Joseph is an aspiring talk show host and writer attending New York Yankee games since 1971. His passion is the great game of baseball, having played college baseball at Marietta (OH) College and appearing in the 1985 Division 3 College Baseball World Series. If allowed to be a big league GM, he would develop young players rather than going after big money free agents.

Previous Columns: A Review of the San Francisco Giants Stars of the Future The Marlins- The Team to Watch Which NL Central Team is Poised to Compete Complete list

In 2008, the National League Central division saw three teams fighting for playoff spots, with two of the participants, the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, entering the post season. The Cubs (division winner) and Brewers (wildcard) advanced, and lost, in the playoffs and the St. Louis Cardinals kept pace until the frantic last month.

Unfortunately for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds (the other three teams in the division), all three of those "first division" teams have qualities which can keep them as perennial contenders for the next few Central division titles.

The Cubs are big market with tons of money, a new owner and likely the best pitching staff in the National League. The Cardinals have the game's best player in Albert Pujols AND best manager/pitching coach combination in Tony LaRussa/Dave Duncan, while the Brewers have a load of young, major league talent with more prospects on the way.

This young talent is what will keep the smaller market Brewers competitive in the near future with their big city rivals. Milwaukee showed over the last two years that inexpensive young talent CAN win in the major leagues. Of the smaller market Astros, Pirates or Reds, which Central "second division" team has the best opportunity to be the "next Milwaukee?" Which team has the combination of on the rise young talent, and a sprinkling of veteran presence to make a push over the next two years?

The Cincinnati Reds.

Finishing in 5th place in the Central with a 74-88 record did not dampen the enthusiasm witnessed in the Queen City. With the Cubbies and Brewers forecasted to contend for the 2008 division title, the Reds used the season to give necessary experience to young pitchers Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, plus young sluggers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. And the experience paid off as the Reds had three players ranked in the top 5 of the NL Rookie of the Year voting. It's funny that Volquez came in fourth as he wasn't even eligible, having over 50 major league innings prior to 2008.

This experience not only allowed these kids to become productive major leaguers relatively soon, it also gave the kids the confidence in order to improve over their initial major league success. The initial success also provided management with the confidence to allow other youngsters the opportunity to succeed. Working with a moderate budget of $75-85 million in 2009, a team like the Reds needs to continue producing (and keeping) their young talent. And the Reds are going to compete this year with pitching and defense. "Championship clubs are built around pitching and good defense," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said.

The Reds certainly have the depth in starting pitching. "I like our pitching depth a lot," Jocketty said. "I like the status of our rotation from spots one through four. Then we have four or five candidates for the fifth spot. I know we'll have a quality guy there."

In addition the veterans Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, 24 year old Volquez and 22 year old Cueto will be the "front four." The youngsters provided necessary support to a rotation that was supposed to be anchored by veterans Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. Both kids had their moments, and both suffered a few hard knocks.

Young pitchers especially need this tough indoctrination. Volquez actually had his bad times when he went 1-6, 7.29 ERA in 8 starts for Texas in 2006. Cueto, similar to Volquez with an effective fastball/changeup combination, hit a rough patch last year, but still put up a 9-14 record and 158 K’s in 174 innings. Despite a 4.81 ERA and 94 ERA+, Cueto is still only 23 and now has a full season of major league pitching under his belt. Not bad for a guy who only had 83 innings pitched above Class A baseball before hitting the majors. He will only improve from the 2008 experience as he learns more about the hitters, and the umpires feel more comfortable with him, an underrated variable in the pitchers success.

Back in 2006, GM Wayne Krivsky was ridiculed for the mid season trade which basically sent Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to the Washington Nationals. The key for the Reds was obtaining Gary Majewski, a relief pitcher just beginning to be an effective pitcher and Royce Clayton, a needed stop gap at shortstop. Majewski never panned out due to a bum shoulder and Clayton moved on after his half year.

