GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It's been four weeks since Reds pitchers and catchers had to report for spring training. It's been four days since I reported to Arizona.
So while the players are mid-way through their preseason workouts, I'm just getting back into making sure I lather an abundance of sunscreen each day, properly (at least by my account) keep a scorebook, and put faces to names of the newcomers and young up-and-comers that populate the Reds' clubhouse and training fields.
It's one thing to watch or listen to games from afar or read the various reports of how things have gone. It's another to put your own eyeballs on the workouts and games, as well as talk with players and manager Bryan Price in the attempt to glean the best perspective possible as Opening Day approaches in less than three weeks.
This Reds camp is different from recent years because there are more opportunities for jobs. That's going to happen when a team is coming off a campaign in which it finished 10 games under .500 after being a pennant contender the previous couple seasons. There were questions coming into camp that are starting to find their answers.
Expectations and reality don't always match up. Here are three I've noticed in my first few days in the desert.
Joey Votto's health
Expectation: I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. Votto's 2014 was non-Votto in every way imaginable. I had never heard of a distal quad before last year, let alone realize how damaging it could be to a player. Votto said all offseason he was progressing towards being ready for when camp rolled around but after last season it was reasonable to doubt. It's that whole seeing is better than hearing thing.
How it's playing out: Votto looks trimmer than I've seen him before, and it's not just the buzz cut he's wearing these days. A moment from Monday's game against San Francisco stood out: Votto was on first base in the fifth inning after drawing a walk. Giants' pitcher Kyle Crick let go a wild pitch that got past catcher Hector Sanchez and all the way to the backstop. Votto sprinted right away for second base, took a hard turn around the bag ready to head to third base if the opportunity presented itself. Those are the things you take away from watching a spring training game. Votto also had a single and scored in the third inning of Monday's game. The single is nice. The fact that he went opposite field with the pitch was a better sign and indication that Votto can prove that last season was an aberration.
Bench strength
Expectation: These are two words that haven't been closely associated with the Reds. They haven't been a deep team, particularly when it came to their ability to call up position players from the Triple-A level. While that's getting better with the likes of Kyle Waldrop and Jesse Winker moving up the minor league ranks last season showed how thin the Reds were in the depth department. Then they traded away a proven fourth outfielder in Chris Heisey, who was one player who provided power off the bench, in the offseason. There are jobs to be won in this role, which makes it one of the most interesting parts of spring training.
How it's playing out: The competition is promising. Kristopher Negron took advantage of the opportunities presented to him last season and has continued to play well this camp. Negron actually had a good camp last year but hadn't shown much in previous shots with the big league team. Now the Reds know it's not just a case of a player having a good camp. Negron and Skip Schumaker each give the Reds the versatility of playing the infield and outfield. Brennan Boesch has history in the big leagues, having hit 42 home runs in his first three seasons with Detroit. He's coming off a season last year in which he led the PCL in hitting and slugging percentage. He's shown good power this spring with three home runs and can play all of the outfield spots. It's a promising development. The Reds got Eugenio Suarez in the deal that sent Alfredo Simon to Detroit. Suarez would fit on this bench but the Reds want him to play every day so he'll likely end up in Triple-A Louisville.
Battle for the bullpen
Expection: Like the competition for spots on the bench, there are jobs to be won in the bullpen. After Aroldis Chapman, the relievers last season were a disappointment as an overall group. Sam LeCure didn't have a Sam LeCure season but you fully expect him to bounce back and be the kind of pitcher you can put into any high leverage situation with full confidence. I want to see how the addition of Burke Badenhop fits into the staff. Besides, he's a Bowling Green State University grad like myself. He has to be a good guy. Can a non-roster invitee veteran like Kevin Gregg earn a spot on the roster?
How it's playing out: Things became real interesting when Bryan Price announced on Monday that Tony Cingrani would be pitching out of the bullpen. Price said it was a function of the fact that Cingrani hasn't fully developed command and confidence in his secondary pitches but by putting him in the reliever mix the Reds also have a second lefthander to go with Manny Parra in the setup role behind Chapman. Price has said he wants to develop more relievers who can go multiple innings, giving him more flexibility during the regular season. The bullpen should be much better in 2015 than it was last season.
