Rookie Career Development Program

[Yojimbo]

Prospects sent to this yearly forum are considered on the verge of making the bigs. The reds sent the following players this year:

Aristides Aquino, OF*
Tyler Stephenson, C
Tony Santillan, SP
Joel Kuhnel, RP

*=already spent time in bigs

https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/tyler-stephenson-nearing-major-leagues-for-reds

I’m pretty excited about Stephenson and Santillan’s debuts at some point this season. Stephenson has a chance to make the team out of Spring Training. I think Santillan only makes it if there is an injury to the starting 5.

[grampahol]

Nothing wrong with such programs.. They're more personal development things to help them avoid problems players have had over the years, but fans don't get that excited about rookie personal development programs..or at least most of us don't.. Of the 4 listed Santillian is the one i think will struggle most in the big leagues, but he might just surprise me.. 

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

I like what I've seen from Kuhnel. He's young but he's big and throws hard. If he reaches his potential, he'd be one hell of a set up man.

If one of the catchers has to go to make room for Stephenson, I'd trade Barnhart. He's a better catcher than Casali, but Casali never looks intimidated by Ace pitchers. Barnhart looks like he is still trying to figure out this hitting thing. "Am I a switch hitter? Am I just a lefty?" He may have to go figure that out in Detroit or Baltimore if Stephenson is for real.

[grampahol]

(01-14-2020, 03:02 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: I like what I've seen from Kuhnel. He's young but he's big and throws hard. If he reaches his potential, he'd be one hell of a set up man.

If one of the catchers has to go to make room for Stephenson, I'd trade Barnhart. He's a better catcher than Casali, but Casali never looks intimidated by Ace pitchers. Barnhart looks like he is still trying to figure out this hitting thing. "Am I a switch hitter? Am I just a lefty?" He may have to go figure that out in Detroit or Baltimore if Stephenson is for real.

I like Kuhnel too.. he got off to a rocky start in the bigs, but settled down well.