So this time my thoughts aren't on current news stories. Instead my thoughts are predictions for the Reds this season. We'll see if I get any right in a few months through October.
- The Reds are going to be hit with 3 major injuries that take players out for a large portion of the season.
- The first injury will be Scott Rolen. He'll go down in May with a season ending injury. The Reds will try Juan Francisco at third, but it won't work. They'll give Todd Frazier the chance, and he'll have a good rookie campaign.
- The second injury around the same time will be to Ramon Hernandez. The Reds will bring Corky Miller up initially, but with Devin Mesoraco raking for the Bats they'll give him the chance...and he'll take the starting job. He'll finish top 5 in Rookie of the Year balloting and be the Reds starting backstop for quite a while.
- The third will be to Bronson Arroyo. He'll deny it at first (never having missed a start in his career) but will eventually have to go to the DL for the first time.
- Francisco Cordero will have a VERY rough April, and be de-seated by Aroldis Chapman as closer by Mid-May.
- The Reds will limp into the All-Star break where they'll have three representatives-Aroldis Chapman, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto.
- Speaking of Brandon Phillips, he'll have a career year. He'll be consistent and by mid-summer will have agreed to an extension to stay in the Queen City for 5 more years for a hometown discount...5 years, 40-42 million.
- Homer Bailey gets converted to a reliever. He's not happy at first and it shows, but by mid-season has accepted and adapted to the new role. Homer ends up leading the team in appearances out of the pen and allows barely any runners to score-inherited or of his own.
- Mike Leake starts the season in the minors, but comes back up when Arroyo goes down/Homer moves to the pen. He ends up nearly un-hittable the rest of the year, going 14-3.
- Travis Wood again shows his brilliance and locks himself in as a fixture of the rotation. Despite a rough stretch in July, he ends the season 14-8.
- Johnny Cueto emerges as the ace of the staff. By mid-season he has 14 wins, and ends the season with 22.
- At the end of the season it's ALMOST enough for the Reds, but they have to go to a 1-game playoff for the Central division.
- Anything can happen in one game, which Travis Wood gets to start....
So...predictions for 2011. I'll actually be surprised if ANY of them come true, but...you never know...
