Reds 2016 opening day lineup

[CincySportsFan]

I think your infield is Votto, Phillips, Cozart and Frazier. The loyalty factor will kick in with Cozart (not losing your starting position due to injury), so Suarez will be on the bench. Bruce will be in right, Hamilton in Center (hard to keep that speed out of the lineup).

 

Something that I've kicked around, is putting Meso in left field. Save the wear and tear on his legs, and hopefully protect his "thump" as the season goes on. I'd put Barnhart in at catcher. It seems he calls a good game, gives the ump a good sightline, and is pretty good on the defensive side.

[HammerTime]

Finally someone got it right, Winker starting in left?, isn't he having trouble hitting in AA still? I know Mesorasco can at least hit MLB pitching. Could Suarez play left, Meso then catching?

He struggled for a while after his wrist injury last year and into this year but the last few months he has picked it up.

[nkufan23]

I think your infield is Votto, Phillips, Cozart and Frazier. The loyalty factor will kick in with Cozart (not losing your starting position due to injury), so Suarez will be on the bench. Bruce will be in right, Hamilton in Center (hard to keep that speed out of the lineup).

 

Something that I've kicked around, is putting Meso in left field. Save the wear and tear on his legs, and hopefully protect his "thump" as the season goes on. I'd put Barnhart in at catcher. It seems he calls a good game, gives the ump a good sightline, and is pretty good on the defensive side.

 

There's no way Suarez sits the bench he either starts at SS or another position or goes back to AAA. You can't sit a guy with his potential as young as he is, especially after he's held his own at the Big League level already. Cozart was on pace for his normal season this year .250 with an OBP around .300 and maybe some extra HR's compared to the norm. Everyone wants to act like he turned some kind of corner offensively but his finishing numbers suggest otherwise and we're falling rapidly when he got injured.

[nkufan23]

He struggled for a while after his wrist injury last year and into this year but the last few months he has picked it up.

 

Yeah it's nothing to be worried about. He's been struggling again lately but I'm not worried about it. The biggest thing is he's made the jump to AA and his plate discipline is still off the charts. He has almost just as many walks as strikeouts. The power numbers are down but he plays his home games in Pensacola which is known to be a tough place to hit HR's as a lefty. I believe he's also ran into bad luck on hard hit balls. Winker will be just fine, I haven't read anywhere where anyone is worried about him at this point. He's still a top 50 player nationally.

[HammerTime]

Yeah it's nothing to be worried about. He's been struggling again lately but I'm not worried about it. The biggest thing is he's made the jump to AA and his plate discipline is still off the charts. He has almost just as many walks as strikeouts. The power numbers are down but he plays his home games in Pensacola which is known to be a tough place to hit HR's as a lefty. I believe he's also ran into bad luck on hard hit balls. Winker will be just fine, I haven't read anywhere where anyone is worried about him at this point. He's still a top 50 player nationally.

 

OBP % has stayed consistent with low strikeout rate.

[NKY Bandit]

I like Meso in LF but worry about the lack of offense from Barnhart for a team that struggles to produce runs. With a rookie pitching staff, going to need to score in bunches.

[HammerTime]

Meso will not be in LF. Reds said the plan is to have him catch.

[All In]

I like the post made of Frazier going back to left field

Suarez at 3rd

Cozart SS

Mesorasco C

[Hellbird]

Using the roster as it is currently constructed, assuming the DL guys are back-

 

Suarez- CF

Phillips- 2B

Votto- 1B

Frazier- 3B

Mesoraco- C

Bruce- RF

Byrd- LF

Cozart- SS

Bailey- P

 

Need to keep Suarez's bat in the lineup. It came down to who you want in the lineup- Cozart , Byrd or Hamilton. I chose to sit Hamilton.

hamilton is simply not a major league caliber player yet. He should have been on the trading block this year.

[AverageJoesGym]

I like the post made of Frazier going back to left field

Suarez at 3rd

Cozart SS

Mesorasco C

 

Frazier plays near Gold Give level at 3rd base. Suarez has been below average at SS. Why would you want to make yourself worse at 2 positions defensively?

[ColonelCrazy]

hamilton is simply not a major league caliber player yet. He should have been on the trading block this year.

 

What do you think the Reds could get for Hamilton?

[UKMustangFan]

Frazier plays near Gold Give level at 3rd base. Suarez has been below average at SS. Why would you want to make yourself worse at 2 positions defensively?

 

Reminds me of when Alonso was here and people were clamoring about moving Votto to LF so Alonso could man 1B. Why would you make your best players switch positions to make room for an unknown? Makes no sense to me.

[UKMustangFan]

What do you think the Reds could get for Hamilton?

 

They'd get a very low level minor league prospect at this point. No trade value right now.

[ColonelCrazy]

They'd get a very low level minor league prospect at this point. No trade value right now.

 

Exactly...

[plantmanky]

Meso will not be in LF. Reds said the plan is to have him catch.

 

You said Reds and plan in the same sentence, are you feeling ok?