I've been chippy about the Reds this off-season, so allow me a somewhat optimistic musing as this year comes to a close.
Here's something Paul Daugherty wrote in a column today:
The Reds haven't added a major league player in a trade since they got Marlon Byrd last winter. They've gotten so many kids, a few are bound to be good big-league players. But I'm not hearing the words "best'' and "prospect'' associated with any of these trades. Except, maybe, the Duvall kid, acquired in the Leake deal.
I'll admit that I had forgotten that Duvall was a top prospect for the Giants. So I went back and looked at his (mostly) minor-league power numbers (including all the teams he played for in a given year):
2011: 22 HR, 87 RBI, 30 doubles
2012: 30 HR, 100 RBI, 24 doubles
2013: 24 HR, 85 RBI, 30 doubles
2014: 34 HR, 118 RBI, 24 doubles
2015: 35 HR, 96 RBI, 31 doubles
The dude is a legit power-hitting prospect. He strikes out some (about 110 a year), but not in the Bruce/Byrd/Stubbs (or even Frazier) category. And his .338 OBP in the minors is a higher mark than any Reds regular not named Votto hit last year.
I've been complaining all off-season that Walt hasn't pursued a top outfield prospect. What if that's because he thinks he already got one?
p.s. I’m still furious that Duvall rode a lot of pine last year while Schumaker played in September. It's worth noting, however, that Duvall had five HRs in only 64 ABs for the Reds (Skip had ONE in 244 ABs). Sure wish Price had given Duvall more of an audition.
