Thursday, March 23, 2000

Reds have three spots open

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BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jason LaRue (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — The competition for Reds roster spots is starting to heat up, but you may not have noticed. That's because the few spots that are open on the 25-roster aren't that significant.

        The backup catcher spot is open, as are two spots on the pitching staff.

        Benito Santiago and Jason LaRue are battling for the second catcher job.

        Osvaldo Fernandez, Hector Mercado, Bobby Munoz, Mark Portugal and Scott Winchester are fighting for the last two pitching spots — although it's looking more like three may be open. Gabe White may have pitched his way onto the bubble as well, after allowing three runs in an inning of work Wednesday. White, the left-hander who spent the last three seasons with the Reds, has a 6.75 ERA this spring.

        Mercado started here on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox. His performance — three in nings of one-hit baseball — may have made him a favorite for one of the remaining spots.

        Fernandez will start today against the Pirates.

        The final roster decisions could come down to the last day of spring training.

        “Possibly,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “You let things play out.”

        The best men may not win.

        “There's a lot of factors,” Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said. “You're preparing for a 162-game marathon, not a 30-game sprint. Whether or not a player has options is a factor. It's not just performance.”

        Here's what is set:

        • The infield: Aaron Boone, Sean Casey, Barry Larkin, Mark Lewis, Hal Morris, Pokey Reese and Chris Stynes.

        • The outfield: Dante Bichette, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Ochoa, Michael Tucker and Dmitri Young.

        • Eight pitching spots: Starters Pete Harnisch, Denny Neagle,

        Steve Parris and Ron Villone. Relievers Danny Graves, Dennys Reyes, Scott Sullivan and Scott Williamson.

        No surprises there.

        “There weren't many decisions to make,” McKeon said. “You could have looked at the roster when spring training started and named 21 or 22 guys.”

        Twenty-one spots are set. Chris Sexton had an outside shot at beating Stynes as the utility man, but Stynes played so well for Reese when Reese was injured that there was no battle.

        The backup catcher job is probably the most significant of the open roster spots because the 10th and 11th pitchers won't pitch much with a game on the line.

        Santiago and LaRue are competing to back up Eddie Taubensee.

        Santiago, 35, is a 13-year veteran and a four-time all-star. He struggled at the plate while with the Chicago Cubs last year, hitting .249. But he has recovered from injuries suffered in an auto accident that forced him to miss most of the 1998 season.

        Santiago was 2-for-5 with a two-run triple on Wednesday. He's hitting .333 in 32 at-bats this spring.

        LaRue, 26, is the Reds' catcher of the future. He hit .211 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 36 games last year.

        LaRue has started slow at the plate this spring, hitting .238 with a homer and three RBI.

        The decision on which to keep may come down to con tracts. Santiago signed a minor-league contract on Feb.24. If he doesn't make the roster, he will become a free agent.

        LaRue has options remaining, so the Reds can send him to Triple-A Louisville and not lose him.

        The final two pitching spots could come down to options as well. Four of the five players competing for them are non-roster players — Mercado, Munoz, Portugal and Fernandez. If they are added to the roster, only Mercado can be optioned.

        Winchester also has an option.

        Fernandez, Mercado and Winchester are all coming off surgery. Now that they've shown they're healthy, the Reds want to give them a good look.

        Mercado has been the most impressive. The 25-year-old left-hander had elbow surgery, but Wednesday's performance ran his string of scoreless innings to 13. He has struck out 11 batters and allowed only eight hits this spring.

        Mercado has never pitched in the majors.

        Winchester, a 26-year-old right-hander, missed most last season after shoulder surgery. He pitched one inning Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.

        Fernandez, a 31-year-old right-hander, was 10-17 with the San Francisco Giants in 1996 and '97. Two elbow surgeries have kept from pitching since. The former star of the Cuban National Team is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA this spring.

        Munoz, a 32-year-old right-hander, has four years of experience in the majors. His best year was 1994 when he was 7-5 with a 2.67 ERA with Philadelphia.

        Munoz has retooled his 6-foot-8 frame and is throwing 93-94 mph. He was slowed by a sore left hamstring early in camp and has thrown only three innings.

        Portugal is the veteran of group. He has pitched for 13 years in the majors. He was 7-12 last year with the Boston Red Sox, but was 10-5 in 1998.

        Portugal struggled is his first four starts this spring, but had a six-inning, one-run performance last Sunday.

       

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