FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

Alas, it is spring...

And every team is still a contender. I don't think the Reds starting pitching will be signficantly improved over last year, but I do think that the bullpen will be better, and that's worth a couple games. Here, the Great One, Hal McCoy, writes on the new Reds Bullpen.

A couple of other

John Sickels, former ESPN dude, writes on Red Reporter about the top Reds Prospects.

Finally, nothing lends itself to blogging like spring training. Marc Lancaster of the Post is blogging from Plant City. Worth a look everyday,

Finally, some original content. The Reds brought in Joe Randa at 3b to fill a hole where we were clearly producing below the league average. Its all a fill-in until Edwin Encarnacion comes in next year (one hopes), but in the meantime, Randa is a minor step up, at best.

Randa (.341 OBP, .424 SLG, .765 OPS).
Freel (.375 OBP, .368 SLG, .743 OPS).
NL 3b (.338 OBP, .458 SLG, .791 OPS).

Both are below average, but in different ways and degrees. Randa is clearly the better offensive player, but Freel was a better lead-off role type guy, and maybe he was needed there. Its hard to tell. But when listing the things the Reds did to supposedly contend, let's not count on too much from Randa.