Sunday, May 19, 2002
Down on the farms
Reds covet pitching in draft
The Reds aren't saying whom they'll pick with the third selection in June's draft, and they won't. But given the players their top people are seeing, it's easy to surmise it's going to be Scott Kazmir, Chris Gruler or Bryan Bullington.
The Reds seem focused on Kazmir, a left-handed high school pitcher from Houston; Gruler, a right-handed high school pitcher from Brentwood, Calif.; and Bullington, a righty from Ball State.
“Those are three guys we all like,” Reds scouting director Kasey McKeon said. “But we're not closing the door. We're still looking at five or six.”
The Reds almost certainly will go for pitching. The one thing that could change that is if the Pittsburgh Pirates pass on B.J. Upton, a high school shortstop who is considered the best position player in the draft. The thought is the Pirates will take him with the first pick.
“But you can't be sure,” McKeon said. “Last week, I would have said definitely. This week, I'm not so sure.”
Which pitcher the Reds will pick is hard to say.
The advantage in taking Bullington, who is from nearby Madison, Ind., is that he's older and therefore closer to the big leagues.
Bullington is 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA, and he struck out 116 and walked only 12 in 86 innings.
Kazmir is left-handed, which is a huge plus, and throws up to 96 mph. But his size — 6 feet, 175 pounds — has some scouts concerned.
Gruler is more the size of a power pitcher — 6-3, 195 pounds — but he isn't as highly rated as some others.
However, Austin Kearns wasn't rated so highly by the draft experts, and he seems to have worked out well.
The draft is June 4-5. The Reds' pick is the highest in their history.
Signability is a huge factor for the Reds. They took pitcher Jeremy Sowers first last year, but Sowers didn't like their offer and signed with Vanderbilt, leaving the team with nothing to show for its pick.
But Reds insiders say the team will try to avoid signing its pick to a major-league contract. That is partly because the team is already short on 40-man roster spots after giving major-league contracts to 2000 draft picks David Espinosa and Dane Sardinha.
GREAT DANE: Gary Hughes, the Reds' director of pro scouting, is very impressed with catcher Sardinha, the second-round pick in 2000.
“He's really made improvement offensively,” Hughes said. “He always had great catching skills. If he hits, he'll be an All-Star. If he doesn't, he'll still be a very solid player.”
Hughes doesn't think Sardinha's major-league contract will be a problem.
“He should be ready by the end of next year,” Hughes said.
GOTTA MAKE A DEAL: In case you haven't noticed, Wily Mo Pena (.366, four homers, 10 RBI in 10 games) is hitting better than Kearns ever did at Double-A Chattanooga. That's clear evidence an outfielder will be dealt before next season.
Pena, because he signed a five-year, major-league contract with the New York Yankees at age 16, must make the club next year. This is Pena's fourth season in the minors, and if he's not on the Reds' roster next year, he could become a free agent. Based on this year, though, it looks like he'll be ready for the majors.
That makes an already crowded outfield jam-packed. So, who goes? Who knows? Reds general manager Jim Bowden loves all his five-tool outfielders. But the guess here is he loves Pena the most.
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Down on the farms
