I've seen numerous people on social media refer to the 2016 Reds as a "minor-league team"--often when describing why they won't attend many if any games this season. They seem to believe that jettisoning Frazier and Chapman, and Cueto and Leake before them, means that the Louisville Bats will be in playing in Reds uniforms at GABP this season.
I want to slap them upside the head for at least two reasons:
1. If by "minor-league team" they mean that our lineup will be filled with green prospects in their early 20s, then they're not paying attention. As it stands right now, 24-year-old Eugenio Suarez will likely be the Reds' youngest starting position player--and that would INCLUDE Adam Duvall if he starts in left field. At the moment, our best young position-player prospect--Jose Peraza--doesn't have a position (would that he did). It's hard to regard a lineup that includes Votto, Bruce, BP, and Mes as a young and inexperienced "minor-league team."
And while our pitching staff is indeed a bit green, several of them--DeSclafani, Iglesias, Lorenzen, Lamb, Finnegan, Moscot--got their baptism by fire last season and won't be rookies this year. And Finnegan is the youngest of that bunch, turning 23 in April. So this is NOT a team of snot-nosed hotshots getting their first taste of the bigs. In fact, I wish we had MORE players who fit that description.
2. If by "minor-league team" they mean a roster filled with washed-up has-beens or career minor leaguers, then they're thinking of 2015's team. Here's a few names that fit that profile who played for us last year (in no particular order): Schumaker, Bourgeois, Boesch, Dominguez, Negron, Marquis, Gregg, Parra, Badenhop. And that doesn't include guys like Byrd, Pena, and LeCure--players I generally liked but are clearly past their prime. So if two-bit veterans are their definition of a "minor-league team," the Reds have cleared a lot of that deadwood.
So when someone says we'll be fielding a minor-league team in 2016, I want to say some combination of:
1. You're not paying attention.
2. You have the wrong year.
3. Would that we were.
4. WE LOST 98 #$&#ING GAMES LAST YEAR, ASS HAT--WOULD YOU PREFER TO GO BACK TO THAT?
Personally, I'm looking forward to this season and hope we see guys like Peraza, Stephenson, Winker, Garrett, and others in GABP sooner rather than later.
