Kuzul

Despite news that Billy Hamilton—otherwise known as the second coming of Billy Hamilton—is invited to the Reds' Spring Training activities in Goodyear, there is even less chance that he will make the major league club in April than there was when this offseason began. More than anything, Hamilton's first Spring Training with Cincinnati will serve as his preliminary introduction to major league-caliber pitching, a huge jump in competition for a player who played at the AA level for the first time in the latter part of 2012.After lighting up the base paths of the California and Southern Leagues, Hamilton shot to the top of the list of trendy prospects for the 2013 season. Expectations for an imminent Trout-esque debut should be heavily tempered. The 22-year-old had a pretty smooth transition from high-A to AA, but he still has plenty of adjustments to make. His numbers at Pensacola are too small of ...

The Cincinnati Reds have made strides this offseason to ensure their chances for yet another NL Central title. Though those strides may have filled some holes, such as that at leadoff, some of them have also weakened the team in other areas. These may not be considered major deficiencies in the Reds' lineup, but they will still create challenges that the team must overcome during the 2013 season. Let's take a look at some of these newly developed "weaknesses" as well as some that may hang around from the 2012 season.Begin Slideshow

The recent signing of Jonathan Broxton seems to have shed some light on the Reds' intentions for the 2013 season. Not only does it look as though Broxton will be taking over the closer's role, but all signs point to Aroldis Chapman joining the starting rotation.With Chapman assuming a new role outside of the bullpen, Cincinnati is left with a gaping hole in its relief corps. It's a hole that the Reds must fill before next season.So why should the Reds trade for a reliever rather than sign one from the field of free agents?Simple. Why overpay when you have the assets to acquire the help you need via trade. The best free-agent reliever still available is Rafael Soriano, who already opted out of a huge payday with the Yankees in order to test the market.Kyuji Fujikawa will be testing the U.S. market after a long career in Japan. The ...

The Cincinnati Reds are full of youth and homegrown talent. Many may forget that budding stars Jay Bruce and Homer Bailey are but 25 and 26 years old (respectively), though it seems as though they have been around since the turn of the century.Then there is Johnny Cueto—yep, he is only 26. Aroldis Chapman is only 24 years old. Mat Latos is but 24 as well. We also shouldn't forget MVP Joey Votto. He may not be as young as the others, but as you will see, he is still progressing with age.Not only do the Cincinnati Reds have talent, but if development trends continue, they may be overflowing with flat-out scary talent in the next couple of years.Lets take a look at these trends, starting with Jay Bruce.The 25-year-old Bruce just completed his fifth year in the big leagues (2008-12). Throughout this time his home-run totals have increased each ...

The title of this article says it all—Could David Wright pack his bags and take over third base for the Cincinnati Reds? Well, it just may be possible. Assuming that the New York Mets are unable to re-sign (or just decide not to re-sign) David Wright, a trade could be in the foreseeable future. A recent article by Mark Simon on ESPN.com suggests that the Cincinnati Reds could be one of five possible suitors for Wright if such a circumstance arises. Not only does the article suggest a possible trade, but it also suggests that Cincy may have the means to sign Wright to an extended contract. If you still don't believe the Cincinnati Reds are suddenly into the money, you need to think again.Cincinnati committed $250 million to Joey Votto and also gave Brandon Phillips (aka @DatDudeBP) a six-year, $72.5 million contract before the start of the 2012 season. Not only are the Reds convinced they ...

The 2012 Major League Baseball season came, and has now gone. Gone with it is another disappointing Cincinnati Reds postseason appearance. But remember Reds fans, dwelling on the past is what losers do. Winners move forward. Though it may not yet feel like it yet, the 2013 season looks very bright for the Cincinnati Reds. Why is that you may ask? Let's review a few key facts about the season past. The Cincinnati Reds had the second best record in baseball this season. They finished 2012 with a 97-65 record. It takes a culmination of things going right for any team to win 97 games. It flat out takes talent to win 97 games despite a few major things going very wrong wrong. In order to find out what went right, let's take look at what went wrong. The leadoff position was well, horrid to say the least. Reds leadoff hitters compiled a measly ...

The San Francisco Giants walk into the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati today facing an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five series with the Reds.Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker, who spent 14 years with the Giants, acknowledges that a 2-0 lead isn't everything, saying:"[Leading] 2-0 doesn't mean anything unless you're up 3-0, which is what counts in this series." Historially, the odds of winning the series are stacked against the Giants. Only four of 42 teams have ever overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game series. That is a success rate of only 9.5 percent. Add to this the fact that the remainder of the series is on the road, and suddenly hope may become bleak.While the chances of winning the series may be steep, the Giants can start by saving face with a win tonight behind the arm of Ryan Vogelsong.Ryan comes into the game tonight with a 3.87 ERA ...

The Cincinnati Reds bring their 97-65 regular season record and the No. 2 seed in the NLDS to the bay shores of San Francisco. It is here that they begin a five-game series against Buster Posey and the Giants. With two teams that are so evenly matched battling it out, every last advantage or disadvantage could mean the difference between a win or a loss.It's in this type of environment that questions are bound to arise. So let's look at five key questions surrounding the Cincinnati Reds and their success during this upcoming showdown.Begin Slideshow

Holy moly, the Cincinnati Reds' Homer Bailey tossed a no-hitter Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. You read that right folks. Mr. No-No Bailey's no-hitter is proof that you NEVER give up on a top arm too early.Homer Bailey began his professional career as the seventh-overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft. The young phenom would progress quickly and be named Cincinnati's top overall prospect by Baseball America andBaseball Prospectus prior to the 2007 season. Baseball America billed him as "the next great Texas fireballer in the tradition of Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens," while also naming him as one of Major League Baseball's top five prospects.But my oh my how one can fall from glory at lightning speeds.Homer Bailey's second professional season of 2006 saw him post a 2.47 ERA with 156 K's in 138.2 innings pitched at Single-A and Double-A. Fans and media alike, clamored for the then 20 year old kid to ...

The Cincinnati Reds have clinched the NL Central and are now battling it out for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs—who would have thought this is where they would find themselves after losing Joey Votto for most of the second half of the season? Not many, I can assure you.Now October draws near, and it's time to begin thinking about October play. With so many possibilities still ahead, let's take a look at the potential playoff opponents Cincinnati could find themselves facing. While we are at it, let's also check out how the Reds match up against each possible opponent. Begin Slideshow