Reds.com has this look at Kyle Lohse’s first spring training with the Reds organization. Most of the article is about all the promise Lohse has displayed, and how he has never quite reached the heights expected of him. Lohse says this year is the year:
Lohse is older; Lohse is smarter — smart enough to know what might await him at the end of this year’s baseball rainbow.
“Next year, I’ll be a free agent,” he said. “So in that aspect, it will be big — having a good year or not. We’ll see what happens after that.”
What he’s counting on to happen is that, finally, the pieces of what has been his personal puzzle will all fit into place. They’ll fit into place with the Reds and not with the Twins, the team and the teammates there that weaned him into the bigs.
Whatever motivates him, I hope he does finally experience some consistent success. He certainly has the stuff.