Sunday, July 21, 2002
Reds Q&A with John Fay
Minors provide major talent
Fans keep tabs on future stars The minor-league players were the major topic with the e-mailers this week. Read on:
Q, from James: Where is Ruben Mateo? He was hitting around .300 when he was sent down. He should be called up and put into left field. (Adam) Dunn should go to first for two weeks. (Sean) Casey needs to go on the DL to get well for the final two months.
A: Mateo is still at Triple-A Louisville, where he was hitting .317 with nine homers and 21 RBI going into the weekend. If Casey's shoulder gets worse, you could see Dunn at first. But my guess is if that happens, Russell Branyan will be the left fielder. Branyan has shown he can play the outfield. Mateo struggled defensively. Bran-yan also has superior power.
Q, from Bryan in Norfolk, Va.: Wondering what the Reds are going to do with Bobby Basham. His stats at (Single-A) Dayton are amazing: 73 innings pitched, 54 hits, five walks, 87 strikeouts, a 1.35 ERA, and opponents are hitting only .195 against him. When are the Reds going to bring him up to either (Double-A) Chattanooga or (Triple-A) Louisville and see what he can do?
A: The Reds have a logjam of good young arms at Chattanooga. But they may give Basham a spot start at Louisville at some point.
Q, from Jack the Ty fan: Why don't the Reds bring Ty Howington up to the big club since they are limited in left-handers? Saw him pitch in spring training in Fort Myers. He looked terrific.
A: That won't happen any time soon for two reasons: a.) Howington, the No. 1 pick in 1999, is still coming back from shoulder tendinitis and b.) his breaking ball still needs work. If he starts putting up numbers the way he did last year when he was 8-5 with a 2.43 ERA in three stops in the minors, things could change.
Q, from Richard in Hamilton: Is there any truth to this rumor I saw on ESPN.com? (The Giants had been rumored to be in the Scott Rolen hunt along with Cincinnati, offering Brandon Larson plus others). Rolen doesn't appear to be any better than Aaron Boone, but I would think Larson is our long-term answer at third base. What are your thoughts?
A: The answer on all Rolen talk has started with: “How can the Reds afford it?” Rolen turned down a huge contract from the Phillies. The Reds can't take on payroll. And even with the new stadium, the Reds aren't going to become the Yankees West. So Larson, who will be relatively cheap for the next three years, is in the future plans. Whether he or Boone plays third is yet to be determined.
Q, from Bill: Could you please tell me the status of Ryan Dempster's contract? For how many years is he signed?
A: He has a one-year deal that pays him $2.4 million. He is arbitration-eligible.
Q, from Tony in Cincinnati: I'd deep-six Boone and stay with Larson. It's a no-brainer. Is Boone a favorite of yours?
A: I'd say it's only a no-brainer if you have ESP, not to be confused with ESPN. Larson went into the weekend with a .143 average in 42 big-league at-bats. So the jury is still out. Boone is a favorite of the media. He's a stand-up guy, friendly and sincere. Through all his early struggles, he answered all the questions and never said a cross word to anyone.
E-mail questions to jfay@enquirer.com
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Reds Q&A: Minors provide major talent
