive in runs sitting behind Votto, Rolen, Bruce, and Gomes. Personally, I'm a fan of him later in the lineup, where he can hit those three run homers, instead of the solo shots.

Tomorrow, I'll take a look at St. Louis' impending Doomsday with the Albert Pujols situation, as well as other spring training story lines from around the majors.