Loading ...The Reds have announced the players who will participate in the Arizona Fall League.
From Louisville:
OF Drew Stubbs
RHP Charles (Carlos) Fisher
From Chattanooga:
RHP Robert Manuel
LHP Pedro Viola
OF Sean Henry
INF Chris Valaika
INF Justin Turner
All will play for the Peoria Javalinas, whose pitching coach will be Louisville’s Ted Power.
I don’t think it’s inconceivable to see Valaika in a Reds uniform next season. Like most Reds farmhands, the strikeouts concern me. We don’t have many high OBP guys. Robert Manual is definitely a sleeper—exceptional K/BB ratio. Does anyone have a report on this guy? It appears we have some depth in relief pitching at the higher levels, which will save us the headache of signing over the hill free agents to fill those holes.
89-93 MPH fastball with movement. He throws a slider/cut fastball as well and a great change up.
Manuel isn’t very big which typically doesn’t bode well long term.
When I watched him at Dayton I didn’t think Valaika would have the range to be a major league shortstop. I thought then they should convert him to catcher. Maybe he will replace EE at third.
Yeah, for Valaika’s size, bumping him to second base would seem like the move, but Turner has been his DP partner coming up. Unless AGonzalez comes back 100% next season, it just seems silly to not explore moving Phillips to short, since we would have a host of potential second basemen. It’s always been Jocketty’s preference as well–to fill that position with kids and journeymen.
Jim Callis of Baseball America said today in a chat that Valaika is the Reds 2b of the future. Not sure what that will mean for Brandon Phillips. Hopefully we don’t trade him too hahahaha (that was a very nervous sarcastic laugh lol)
Phillips would certainly be a good “sell high” candidate. I don’t see him handling pressure as the Reds “veteran presence” well. Expecting him to be the centerpiece and #3 hitter next year would be bad news for the Reds offense, imho.