Cueto breeds optimism for Reds, but who will round out starting rotation?

Cueto breeds optimism for Reds, but who will round out starting rotation?

Published Feb. 17, 2015 10:19 a.m. ET

Johnny Cueto had a magical 2014. He was the first Reds pitcher to reach 20 wins in 26 years. No pitcher in the National League started more games, threw more innings, struck out more batters or was tougher to get a hit off of than Cueto. The only thing that kept him from becoming the first Reds pitcher to win a Cy Young award was the regular season turned in by Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw.

Cueto is among the handful of pitchers in the game who is a true No. 1; he has a full repertoire of pitches at his command that commands the opponent. He can be matched up against any other pitcher and your team goes into the game feeling it will win that day. Pitching is the foundation of the Reds. Cueto is the cornerstone of a starting staff that since 2010 is ninth in the major leagues with a 3.78 ERA and second in innings pitched.

The Reds chances at a successful 2015 are greater because Cueto will get the ball every fifth day.

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"One thing that people need to understand is that every time Johnny Cueto pitched he was facing an Adam Wainwright, he was facing a Francisco Liriano," said catcher Brayan Pena. "He was facing an ace every single time. He wasn't facing a fourth or fifth guy. He was going your best against my best, and for him to have the season that he had, for him to compete and not miss a start and run out there every five days that says a lot about his character. That says a lot about how much he wants to win. It says a lot about how much he desires to win and how much he loves his team and how much he respects his fans."

How long Cueto will be taking the ball every fifth day for the Reds lingers. Cueto is entering the final year of his contract. He will become a free agent next season unless he and Reds can come to agreement on a new deal. It will be a pricey deal whether it's the Reds or some other team Cueto ends up pitching for after this season, especially if Cueto follows up this season with anything close to resembling 2014.

Wins for pitchers are an outdated stat when it comes to determining their worth but the number 20 still holds weight. Cueto got No. 20 on the final day of the season last year, beating Pittsburgh with his arm over eight innings and his bat by driving in the go-ahead run of a 4-1 victory with a single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was his fifth win in six starts against the Pirates last season, to go along with a 1.76 ERA.

The Reds will be replacing two starters from last season after Mat Latos was traded to Miami and Alfredo Simon to Detroit. They will count on Cueto all that much more this season, as well as Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Bailey is coming back from surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm. Leake, like Cueto, is also working on a one-year contract and could become a free agent at the end of the season.

The starting rotation could have a much different look in 2016, but for now its cornerstone is in place.

There is no bigger reason for the Reds to feel optimistic about 2015 than Johnny Cueto.

REDS SPRING TRAINING STARTING ROTATION OUTLOOK

40-man roster: RHP Dylan Axelrod, RHP Homer Bailey, LHP Tony Cingrani, RHP Daniel Corcino, RHP Johnny Cueto, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, LHP David Holmberg, RHP Raisel Iglesias, RHP Mike Leake, RHP Keyvius Sampson,.

Non-roster players in camp: RHP Jonathon Crawford, RHP Michael Lorenzen, RHP Jason Marquis, RHP Jon Moscot, RHP Robert Stephenson, RHP Nick Travieso.

Projected starters: Cueto, Bailey, Leake, Cingrani, DeSclafani

Burning question: Who earns the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation?

After the first three, everything is up for grabs this camp and all of the contenders have something to prove. Cingrani has a head start on the others as long as he is healthy but, can how has the development of his secondary pitches progressed and can he consistently throw them for strikes? DeSclafani came to the Reds from Miami in the Mat Latos trade. He made five starts for the Marlins last season among his 13 appearances. The most intriguing candidate will be Iglesias, the Cuban signed to a 7-year deal last summer. He impressed in the Arizona Fall League and the Reds want him starting games even though he was used as a reliever while playing in Cuba. It might be too much to have him starting at the major league level from the outset but Leake showed it's not impossible.

Marquis will get his shot at earning a spot as a non-roster invitee. He had Tommy John surgery in 2013 and made nine starts in the Philadelphia minor league system. He's got experience but, at the age of 36, what does he have left?

Prospect to watch: Robert Stephenson

The Reds' 2011 first-round pick has progressed steadily through the system, including starting 27 games at Double-A Pensacola last season. He is rated the organization's top overall prospect by Baseball America after leading the Southern League with a .224 opponent's batting average, walks and strikeouts. Stephenson turns 22 on Feb. 24, the first day of full squad workouts in Goodyear. He could be a September call up this year, perhaps sooner but the Reds don't need to rush him. His time is coming soon.

Under the radar: David Holmberg

Holmberg threw little more than batting practice in two mid-season call-ups from Triple-A Louisville last season. He wasn't the same pitcher in September. Holmberg produced three quality starts after coming in relief one batter into a game against St. Louis for Dylan Axelrod on Sept. 8 and tossing 5 2/3 shutout innings. He might be ticketed to start the season at Louisville but Holmberg gave the Reds reason to believe he can contribute at some point this season. Being a lefty doesn't hurt, either.

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