The Reds will likely keep three catchers as Dave Ross, Javier Valentin and Paul Bako are all veterans. This will also allow Ross and Valentin to pinch hit when they don’t start a game. 31-year old righty swinging Dave Ross will get most of the playing time this season. He swings hard in case he hits the ball and the result is homers and whiffs. Ross played in 112 games last season for the Reds and he was 63 for 311 (.203 avg, .670 OPS) with 32 runs scored, 17 homers and 39 RBIs. But, Ross whiffed an alarming 92 times last season! He is a solid defensive catcher though as he threw out 39% of the runners that attempted to steal on him and Reds pitchers had a 4.57 ERA with him behind the plate last season.

32-year old switch hitting Javier Valentin is not a all or nothing hitter like Ross is. He played in 97 games last season for the Reds and he was 67 for 243 (.276 avg, .715 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 2 homers and 34 RBIs. He does have more power than he showed last season and he’s a good pinch hitter. Valentin only threw out 11% of the runners that tried to steal on him and Reds pitchers had a 5.17 ERA when he was catching.

36-year old lefty swinging Paul Bako has never been much with a bat in his hands but he is a solid defender and would fit in nicely as the #3 guy on the depth chart. He played in 60 games last season for the Orioles and he was 32 for 156 (.205 avg, .533 OPS) with 13 runs scored, 1 homer and 8 RBIs. Bako threw out 18% of the runners that tried to steal on him last season and Orioles pitchers had a 4.96 ERA when he was catching and that really says something.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR 2008 SEASON: C-

The Reds have waived 1B Craig Wilson because he failed his physical due to a bum shoulder. Wilson wasn’t likely to make the team anyway as he was starting behind Joey Votto and Scott Hatteberg. At least the Reds got rid of Wilson soon enough that he might be able to find another team that will give him a chance.

The Reds have placed 25-year old lefty starting pitcher on the 60-day disabled list. He pitched in 10 games (all starts) last season for the Reds and he was 3-3 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. He has now pitched in 13 games (10 starts) in his major league career and he is 3-3 with a 6.31 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. The Reds weren’t counting on Livingston to do much this season anyhow so they probably won’t miss him too much.

The Reds have signed 31-year old righty starting pitcher Josh Fogg. Fogg pitched in 30 games (29 starts) last season for the Reds and he was 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Fogg has now pitched in 197 games (179 starts) in his major league career and he is 60-60 with a 4.90 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. Fogg will likely be the #3 starter on the Reds this season and that’s a good thing.

The Reds decided to try to fix the pitching staff. They started that process by signing closer Francisco Cordero who should do a great job for them. The Reds also traded outfielder Josh Hamilton for starting pitcher Edison Volquez. Volquez will likely join lefty free agent signee Jeremy Affeldt at the back end of an improved Reds’ rotation. The Reds didn’t add much to the position player pool as Craig Wilson, Andy Phillips and Paul Bako have the best chances of sticking with the team.

OFF SEASON GRADE FOR THE FRONT OFFICE: C