Fantasy Forces:
RF-Adam Dunn (23)- While he proved that his generous homerun rate in '01 was no fluke, Dunn's maturity was fully exposed during a
horrendous second half slump that resulted in a sub-mendozan .190 average. An extremely patient hitter, Dunn showed weaknesses with the
inside part of the plate and often put himself in holes after watching hittable pitches go by early in the count. As he develops he
will be more willing to swing early and is a future homerun champ in the making while developing all other areas as well.
Better Days Ahead:
3B-Brandon Larson (26)- Larson's star has been relit after a tremendous half season at Louisville last year. On the heals of 25
homeruns in 80 games and an impressive September stint with the Reds, the former shortstop will settle into the primary third base role in
Cincy this summer. He also can play left, first and second making his stay even more likely and is the Reds top hitting prospect at
the moment.
LF-Austin Kearns (22)- After salivating over Dunn's power a year earlier, the Reds faithful were treated to another glimpse of the
future as Kearns led all rookies in hitting while demonstrating some of his raw power potential. A favorite in the ROY race, he went
down with a hamstring injury in August that knocked him out with five weeks left. The Reds traded Encarnacion to make room for Kearns
and he is an immediate candidate for a batting title with blossoming production across the board.
Risky Business:
CF-Ken Griffey Jr (33)- Not so long ago, Grumpy was the creme de la creme of baseball, a sure HOFer on his way to Aaron's homerun
mark but that was then, this is now. Wrapped up in his own media creation, Griff finished last to Kearns, Dunn and Juan Encarnacion in
a local wish list poll and recently learned of his manager's wishes to dump him on San Diego. With Encarnacion out of the picture
Griffey appears to be planted in Cincy but what affect his continued bashing has will determine his success. Always an injury risk,
his mopey approach to his current situation may be the poison that ails all.
1B-Sean Casey (28)- Griffey is not the only Red losing favor in Cincy; Casey continued to see his once moderate homerun totals
dwindle to single digits while seeing his average plummet with it. Once regarded as a future batting champ with 30-HR potential, the
Reds would take .285/15 this year but will surely dump the high-priced Casey the first shot they get. The hitting should return to his
previous levels but the power may be gone, a fault of Casey's to refuse to sacrifice any part of his average. |
Supporting Cast:
2B-Aaron Boone (30)- Bust out seasons have run in the family of late and as the case with brother Bret, Aaron's 02 season will
likely be the apex of his career. In a full slate of games, Boone showed more power and activity on the basepaths than he had in any
of his previous 8 seasons as a professional and considering he is now on the down side of 30, any increases seem highly unlikely. Add
to this a switch to second and anything close seems like a blessing.
C-Jason Larue (29)- Once considered to be a top catching prospect, Larue has quietly turned into a decent field, good pop
backstop with little potential beyond his current level. He has little patience and poor pitch selection and with younger options on
the horizon, he could land somewhere else before too long. A quality player in the right situation, his weaknesses are vastly exposed
in the Reds lineup.
SP-Jimmy Haynes (30)- As the old saying goes, location, location, location. A year removed from 17 losses, Haynes bolted
from Milwaukee and racked up a career best 15 wins, showing some of the potential the Athletics became impatient waiting to come out.
With a wide repertoire of pitches, Haynes success came with a commitment to working off his fastballs but control problems are always in the
shadows.
SP-Ryan Dempster (25)- After years of inconsistency, Dempster finally settled on one side of the fence; unfortunately it was the
wrong side. Armed with potent stuff but the inability to harness it, Dempster continues to lag behind in development. Just 25,
he has already thrown 848 innings and is a prime candidate for a major injury at some point.
SP-Paul Wilson (30)- From where Dempster appears headed Wilson has just returned. A nine-year veteran of professional baseball,
he cracked the 30 start mark for the first time in his career and the first time over 25 since he was a Mets' minor leaguer in '96.
While he will likely be a valuable inning eater his third year off major surgery, Wilson's window has closed and he is a quality 3-4 pitcher
at best.
SP-Danny Graves (28)- Graves saved 121 games for the Reds the last five years but finally made the long-rumored move to the rotation
and the results were as expected. In his first four starts since a spot role with Buffalo in the Indians org in '97, Graves was highly
effective and has the versatility in his pitches to continue on the same path. Though he won't equal Derek Lowe's output last year,
Graves should be one of the top Reds pitchers this year.
CL-Scott Williamson (27)- Graves move to the rotation opens the door for Williamson, a former starter, to move into the closer
role aptly suited for him. With an explosive fastball and a slider that continues to crawl back after injuries, Williamson has all the
makings of being a quality stopper including his mental approach. He should thrive in his new role.
Past Their Prime:
SS-Barry Larkin (38)- After a long successful career, the aging Larkin continues to hobble through the latter stages sans any
relief in sight for the Reds. With the acquisition of Lopez, the Reds now have the guy they feel will take over. How soon it
happens depends on his early season production but don't bank on Larkin being the primary shortstop for long. |
