Jackson Melian (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — Jackson Melian sensed last summer that his future with the New York Yankees organization wouldn't last.

        “I heard a lot of things. I knew that at sometime last year I was going to get traded,” he said.

        So Melian felt no surprise when he went to the Reds along with pitchers Ed Yarnall and Brian Reith and third baseman Drew Henson in the July 12 Denny Neagle deal.

        It's now apparent that the Yankees must have wanted Neagle badly.

        Melian's career minor-league statistics aren't much. He owns a .264 average with 26 homers in 404 games.

        But the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Venezuelan already has a major-leaguer's sturdy physique. His batting-practice displays in spring training have shown that he also owns power that should continue to develop.

        “He hasn't controlled the bat,” Reds hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr. said. “His swing can get a little "long.' Somebody with a good change-up could keep him off-balance until he learns to stay back a little. But he has a nice, fluid swing. And he's ungodly strong.”

        Griffey noted that Meli an's swing often travels on a slightly downward plane, which is conducive to producing line drives. “He kind of gets backspin on the ball and it goes an extra 40-50 feet,” Griffey said.

        Melian went the extra mile to compensate for lost time after hitting .252 with nine homers and 38 RBI in 81 games for New York's Double-A Norwich affiliate. Following the Neagle trade, he pulled his right hamstring after playing just two games for the Reds' Double-A Chattanooga outpost and was sidelined for the rest of the season.

        But he rebounded in 37 games for Oriente in the Venezuelan Winter League, batting .272 with three homers, 17 RBI and four stolen bases in five tries.

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