Reds minor league affiliates
Louisville Bats
www.batsbaseball.com
Class: AAA
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Manager: David Bell
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
www.bluewahoos.com
Class: AA
Location: Pensacola, Fla.
Manager: Jim Riggleman
Bakersfield Blaze
www.bakersfieldblaze.com
Class: A
Location: Bakersfield, Calif.
Manager: Ken Griffey Sr.
Dayton Dragons
www.daytondragons.com
Class: A
Location: Dayton
Manager: Delino DeShields
Billings Mustangs
www.billingsmustangs.com
Class: Rookie
Location: Billings, Mt.
Manager: Pat Kelly
Arizona League Reds
Class: Rookie
Location: Goodyear, Ariz.
Manager: Jose Miguel Niev
CINCINNATI — With the recent signings of Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, the Cincinnati Reds have locked up their top players at every position but one for at least the next few years.
That might be seen as a huge roadblock for the players in the minor league system, but for the people in the organization’s scouting and player development part, it’s no reason to lift the pedal.
“The long-term signings give us more flexibility, but in a small market like ours, the minor leagues are always going to be more important to us than other franchises,” said Jeff Graupe, the organization’s assistant director of player development.
The Reds traded top prospects Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger along with Edinson Volquez for starting pitcher Mat Latos in December.
A week later they dealt two more prospects along with home-grown starting pitcher Travis Wood for reliever Sean Marshall.
Despite those recent losses, the Reds still are 16th on Baseball America’s minor league organization talent rankings.
“We would’ve been in the top five or six if we hadn’t made all of those moves,” said Bob Miller, Reds vice president and assistant general manager. “The status of our minor league system is tremendous. And even if it wasn’t great, we’d have three or four years to rebuild it because when you look at every position except for third base, everybody that’s out there we control for at least the next three or four years.
“(Center fielder) Drew Stubbs we’ve got for this year and three more, (Jay) Bruce for four or five, (Chris) Heisey for four more, (Zack) Cozart for six, (Devin) Mesoraco for six and now Brandon (six) and Votto (10),” Miller added.
All of those players except Phillips worked their way up through the Reds minor league system.
In fact, the 40-man roster features 17 players originally drafted by the Reds and another seven who were non-drafted free agents who haven’t played for any other organization.
“When you think about it, you can add in Mat Latos and other guys who were acquired for players that we originally signed and drafted,” Graupe said. “That’s why minor league talent being added to the system is so important to us. It gives us the flexibility to not only replenish from within, but it also gives the major league crew and (General Manager) Walt (Jocketty) the ability to use some of those assets to get more major league proven guys if needed.”
One of the key pieces in the current system is Billy Hamilton, who stole 103 bases last year for the Dayton Dragons on the way to winning the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award given to the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year.
Baseball America ranks Hamilton No. 2 on the Reds prospect list behind Mesoraco, who made the major league club out of spring training. Also on that top 10 list are pitchers Daniel Corcino and Robert Stephenson, the club’s first-round pick in last year’s first-year player draft.
In addition to Stephenson, the Reds were able to sign their top 11 and 29 of their top 34 picks from that draft.
“You always want to get your top 10 signed, but occasionally one or two of those guys will get away from you,” Graupe said. “(Amateur Scouting Senior Director) Chris Buckley and his staff do a tremendous job of identifying and then acquiring the right talent through the draft, and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in today.”
The Reds found nine of their top 10 picks playing in the United States, but the organization also has a strong record of finding talent abroad.
In November the club added seven minor leaguers from seven different countries to the 40-man roster — outfielder Donald Lutz (Germany), third baseman Neftali Soto (Puerto Rico), shortstop Didi Gregorius (Netherlands), second baseman Henry Rodriguez (Venezuela), outfielder Denis Phipps (Dominican Republic) and right-handed pitchers Kyle Lotzkar (Canada) Pedro Villarreal (United States).
“I think our next wave of players are going to be international,” Miller said. “We’ve got a bunch of young Dominican guys who are already throwing in the low 90s, and most of them are under 20 years old. We’ll put some more weight on them and develop them and hopefully we’ll be strong for a good while.
“Our fans should feel that we’re doing things the right way,” Miller continued. “From here on out, most of our guys are going to be from our own organization or guys that we get in trades for players in our organization. That’s what we have to do. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
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