Jim Molony of Milb.com wrote an article on 5 NL Rookies aiming for the top. Coming in at #4 was Johnny Cueto. Here is what the article said about Cueto:

4. Johnny Cueto, RHP, Reds: No pitcher caused more of a buzz in the Grapefruit League than Cueto, who wowed both scouts and opposing teams. Cueto’s chances of making the rotation were already good through his first four games (13 IP, 12 K, 4 BB, 2.08 ERA), and they improved when manager Dusty Baker decided last week to keep Jeremy Affeldt in the bullpen.

“That’s one of the best-looking young pitchers I’ve seen all spring,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after watching Cueto pitch against Detroit. “That’s some of the best crude stuff I’ve seen all spring. I don’t know anything about him, but he’s got talent. He’s good. He’s very impressive.”

Dayton Roster

DaytonDragons.com gives us a little insight to the potential roster and even into the crowded SS situation through the system. Here are some of the highlights from the article:

There were four catchers with the Dragons on Tuesday. Joining Esquer were Jake Long, who played in seven games with the Dragons in 2007; Jason Bour, who joined the Reds organization out of George Mason University last summer and batted .287 at Billings in his professional debut; and Devin Mesoraco, the Reds top draft pick last June and the youngest of the group at age 18. Two or three of the four catchers will be with the Dragons when they arrive in Dayton this weekend.

Including the four catchers, there were 17 position players working out with the Dragons Tuesday as camp nears completion. The others were first basemen Mike McKennon and Kyle Maunus; middle infielders Zach Cozart, Brett Bartles, Angel Cabrera, Jake Kahaulelio, and Todd Frazier, third baseman Brandon Waring; and outfielders Brandon Menchaca, Justin Reed, Denis Phipps, Michael Jones, and Keltavious Jones. Cozart left the game Tuesday after being hit by a pitch on the wrist or forearm area. Traditionally, 13-14 of the 25 players on the opening day roster are position players, so the Reds will have some decisions to make in the next few days in terms of finalizing the Dragons roster.

The deepest position in the Reds organization is shortstop and the Dragons will have one of the best of the bunch in 2008 in Todd Frazier. With former Dragon Paul Janish in Triple-A, highly-regarded Jose Castro in Double-A, and Dragons’ ’07 starter Chris Valaika apparently headed to Sarasota, the road ahead of Frazier is crowded. Additionally, Zach Cozart, who is coming back from an injury and may not be ready for opening day, was drafted as a shortstop by the Reds last June after being selected by Baseball America as the top defensive infielder in all of college baseball in 2007. And the youngest of the Reds shortstop prospects, 19-year-old Neftali Soto, was a third round draft pick last June.

Starting with the catcher situation, I can’t imagine the Reds don’t start Mesoraco in Dayton (who is actually 19, and will be 20 in late June despite the article claiming he is 18). Looking toward the SS position, unless the article is incorrect (which it could be of course), it looks like Valaika is back to SS for now and that Cozart may begin the season on the DL for a short period of time. I am interested in seeing if Soto starts off the season in Dayton or in extended spring training. He started off the year pretty hot last year before suffering an injury and cooling off before being put on the DL.
Chattanooga Roster

David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press gave some insight into possible guys heading to AA in an article today. Below are some of the highlights:

Second baseman Drew Anderson played a team-high 128 games last season under then-manager Jayhawk Owens, and pitcher James Avery made a team-high 27 starts for coach Grant Jackson. Anderson and Avery have been penciled to return to Chattanooga, but it’s already a different atmosphere.

Four of the five spots have been set with Avery, Carlos Fisher, Sam Lecure and Justin Mallett. That quartet combined for 77 starts last year, with Mallett making an additional 36 appearances as a reliever.

Craig Tatum is returning at catcher, Anderson and first baseman Tonys Gutierrez are scheduled to return to the infield and Cody Strait and Sean Henry are expected back in the outfield.

Of Baseball America’s top 10 Reds organizational prospects, only reliever Josh Roenicke (No. 9) will start out with the Lookouts.

Where to start on this one….. lets start with the rotation. Word trickled down that Carlos Fisher was headed to the bullpen earlier in the offseason but now is listed in the rotation. It could be a side effect of Cueto making the Reds rotation and causing a lack of starters that is thrusting him back into that role. Sam Lecure pitched well enough last year that I thought he warranted a shot in Louisville.

Then there is Josh Roenicke heading back to Chattanooga. His time in Chattanooga was only 19 innings long, they were 19 dominant innings and he pitched really well in spring training with the Reds. I also figured he was heading to Louisville.

The one name missing from the article that I thought I might see would be Danny Dorn, who only spent a month in Chattanooga last year. That month however was incredible as he hit .311/.422/.667 with 15 extra-base hits in 109 at bats. I figure he starts in Chattanooga’s outfield though given Bruce, Dickerson and Gil should be headlining the Louisville grass.