A couple of days ago, we mentioned a couple of projections that had the Reds on the outskirts of wild card contention. Well, over at ESPN, Rob Neyer muses about whether the Reds can compete. I thought he summed things up pretty nicely:
There’s plenty of talent there for a reasonably productive outfield, but it’s impossible to know if Baker’s smart enough to put the puzzle together early enough to make a difference. …
These projections are just snapshots, based on solid statistical assumptions and questionable assumptions about personnel decisions. I do believe that the Reds have the talent on their roster for a solid season. Whether the luck and the management line up behind the talent … well, that’s your proverbial “known unknown.”
Indeed. Who trusts Dusty to utilize the talent effectively? Anyone?