By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SARASOTA, Fla. - D.J. Mattox was just the kind of player the Reds spent July and August of last year pursuing in trades.

Mattox is young (23), has an outstanding minor league record (26-14) and has a live arm.

So when the New York Mets didn't protect him for December's Rule 5 Draft, the Reds picked him.

Pitcher D.J. Mattox, acquired in the Rule 5 draft, might be in the Reds' pitching plans. (Michael E. Keating photo)

"When the Mets didn't protect me, I was disappointed," Mattox said. "I realized the Rule 5 Draft was coming, and I might get picked up by someone. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity."

There is no better opportunity for the young player than being a Rule 5 pick. The Reds must keep Mattox on the 25-man roster all season or offer him back to the Mets for $25,000 - half the price of claiming him.

Mattox, a right-hander, is in the mix for the fourth and fifth starter spot.

The Reds have penciled veterans Paul Wilson, Cory Lidle and Jimmy Haynes in for three of the five spots in the rotation. Four young pitchers - Mattox, Jose Acevedo, Aaron Harang and Brandon Claussen - are competing for the other two spots.

All three have more experience than Mattox. But they also have options. That means they can be sent to the minors without the Reds risking losing them. That's not the case with Mattox.

But getting to the big leagues would be a leap. He was 8-7 with a 3.49 ERA at Double-A Binghamton last year, his third year as a professional. He was the Mets' minor league pitcher of the year in 2002 after going 12-6 with a 3.29 ERA at two stops in Single-A.

It's too early to say how Mattox is doing. The Reds have had only two workouts so far this spring.

"I just saw him throw for the first time," pitching coach Don Gullett said. "You can't tell too much until you see him in a game situation. He's got good arm strength, good size and a good pitcher's body."

Mattox came to pitching late. He was a shortstop at Spartanburg (S.C.) High School. He was good enough to go on and play at Anderson (S.C.) Junior College.

If he hadn't broken his left hand his freshman year there, he may have never gotten on the mound.

"I wanted to get back on the field so bad," he said. "I couldn't really swing a bat, but I could throw. They knew I had a good arm. They asked if I had pitched before. I said I'd try."

Mattox threw about 15 innings that first year. But people took notice.

"They came to me and said you've got a good live arm," Mattox said. "People are going to look at you as a pitcher. Back then, I just tried to blow it past people. I didn't understand the concept of actual pitching."

But word got around on that live arm. "The first game I started my sophomore year, I looked out and saw four scouts," he said. "I thought, 'They're here for me?' I was still learning. I guess they saw something they liked."

He pitched about 60 innings as a sophomore. The Mets picked Mattox in the 11th round of the 2001 draft. He went 6-1 with a 2.17 ERA in two stops in the minors.

After following that with two more strong years, Mattox thought he was on the fast track with the Mets. Then the club didn't protect him.

"The Mets didn't say much until I got picked up," he said. "Then they called me the day after to congratulate me. They said they wanted to protect me and tried to protect me. But there wasn't any room."

Mattox's numbers in the minors are better than Dustin Moseley, who is rated as the Reds' fourth best prospect. Moseley is projected to pitch at Triple-A. That's probably where Mattox belongs, but because of the Rule 5 stipulations, he won't end up there for the Reds.

That puts a little pressure on him to succeed this spring.

"I kind of like the pressure. I like trying to make something happen," he said. "You can't let that bother you. You've got to do what you know you can do and not let that enter your mind."