Q, from Bill in Albany, N.Y.: Would the Reds have treated Johnny Bench or Pete Rose as badly as they have treated Barry Larkin? He is a future Hall of Famer. Hire him back for next year as a player-coach. He is a leader and wants to help. If he wants to come back cheaply, let him stay.

A: I don't think the Reds have handled Larkin badly. They simply haven't handled the situation at all. If Larkin isn't being invited back, just say so, and give him a proper sendoff. But shouldn't the decision on Larkin be the new general manager's call?

Q, Gary from Dayton: Is it possible that Larkin would come back for a minimal salary? I think Larkin owes it to the fans and his legacy to play for next to nothing. He was paid $27 million for close to nothing. If you study the statistics of players signing comparable deals, you'll find that this was among the worst signings in baseball history.

A: There's a good chance he'd sign for $1 million or less. I think he'd like to play a year without hearing about how much he is making.

Q, from Alan: Why am I still reading about the Reds?

A: Force of habit.

Q, from Greg in Indianapolis: Why would the Reds want to re-sign Pokey Reese? That would make for a very weak hitting infield. I think that D'Angelo Jimenez's offense over Pokey's more than makes up for his perceived lesser defense. If the Reds have to put a better defensive player at second, why not play someone that is already on payroll (like Juan Castro), instead of wasting millions on Reese? Signing Reese just doesn't make good financial sense. Spend the money on pitching!

A: Jimenez's lack of range is a major concern among the current coaching staff. Reese solves the defensive problems. Jimenez could play third. Ray Olmedo and Juan Castro could split time at shortstop. Reese would not cost millions. He'd likely sign for $1 million or less. Pitching and defense go hand-in-hand. Balls getting through the infield and dropping on the outfield have probably been worth a point on the team ERA over the last month. It doesn't have to be Reese. They just need another good middle infielder. Neifi Perez is another possibility.

Q, from Dennis in Carmel, Ind.: As of right now, the Reds have at least two positions, outside of pitching, very much up in the air for next season. Third base and shortstop are two very big question marks for the Reds. The two in-house options for third are Russell Branyan and Brandon Larson. It seems that if the club cannot acquire an outside player for third, then platooning might be the most reasonable solution. For shortstop, the team has at least four options as of now in Olmedo, Castro, Felipe Lopez and Barry Larkin, if he re-signs. The default starter would seem to be Larkin, since none of the others have really taken it. I think Castro is a backup and nothing more. Believe it or not, I think Lopez has the highest upside to anyone. His minor league numbers suggest that he can be a productive hitter, and his on-base and slugging numbers have been as good or better than Olmedo's. Olmedo's minor league career suggests that he is a fairly weak hitter, probably more of an utility player than a starter. Your opinion?

A: I can tell you that the brain trust isn't sold on Branyan or Larson or a platoon of the two. That's why Jimenez is being considered for a move to third. As for shortstop, Castro played very well before he hurt his back. I'd take Olmedo or Lopez. Larson is an example of why you don't rely on minor league numbers. Olmedo has shown the ability to come up with big at-bats in big situations. Lopez was overwhelmed. Olmedo's not going to be Alex Rodriguez (nobody is), but he could be Omar Vizquel.

Return to Reds front page...