Sunday, June 09, 2002
Down on the farm
Later picks: Scouts like futures of Votto, George, Schmidt and Kamis
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A lot has been written and said about the Reds' top draft pick, Chris Gruler. But the real measure of the draft might be what happens with the other 49 players the Reds took.
Are there any Scott Williamsons (ninth round in 1997) or Lance Davises (16th round in 1995) in the mix?
“We hope so,” Reds scouting director Kasey McKeon said. “That's the fun part about this job. We've got a lot of guys who we think can be major-leaguers.”
One player to keep an eye on is Joey Votto, who won't be a big surprise since he was a second-round pick. But the Reds still think they got a player who could have gone higher.
“He was the best high school bat I saw,” said Johnny Almaraz, the Reds' assistant scouting director. “He's a real quality kid.”
Votto, 18, is a third baseman/catcher from Toronto who bats left-handed. He caught only 18 games in high school, but the Reds plan to try him at catcher.
McKeon said another player to watch is Jonathan George, a 16th-round pick. George is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound, right-handed pitcher from Pennsauken, N.J., who throws 89-92 mph. He has signed with a junior college, but McKeon was optimistic about signing him.
Another player McKeon likes is Jarrod Schmidt, a catcher from Clemson.
The Reds took somewhat of a flyer on Glen Kamis, a 15th-round pick who is a right-handed pitcher from Elgin College in Illinois.
“He had some elbow problems,” McKeon said. “So he didn't pitch that much. But he's a quality arm.”
The Reds took some players in later rounds who have signability issues. The thought is if the Reds are unable to sign some earlier picks, they'll have money to give the late picks.
WHERE DO THEY GO? Most of this year's draftees will go to rookie level Sarasota in the Gulf Coast League or Billings of the Pioneer League.
“Most of the high school guys will go to the Gulf Coast League,” said Tim Naehring, Reds director of player development. “Most of the college guys will go to Billings.”
Players will begin reporting to those clubs today.
HUDSON PLAN: Right-hander Luke Hudson will continue to start at Triple-A Louisville, but if he continues to struggle (he's 1-5 in his last six starts), the Reds might move him to relief.
“We're going to find a way to get him to the major leagues, whether it's as a starter or reliever,” Naehring said. “His stuff is that good. He has major-league stuff. Period.”
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Down on the farm
