Those pitchers are supposed to be the future.

So how are they doing? Good in some cases. Bad in others. And ugly in the rest.

The only one of the eight in the big leagues is Aaron Harang, one of the three pitchers obtained in the Guillen trade with Oakland.

His ERA isn't great - 4.89 - but he goes into today's start 3-1.

The player-to-be-named in the White trade with the New York Yankees became a cash exchange. Though it's not another arm, it did help the club's bottom line.

Let's look at where the others are:

• Matt Belisle, obtained from Atlanta for Mercker: He is probably the next closest to the big leagues. Belisle, a 23-year-old right-hander, is 4-3 with a 3.00 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Louisville.

"It's neck and neck between him and (Jung Keun) Bong," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said of who is closest to being ready for the majors. "Belisle is probably ahead now."

• Jeff Bruksch, obtained from Oakland in the Guillen deal: Bruksch, a 23-year-old right-hander, was considered the third guy in the deal. He has pitched very well at Single-A Potomac - 1-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

But some people in the organization don't think he has the stuff to make it to the big leagues.

• Brandon Claussen, obtained from the New York Yankees for Boone: Claussen, a 25-year-old left-hander, was supposed to be the best the Reds got in any of the trades. But he has struggled at Triple-A. He is 1-3 with a 6.31 ERA.

He has struck out 42 and walked 14 in 35 2/3 innings, but opponents are hitting .287 off him.

"He's having trouble commanding his fastball," Reds player development director Tim Naehring said.

"He's getting too deep into too many counts."

• Phillip Dumatrait, obtained from Boston for Williamson: He joined a long list of Reds pitching prospects who have had their careers derailed by injury. The 22-year-old lefty had Tommy John surgery and won't pitch again until next season.

• Charlie Manning, obtained from the Yankees for Boone: Manning, a 25-year-old lefty, is 2-3 with a 4.03 ERA at Double-A Chattanooga.

• Tyler Pelland, obtained in the Boston deal for Williamson: The 20-year-old lefty is the youngest of the eight. Some scouts think he has the highest upside. But he has been overmatched at Single-A Dayton this year. He's 0-4 with a 7.66 ERA.

"It's a bit of a mystery," Naehring said. "He was very good in spring training. He's struggled a bit. But he's very young to be competing at that level."

• Joe Valentine, obtained in the Guillen deal with Oakland: Valentine is considered a closer down the line. The Reds are using him as a starter to help him develop his pitches. He's 2-1 with a 5.54 ERA. But he recently threw five one-run innings.

"I think (starting) has helped him," Naehring said. "His velocity's down a bit. But this has allowed him to develop his secondary pitches."

DIGGING GARDNER: Richie Gardner, the sixth-round pick in last year's draft, has been so dominant at Single-A Potomac that the Reds are considering promoting him to Double-A Chattanooga.

Gardner, a 23-year-old right-hander, is 5-1 with a 1.60 ERA.

"His fastball is a tick above average at 93," Naehring said. "He's got a pretty slider and he's working on the changeup. The biggest thing is he knows how to pitch."

Gardner has struck out 39 and walked only four in 39 1/3 innings.

FUTURE STARS? Johnny Almaraz returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, where he signed 24 players.

"All young kids between 17 and 20," Almaraz said. "We signed seven infielders."

The Dominican is the hotbed of baseball talent, and the Reds are in the midst of revamping their focus there. They moved into a new facility they share with four other teams.

Almaraz, one of Jim Bowden's top scouts, serves as director of international scouting/player development.

"It's going well," he said. "We're getting the kinks out as you would with any new facility."

Almaraz has made five trips to the Dominican. Marco Davalillo, the international field coordinator, has been alternating his time between the Dominican and Venezuela.

"He's very structured and detail-oriented," Almaraz said. "He's putting in our program there."

SPRING HOME: The Florida Marlins' effort to get funding for a retractable roof derailed Sarasota's efforts to rebuild Ed Smith Stadium for the Reds.

The city was seeking $15 million in state funding to redo the facility.

The bill died when the amendment for the Marlins' roof was added.

"That kind of sunk our ship," State Rep. Nancy Detert told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The Reds are committed to Sarasota through 2008. Redoing the facility would be an incentive to sign a longer deal.

---

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com

Return to Reds front page...