SARASOTA, Fla. — The Reds' 25-man Opening Day roster has left manager Bob Boone feeling anxious about its excess of pitchers and shortage of reserves.

        So don't get accustomed to this team that includes 12 pitchers and essentially four bench players. It'll change. Maybe not significantly, but perhaps frequently.

REDS ROSTER

Pitchers (12)   Justin Atchley   Rob Bell   Elmer Dessens   Osvaldo Fernandez   Danny Graves   Pete Harnisch   Chris Reitsma   Dennys Reyes   John Riedling   Scott Sullivan   Scott Williamson   Mark Wohlers.   Catchers (2)   Jason LaRue   Kelly Stinnett.   Infielders (6)   Aaron Boone   Sean Casey   Juan Castro   Barry Larkin   Pokey Reese   Donnie Sadler.   Outfielders (5)   Ken Griffey Jr.   Alex Ochoa   Ruben Rivera   Michael Tucker   Dmitri Young.

        “I think there'll be tweaking maybe throughout the year. We're committed to this. I think it's the right thing. But I'm very nervous about it,” Boone said Thursday, saying Cincinnati's thin bench accounts for his discomfort.

        The catcher not in the lineup — in this case, usually Kelly Stinnett — is a phantom substitute, because he must be kept in reserve in case of injury. Thus, Boone must limit his maneuvering to utilitymen Juan Castro and Donnie Sadler and outfielders Ruben Rivera and Michael Tucker. The Reds have no legitimate left-handed pinch hitter, because Tucker, the only lefty swinger, will start frequently in right field or be saved for late-inning defense.

        Meanwhile, D.T. Cromer, a lefty who hit .340 last year (16-for-47) and .333 this spring, languishes at Triple-A Indianapolis.

        “Everything's a trade- off,” Boone said. “You'd love to have more people on the bench ... I'd really like to have 26, 27 guys; then I'm covered.”

        Besides, nothing's final, as this sampling of Boone remarks indicated:

        • “We'll be adjusting maybe daily as we get into the season.”

        • “I might change Tuesday. You play it in your brain a lot. When (the roster imbalance) starts showing up and biting you, that's when you're going to make a change.”

        • “Our 25th man may be in constant flux.”

        • “I'm not overly confident this is necessarily the right thing.”

        For now, Boone can comfort himself with the notion that his seven-man bullpen, one more than the usual complement, ought to remain fresh.

        “That's a huge part of us,” Boone said. “The bottom line, and you hear it every year, is the cliche, "You're only as good as your pitching.' And I know that seventh guy in the 'pen will allow me to keep everybody strong.”

        Factors that influenced the organization's decision to keep 12 pitchers, said Boone, included Scott Williamson's transition to the bullpen and Scott Sullivan's lower-back tightness.

        Williamson must readjust to relieving. He finished last season as a starter and had pitched in that role this spring until Wednesday night. Boone cited the need to “get Scott back to his '99 (Rookie of the Year) form,” which might take a few outings.

        Sullivan threw in the bullpen Wednesday and Thursday and should be ready for Monday's opener against Atlanta. But, said Boone: “It's a wakeup call that I have to protect him a little bit. I can't just say, well, he has a rubber arm and (can) go out every day.”

        Sullivan found logic in beginning the season with an oversized staff.

        “The more quality arms we have, the better,” he said. “That's really how you win in this day and time, especially the way they're predicting our park (Cinergy Field) to be more of a hitter's park.”

        Except for Danny Graves, the undisputed closer, relievers might need a few weeks to establish their roles.

        “For the last couple of years, it has seemed like everybody's kind of interchangeable,” Sullivan said. “Now, with (Williamson) coming back, that's going to make it an interesting situation.”

        Boone was aware of Cincinnati's five scheduled off days in April, which ordinarily would diminish the need for an extra pitcher. But he pointed out that the Reds will play eight consecutive games before the first off day.

        It's impossible to predict what will happen after that.

        “If everybody's performing great, we'll just ride it,” Boone said. “Unfortunately, change usually is dictated by failure somewhere, whether my decision is a failure or it's some players.

        “I reserve the right to change my mind. And,” he added with a laugh, “I'm sure I'll have a lot of people helping me.”

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