I don’t want to brag, but I’m really awesome. Also, I predicted that Matt Maloney would be the fifth starter for the Reds to open the season, and I was 100% correct.
Okay, it’s not really official (and it wasn’t really that difficult a prediction), but we can all read the tea leaves here, can’t we? Who else is going to get the fifth starter spot? Justin Lehr? He can’t get into a game. Do you really think Dusty Baker is going to pick him? Perhaps Aroldis Chapman? Despite all the hype, I just can’t see the Reds starting him in the big leagues. We may see him in Cincinnati by May, but I would be very surprised if Chapman made the Opening Day roster.
Travis Wood? Mike Leake? Nope; according to Dusty, those guys really aren’t in the running:
“I don’t know. This is Leake’s first spring training and Wood’s first major league spring training. Pitch first. Then we’ll see what’s happening. Let’s go pitch, son, that’s all. Don’t worry about making the team, don’t worry about not making the team, just pitch. That’s what they’re doing. If they’re not here when it breaks, they’ll be here soon. If they keep pitching like they’re pitching, they’ll be here sooner than most of us think – if there’s room or other people aren’t doing the job. … I can’t have them all, Chapman, Leake, Wood, Maloney and Lehr feels a little left out right now and I don’t blame him, but there’s some dude’s that’s dealin’.”
First of all, I love the way Dusty talks. He’s cool (did you know he played with Hank Aaron?). Secondly, the way I read that, Leake and Wood may be here soon, but not to start the season. For what it’s worth, I don’t necessarily disagree with that decision, if that is what the Reds do.
Maybe I’m reading too much into those comments. So it’s Maloney, right? Well, there is one other pitcher in contention.
Mike Lincoln. Ugh.
Lincoln will be making his third start of the camp today. By my calculation, that is more starts than anyone else on the staff. I just can’t see the Reds naming Lincoln the fifth starter, considering that he isn’t very good. They won’t do that, right?
Right?
UPDATE: Okay, I guess I forgot about Micah Owings. He’s kinda been the forgotten man all spring, and I get the impression that he isn’t being seriously considered for the rotation right now. Maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe Owings should just play left field.