The Reds travel to Scottsdale to play the San Francisco Giants tonight (9 p.m. ET). The game will be broadcast on the national MLB cable network as well as MLB.tv, the online stream, and WLW-700. Use this post as a real-live game thread.
Tonight’s lineup:
- Jake Cave CF
- Eugenio Suarez 3B
- Jesse Winker RF
- Brandon Phillips 2B
- Scott Schebler LF
- Ivan De Jesus SS
- Brandon Allen 1B
- Phillip Ervin DH
- Ramon Cabrera C
For the second time in less than a week, Anthony DeSclafani will face off with Madison Bumgarner.
Lineup Thoughts
Jake Cave back in the leadoff spot and center field. Two of the infield starters are in the lineup, Brandon Phillips and Eugenio Suarez. Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler, two players competing for the left field slot get starting opportunities. Phillip Ervin, who had a good first week, is the designated hitter.
Reds fans got a glimpse of what the front office saw in Jose Peraza that made the infielder a target for an off-season trade. Peraza was the headliner in the Todd Frazier trade with the White Sox. Yesterday, Peraza had a double, single, stole a base, scored a run and made a nice play in the field. On the other hand, we’re still waiting for his first walk.
Jose Peraza / Photo: Cincinnati Enquirer
Video: Adam Duvall and the Battle for Left Field
News and Reading
• Charlie Wilmoth (MLB Trade Rumors) wrote an extensive analysis of the Reds off-season:
The problem is that the position players now slated to join the Reds’ once-mighty lineup  Schebler, Adam Duvall, Peraza  appear to have limited upside. Schebler had two very good years in the minors in 2013 and 2014 but had a pedestrian 2015 at Triple-A; he looks like he’ll have enough power to stick in the big leagues, but he might be a little stretched as a regular. Duvall could have 30-homer power, but with plenty of strikeouts and a low batting average, and he’s already 27. And Peraza possesses obvious tools but is very hard to get a read on  he has plenty of baserunning and defensive ability, but his complete lack of power figures to hold him back offensively.
• The Orioles signed Pedro Alvarez last night. That means Mark Trumbo will play right field for Baltimore. Presumably that will eliminate the Orioles’ interest in Jay Bruce for now.
Pedro Alvarez signs one year deal with #Orioles,leaving Jay Bruce with #Reds for now
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 8, 2016
Good. Bruce can rebuild his trade value and the Reds can shop him at the deadline if they want to. The Alvarez signing may also signal the end to the Reds off-season moves, albeit indirectly.
• Justin Merry has assembled a composite ranking of Reds prospects based on six independent ratings:
Not surprisingly, Robert Stephenson (who makes me nervous) and Jesse Winker (who I want to love) remain at the top of the leaderboard.  Newcomer Cody Reed clocks in at #3, which is a nice showing for a guy who only starting to raise eyebrows when he was arguably the big prize in last summer’s Johnny Cueto trade.
• Mark Sheldon (MLB.com) reports on Cody Reed and his first start for the Reds yesterday:
Not mentioned in the pitching line were three Angels broken bats, with two of them coming on hits. Daniel Nava cracked his bat on a leadoff single to left field in the second inning and Nick Buss busted his bat on a blooped single to center field in the third. “I came to the dugout and Tucker [Barnhart, the catcher] laughs at me and said, ‘If those are the hits you give up, it’s perfectly fine,'” Reed said. “It was a good atmosphere out there. I felt good. My fastball was working. I got ahead.”
Cody Reed / Photo: Cincinnati Reds
• Zach Buchanan (Cincinnati Enquirer) talked to Robert Stephenson about his start yesterday in the B game and his first-pitch curve balls:
Stephenson allowed only one ball to leave the infield. He also displayed a get-over curveball which he threw on the first pitch to a couple batters. One resulted in a strike, one in a ball. “I’m trying to work on throwing first-pitch curveballs for strikes, just because you fool hitters a little bit and steal strike one there,†Stephenson said.
• Doug Gray (Reds Minor Leagues) offers his thoughts about the first week of spring training, both the good and bad:
Yorman Rodriguez is 2-10 at the plate with three strikeouts and a walk. As noted, right now that doesn’t mean a whole bunch. It’s been what’s happened in the field that’s been the issue for Rodriguez thus far. He made an error on a ball the other day when he misplayed it off of the wall and gave up an extra base on the play, resulting in a run coming across the plate. Yesterday he wasn’t charged with an error, but he completely lost track of a fly ball that he should have caught. It’s early, but he’s fighting for a roster spot, and realistically a chance to remain in the organization as he’s out of options.
Doug would be the first to say that one week isn’t much on which to base an opinion. But it’s what we have to talk about right now.
• Sports Illustrated with a feel good story about the Yankees signing a special young fan to a one-day contract so he could take batting practice with the team:
Landis Sims, of Elizabeth, Ind., was born without hands and legs below his knees, but that doesn’t stop him from playing baseball. He uses Derek Jeter-themed prosthetic legs to run and a soccer shin guard in his glove to make it easier to throw. His main position is second base but he also pitches. Landis signed his contract in the clubhouse and got to hang out with the players.
• C. Trent Rosecrans (Cincinnati Enquirer) has a great story about Tim Adelman, Reds 28-year-old minor league pitcher and his thinking about life without professional baseball:
Being in big league camp with the Reds is as big of a chance as Adleman’s had  a far cry from the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and long bus rides of the independent leagues. “It’s a tremendous feeling, as big of a step in the right direction as I’ve made in my entire career,†Adleman said. “But as far as playing in the big leagues, there’s obviously still a ways to go. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and happy to be here, but now’s the time to make the most of it.â€Â