Two other players obtained in that trade are looking to have big roles for the 2009 Reds. Left hander Bill Bray was a former first round draft pick of the Montreal Expos, when Omar Minaya was their GM. The 25 year old situational lefty is looking to improve on his 2-2, 2.87 season from 2008. Also obtained in the Kearns deal is Daryl Thompson, a 23 year old starting pitcher vying with four other youngsters for the Reds' fifth rotation spot in 2009. Although he was 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA in three major league starts last year, his major league debut was five innings of shutout ball in Yankee Stadium. He was also the Reds' minor league pitcher of the year, going 8-4, 2.70 ERA in 20 starts at the three different levels. Thompson is competing for that fifth spot with Matt Maloney, Micah Owings, Homey Bailey and Ramon Ramirez. Maloney was obtained from the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Kyle Lohse and was 11-5, 4.68 ERA, 132 K's/39 BB's in 140 innings at Triple A. Micah Owings was obtained in the deal which sent Adam Dunn to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Still only 26, Owings is likely one of the greatest hitting pitchers of all time. After the trade, Owings never did pitch for the Reds but did get four at bats, going 2-4, a double and 3 RBI's. He was 6-9, 5.93 ERA in 18 starts last year for the Diamondbacks. He had a propensity in giving up the home run ball, allowing 14 dingers in 104 innings.

Bailey was the Reds high school prodigy, drafted #7 overall in the 2004 draft (same one which produced Bray), and went through a remarkably awful period last year. In 8 major league starts, Bailey was 0-6, with an unsightly 7.93 ERA. He is still only 22 and has great stuff (considered at one time a better prospect than Phil Hughes), but appears to have a small attitude problem. He was mentioned in a possible Winter Meetings deal with the Chicago White Sox. If I were the Reds, I would be wary of trading any young pitchers to the White Sox. They have a great track record of obtaining former first round picks (Jon Danks from Texas and Gavin Floyd from Philadelphia) and turning them into quality pitchers.

Ramirez is a smallish guy who performed well last year when called up in late August. He was 1-1, 2.67 ERA in 4 starts (5 app), and has an ability to miss bats, striking out almost a batter per inning and allowing less hits than innings pitched. He is a little older though and will be 27 this season, but unlike the other candidates, he was given a full complement of starts down the stretch last year.

With injury possibilities and the inevitable trade talk surrounding Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang, it is conceivable, however, more than one young starter gets a shot at the rotation sometime during the season. While Krivsky was known for slowly moving top prospects through the system, Jocketty has made it clear the youngsters are going to help pave the way. Since replacing Krivsky early last season, Jocketty traded away veterans Ken Griffey, Jr. and Adam Dunn, and brought up outfielders Bruce and Chris Dickerson, a speedster who displayed surprising power in his initial call up.

These positional call ups might not end with the outfield. The top prospects in the system are at the shortstop position, an area of need for the Reds since the retirement of Barry Larkin five years ago. Chris Valaika, the 2008 Reds minor league player of the year, combined to hit .317/.363/.481/.843 in High A Sarasota and AA Chattanooga. He also hit very well in the Arizona Fall League. A third round pick in 2006, Valaika could start at AAA Louisville in 2009, with the possibility of playing with the Reds near the end of 2009. After missing the entire 2008 season, Alex Gonzalez is returning to short this year for Cincinnati, but his ability to stay healthy is a question mark. If he plays well early in 2009, don't be surprised if Valaika fills a role with the Reds this year similar to the one Jed Lowrie filled for the Boston Red Sox last season, playing a little shortstop and filling in where needed.

Another good young hitting shortstop in the Reds system is Todd Frazier. Drafted in the 1st round (supplemental) in 2007, Frazier has followed in Valaika's footsteps, moving from Low A last season and finishing up in High A Sarasota. Each time Valaika moved up a rung, Frazier followed and filled that spot, but also played first, third and some outfield. He projects better at a corner with more overall powers and plate discipline than Valaika. Frazier hit a combined .291/.368/.485/.808 in 2008, and continued his production out in Hawaii with a .295/.375/.547/.922. In 2008, Frazier hit 22 HR's total in just under 600 at bats.

And if the Reds didn't have enough good hitters in their system, last year's first round pick Yonder Alonso seems primed for the major leagues already. Alonso singed very late and only had a few at bats in Sarasota, but showed extremely good plate discipline and ability to make contact. His power displayed in the Hawaiian Winter League with a .308/.419./510/.929 with 4 HR's and 21 RBI's in 104 at bats, basically his first foray into using wood bats. With Votto manning first base, Alonso might be better suited for corner outfield, or his presence might move Votto to the outfield, where he played some in the minors.

The names of Volquez, Cueto, Thompson, Maloney, Bruce, Votto, Valaika, Frazier and Alonso will be heard now and or within the next several years in Cincinnati. If the projections work out, the Reds will be contenders for many years, with a good, young core of players all relatively inexpensive and under team control.

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