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Draft Report Cards: Cincinnati Reds
By John Manuel
October 21, 2010
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QUICK TAKE
Signing Grandal to a major league deal allowed the Reds to spread out his money and add Cisco and Waldrop. LaMarre and Waldrop tip the class toward hitters, which goes against the grain in a draft seen as deeper on the mound.
Bonus Spending: $5.7 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: 3B David Vidal (8) is just 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, but he swings the bat with balance and surprising power.He earns Placido Polanco comparisons for his swing and hitting ability, though he's less athletic. » BEST POWER HITTER: OF Kyle Waldrop (12) signed for $500,000 because of his athletic ability and plus raw power. He has excellent strength and a fast bat. C Yasmani Grandal (1) became more selective and less pull-conscious as a junior and hit for power more consistently, and could hit 20-25 homers annually. » FASTEST RUNNER: OF Ryan LaMarre (2) lasted longer than expected in the draft, thanks in part to an early-season broken left thumb. He's a well above-average runner, getting to first base in 4.05 seconds from the right side, earning comparisons to current Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Grandal's release can get long, but he has the arm strength and receiving skills to be an average to plus defender, and being bilingual helps him immensely. 2B Brodie Greene (4) has the quickness, speed and arm strength to be solid at second, shortstop and eventually center field.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Drew Cisco (6) pitches off his fastball with average velocity, but he can cut it, run it, sink it and command it. In those regards, he reminds the Reds of last year's first-rounder, Mike Leake. RHPs Tony Amezcua (7) and Drew Hayes (11) throw harder, topping out around 94 mph, but no Reds draftee will threaten Aroldis Chapman anytime soon. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Cisco commands his curveball and changeup well and know how to use his full repertoire. RHP Wes Mugarian (5) has a solid-average curveball that could develop into a plus pitch, and RHP Kevin Arico (10), strictly a reliever, has a slider that might be a tick better.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: LHP Tanner Robles (9) went 3-3, 2.98 at Rookie-level Billings with 66 strikeouts in 60 innings while limiting batters to .179. Vidal hit .297/.354/.538 in the Rookie-level Arizona League as a 20-year-old, while Mugarian racked up 31 strikeouts in 22 innings there. » BEST ATHLETE: Waldrop was a linebacker in football, while LaMarre has all-around athleticism. RHP Lucas O'Rear (13) played more college basketball than baseball at Northern Iowa, as UNI dropped baseball after the 2009 season. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: O'Rear will play one last season at Northern Iowa, which reached the Sweet 16 last year, then will turn his attention to baseball. Cisco's grandfather Galen pitched and coached in the majors, while his older brother Mike pitches in the Phillies system. Unsigned SS Jacob May (39) is the son of Indians minor league coach Lee May Jr., and the grandson of former Reds outfielder Lee May. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: It needs to be Grandal, as he has a major league contract. Greene's versatility will help him move quickly. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Waldrop and 1B Jaren Matthews (32), who struggled much of his Rutgers career but adjusted his swing since signing. He's athletic and has a chance to hit for power. He had a strong showing in the AZL and instructional league. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: The Reds like OF Josh Alexander (19) for solid athleticism and bat speed but didn't buy him out of a commitment to Utah.
By John Manuel
October 21, 2010
E-mail Print
QUICK TAKE
Signing Grandal to a major league deal allowed the Reds to spread out his money and add Cisco and Waldrop. LaMarre and Waldrop tip the class toward hitters, which goes against the grain in a draft seen as deeper on the mound.
Bonus Spending: $5.7 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: 3B David Vidal (8) is just 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, but he swings the bat with balance and surprising power.He earns Placido Polanco comparisons for his swing and hitting ability, though he's less athletic. » BEST POWER HITTER: OF Kyle Waldrop (12) signed for $500,000 because of his athletic ability and plus raw power. He has excellent strength and a fast bat. C Yasmani Grandal (1) became more selective and less pull-conscious as a junior and hit for power more consistently, and could hit 20-25 homers annually. » FASTEST RUNNER: OF Ryan LaMarre (2) lasted longer than expected in the draft, thanks in part to an early-season broken left thumb. He's a well above-average runner, getting to first base in 4.05 seconds from the right side, earning comparisons to current Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Grandal's release can get long, but he has the arm strength and receiving skills to be an average to plus defender, and being bilingual helps him immensely. 2B Brodie Greene (4) has the quickness, speed and arm strength to be solid at second, shortstop and eventually center field.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Drew Cisco (6) pitches off his fastball with average velocity, but he can cut it, run it, sink it and command it. In those regards, he reminds the Reds of last year's first-rounder, Mike Leake. RHPs Tony Amezcua (7) and Drew Hayes (11) throw harder, topping out around 94 mph, but no Reds draftee will threaten Aroldis Chapman anytime soon. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Cisco commands his curveball and changeup well and know how to use his full repertoire. RHP Wes Mugarian (5) has a solid-average curveball that could develop into a plus pitch, and RHP Kevin Arico (10), strictly a reliever, has a slider that might be a tick better.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: LHP Tanner Robles (9) went 3-3, 2.98 at Rookie-level Billings with 66 strikeouts in 60 innings while limiting batters to .179. Vidal hit .297/.354/.538 in the Rookie-level Arizona League as a 20-year-old, while Mugarian racked up 31 strikeouts in 22 innings there. » BEST ATHLETE: Waldrop was a linebacker in football, while LaMarre has all-around athleticism. RHP Lucas O'Rear (13) played more college basketball than baseball at Northern Iowa, as UNI dropped baseball after the 2009 season. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: O'Rear will play one last season at Northern Iowa, which reached the Sweet 16 last year, then will turn his attention to baseball. Cisco's grandfather Galen pitched and coached in the majors, while his older brother Mike pitches in the Phillies system. Unsigned SS Jacob May (39) is the son of Indians minor league coach Lee May Jr., and the grandson of former Reds outfielder Lee May. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: It needs to be Grandal, as he has a major league contract. Greene's versatility will help him move quickly. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Waldrop and 1B Jaren Matthews (32), who struggled much of his Rutgers career but adjusted his swing since signing. He's athletic and has a chance to hit for power. He had a strong showing in the AZL and instructional league. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: The Reds like OF Josh Alexander (19) for solid athleticism and bat speed but didn't buy him out of a commitment to Utah.
