The Reds certainly have the potential. The starters for the Reds are similar to be sure. You have a veteran, reliable presence in Aaron Harang, and Bronson Arroyo. You have three outstanding young pitchers in the trio of Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Micah Owings. Some think that Cueto and Volquez are future Cy Young candidates to be sure. The key here is that they are able to stay consistent and win regularly.

Run production is the other concern for the Reds. That concern appears to be dealt with however, as they have a slew of nice offensive players. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips are going to be absolute murder on the opposition this year. All three have the potential to be solid five category players, and Bruce and Votto may even be 30-40 homer guys…this season. The signing of Ramon Hernandez is likely to pay off nicely as well, as he is a pretty decent offensive catcher as a rule.

The only thing the Reds did not address was to get a strong right handed bat to take over left field. The right handed bat would help to break up the slew of left handers in Votto and Bruce. They did resign Jerry Hairston Jr, who should provide RBI opportunities and speed. He can also man that left field spot as well as a few other positions in a pinch. The Reds also signed Jonny Gomes with left field in mind if he can reclaim the power that he showed at the start of his career. If not, Norris Hooper and Chris Dickerson will probably man the position with Hairston Jr filling in here and there.

Another strength for this team might be their bullpen. The Reds have a strong, established group of pitchers out there, and they know how to protect the lead. The problem in the last few years is that they have not had many leads to protect. Francisco Cordero will continue to provide closing duties, and David Weathers will be his set up man most of the time. Left hander Bill Bray is coming on strong as well.

Youngster Homer Bailey and Micah Owings will compete for the fifth spot in the rotation and both have the potential to completely dominate batters. The offense in Cincinnati is sure to be exciting if nothing else. After signing Willy Taveras and Jerry Hairston Jr, the Reds are set to have plenty of speed to set the table for young sluggers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Add in the explosive Brandon Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion, and they could be one of the most productive offenses in the league. The one element that the Reds had hoped for but did not get was a power hitting right handed bat to sandwich between left handers Votto and Bruce. This will add some pressure to the two young sluggers to carry a much heavier load, and they will not get much protection in the lineup. Fortunately, the Reds are trying to revive the career of youngster Jonny Gomes to take that spot. Gomes has the power and ability to be a perfect fit in Cincinnati, but he will have to earn that chance in Spring Training. The defense in Cincinnati should be in great hands as they signed veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez from the Orioles. This guy is a great on the field coach that can lead the Reds from behind the plate. Phillips is about as good as it gets at second, and the combination with A. Gonzalez at shortstop is strong up the middle and turning the double play. The outfield is quick and athletic and should be sound if they can find a good player for left field. The resigning of Hairston gives the Reds a ton of lineup flexibility. Hairston Jr can literally play anywhere on the baseball diamond, and does not mind doing so. This will give Dusty Baker a chance to rest players and test some new ideas here and there. Baker is one of the most creative coaches in the league, and Hairston Jr will allow him to utilize that talent.

Overall, the Reds will be much improved in 2009. It is hard to imagine that the Reds would do anything but move up from the dismal season of 08, and if they have some of those bats mature quickly, they just might be a power in the National League. The Rays have shown that it can be done. The Reds want to follow suit in 09.

The starting pitching for the Reds is strong with last year’s standout Johnny Cueto leading the way. With veterans Harang and Arroyo around to help stabilize things, they may be much better than advertised. Throw in Volquez and you have the makings of a seriously underrated starting rotation. Sound familiar? The Reds bullpen is strong and filled with veterans that know how to get the job done as well.

From the standpoint of lineup, the Reds have a powder keg waiting to explode. The problem is, you never know if the ingredients will mix well in a young team. The Reds have some absolute stars in the making with Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce, but they need to all produce to really make the Reds engine purr. The tablesetters should be strong with the resigning of speedster utility man Jerry Hairston Jr, as well as the free agent signing of Willy Taveras. There is plenty of speed with those guys to ensure some RBI chances for the big three.

They also added veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez to the mix, who can give a bit of pop from behind the plate. E. Encarnacion is another wild card that could pay off big in 2009 if he is able to make consistant contact with the baseball. The one weakness that is apparent with the Reds is the lack of a strong right handed power guy to sandwich between all the left handed talent in the lineup. The young guys are going to feel that pressure as the season moves along.

The bottom line for the Reds is much the same as it was for the Rays in 2008. Can the young guys step up to their potential, and can the starting rotation be strong enough to handle the rigors of the long season? The Reds would have an easier time of it than the Rays did in the powerful AL East, so the chance is real that they could do some damage. We will have to wait and see as the season goes along.

Here are five MLB prospects that have the strongest chance to make a huge impact their ballclub in the coming 2009 season:

1. Matt Wieters – In Baltimore, the Orioles are so high on Wieters that they traded away their incumbant catcher in Ramon Hernandez to Cincinnati. The young catcher is Major League ready at the plate, but is still learning the fine art of catching and defense. The kids bat is so good, though, that the Orioles are likely to live with the growing pains behind the dish. Wieters has fantastic hands at the plate, and has one of the quickest bats in baseball. He is also a switch hitter and would fit nicely in the Orioles starting lineup. He also has plenty of power; a luxury the Orioles desperately need. Expect him to start in Triple A but he will make a splash in the show sooner rather than later.

2. Travis Snider – This Toronto outfielder is one of those guys that has light pole power, but is just a bit erratic at the plate. He did manage a decent .300 average in a short call up last season, however. The power in Snider’s bat alone is enough to make him popular and might just win him a roster spot straight out of spring training. Snider is adequate in the outfield, but his real calling card is his power and his ability to drive the ball to every part of the ballpark.

3. David Price – The Rays showed Price off to the world during the World Series last season and their is plenty to love about this young pitcher. In short relief, he was very impressive for the American League champions. This season, however, he should be in the starting rotation. With heat that comes in at around 97-99 mph on a regular basis, and a fantastic slider, Price should be one of the best pitchers on the scene this season. He is going to have to adjust to starting, but with stuff like his he should do just fine.

4. Max Scherzer – Arizona is really excited about this young pitcher and they certainly should be. Scherzer is one of the most mature young pitchers to come on the scene in years. He knows how to work a hitter, and how to get the outs at the right time. That is something that most young pitchers do not have until about year three. Scherzer is going to get a chance to shine this season in Diamondback country, and he should be an excellent addition to the rotation.

5. Matt LaPorta – Celeveland has yet another hulking power hitter to add to an already tough lineup. The thing that sets LaPorta apart is his plate discipline. For such a strong, powerful bat, LaPorta is remarkably selective at the plate. That combination is not very common in baseball, and should serve him well throughout 2009. If he maintains that discipline, he should be able to generate plenty of runs and RBIs in that Indian lineup.

There are several others that are sure to make a splash in 2009, but these are the five that I see making the biggest noise on the field.