By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Spring training stats are largely meaningless - unless you're trying to make the team. Reggie Taylor and Felipe Lopez found that out Monday.

Taylor and Lopez were among the four players cut. Dane Sardinha and Aaron Myette were also trimmed from the roster. Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Louisville, while the others were re-assigned to the minor camp. The roster is at 36, 11 above the Opening Day limit.

Taylor was the biggest surprise of the four. He is the only backup outfielder with significant major league experience. But he hit only .178 in a team-high 45 at-bats. He had 12 strikeouts and four hits.

"I'd have to say in this particular case, the statistics tell the stories," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said. "The other prospective outfielders have played better. That's really the only factor."

The Reds non-tendered Taylor, 27, in December, then signed him to a minor league contract.

"He needs to go to Louisville, play every day and get on track," Reds manager Dave Miley said.

Taylor hit .240 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI in 467 at-bats over the last two years with the Reds.

Right now, it looks like Ryan Freel is the fourth outfielder. Freel is hitting .317 with four stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .473.

Freel is the only one with the team made. Jermaine Clark (.318 in 22 at-bats), McKay Christensen (.273 in 33 ABs) and Wily Mo Pena (.310 in 29 ABs) will get more playing time with Taylor gone.

Jacob Cruz, who is coming off knee surgery, can also be used in the outfield. Cruz (.300, a homer and four RBI) has been the Reds' most consistent hitter this spring.

"As the spring's gone on, he's gotten more and more confident in his knee," O'Brien said, "as he has, his defense has improved."

There is also the possibility that the Reds will bring in an outfielder as other clubs trim their rosters.

"I suppose we could," O'Brien said. "We'll keep an open mind, depending on what materializes over the next 10 days."

Lopez, a 23-year-old middle infielder, surprised everyone by recovering from his devastating ankle injury suffered in July in time to compete for a position.

"You've got to tip your hat to him for the work he did," Miley said.

Lopez hit .125 in 32 spring at-bats. Even more troubling, he made five errors in 12 games.

"He's an unbelievable talent," Miley said. "We all see it. But he has to go down and play on an every-day basis."

Sardinha was clearly fourth on the catching depth chart He had two hits in only eight at-bats. Sardinha, 24, was a second-round pick in the 2000 draft.

He signed a major league contract, which runs through 2005, after the Reds draft him. The Reds have left Sardinha unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and no one has picked him, largely because Sardinha's offense lags behind his defense. He has a .229 career average in the minors.

Myette, a 26-year-old right-hander, was coming off a three-inning, five-strikeout performance in Sunday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.

"He was good stuff, no question," Miley said. "He needs to pitch."

Myette, who the Reds signed as a minor league free agent, has a 56-53 record and 3.38 ERA in the minors.