Kuzul

The baseball gods aren't wasting any time at testing the Cincinnati Reds' 2013 season.With Ryan Ludwick’s injured shoulder after three innings on Opening Day, the Reds have to adjust.The club entered the season with one of the soundest lineups they’ve had in past decade. But now, the Red’s have to look elsewhere for Ludwick’s replacement.Parallel to Joey Votto’s injury last year, the Reds look for a power replacement very early in the season. Ludwick is expected to miss three months, and with that much time away from the team someone needs to step up.Ranking from least to most likely, here are the top five Cincinnati Reds likely to step up in Ryan Ludwick’s absence. All 2013 stats courtesy of mlb.comAll 2012 stats courtesy of baseball-reference.comBegin Slideshow

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

After being up two games to none against the San Francisco Giants, then losing three straight games at home in Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds fans and team members were left with a bitter taste in their mouths at the end of last season. Long-suffering followers of the Cincinnati club had built up high hopes after their team plowed through the regular season by winning 97 games on their way to the National League Central Division title.Former National League MVP Joey Votto summed up the feelings of many after the playoff collapse: "I've never had heartbreak in my life," the first baseman said. "That's the first time I actually felt pretty whipped from something. I thought we were going to keep going. For us to get knocked out like that I couldn't even talk about it for a good bit. I still haven't spoken about it. I have no interest in speaking about it. "It was so ...

The Cincinnati Reds are heading into the winter meetings, coming off a disappointing finish to an otherwise great season by all other accounts.The team's pitchers turned in one of the best performances of any MLB pitching staff in 2012, and the bullpen in particular was a key component in the Reds' success last season.Mat Latos proved to be worth every bit of the package the Reds sent to San Diego, and Johnny Cueto turned in a season worthy of Cy Young consideration.In addition to the success of several starters and the overall good play of the bullpen, the emergence of Aroldis Chapman proved to be the most exciting part of the Reds 2012 season. Though the team is looking to make him a starter for 2013,  The offense sputtered, at times. but there were bright spots in the offensive production put forth by the team. Todd Frazier came through with ...

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 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

The Cincinnati Reds are about to gain what could be regarded as the best late-season acquisition of any team in baseball when slugger Joey Votto returns to the lineup. The club has gone 26-13 during Votto's absence—thanks in big part to two players named Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier.Ludwick has essentially locked down the left field spot, going .321/.388/.693 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI since the All-Star break.But following suit has been Rookie of the Year candidate Todd Frazier. The youngster has produced a .324/.371/.566 slash line with nine home runs and 30 RBI since the break. He has gotten most of his playing time since the break while taking over at first base for one Joey Votto.It is here that the Reds find themselves with a dilemma.Once Votto reclaims his throne, the hot-hitting Frazier will be left without a permanent position. Third base is the obvious option, but veteran Scott Rolen ...

The following slideshow touts Fantasyland's All-Star team for the month of June.To clarify, the 27-man listing only honors statistics from the 30-day window for June and does not necessarily reflect a player's status from April, May or the preseason.The competition among outfielders and the corner infield spots was particularly intense.And yet, this should hardly mollify the embedded masses crying foul over alleged snubs involving Brandon Phillips, David Price, David Ortiz, Mark Trumbo, Colby Rasmus, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kubel, Juan Pierre, Ben Revere, Josh Johnson, Wade Miley, Justin Verlander, Ryan Vogelsong, Scott Diamond, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Broxton, Ernesto Frieri and Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster (not enough strikeouts), among others.Enjoy the show!Begin Slideshow

Technically, I may be a little late with these "preseason" predictions because the regular season officially started early Wednesday morning in Japan...but honestly who watched the games in Japan anyways?This past offseason has been one for the ages as we saw names like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes all switching teams. This regular season shapes up to be even more exciting and interesting, especially with the addition of a second Wild Card. Division titles now mean even more, and there is a chance that we could see someone completely unexpected make the playoffs.How will everything shape up after October? Here is my opinion.Begin Slideshow

It's no news to any Reds fan that Joey Votto may not be with the team past the 2013 season. An unfortunate truth of being a team with salary constrictions is that you can't always afford to keep your star players. Ask the Brewers and Mets how they feel going into this season after watching Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes depart for greener pastures.It's a deflating feeling to watch a player leave your favorite team but let's take a look at one of the more intriguing and overlooked players in the Reds farm system, 2007 third-round draft pick, Neftali Soto.Begin Slideshow