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WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Farmers onlyFeaturesPlayoffsHistory/Hall of FameCommunity Prospect Rankings2019 Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings: Shed Long is #8!New Jeimer Candelario Jersey ,8commentsThe 2B again cracks the Top 10.ESTShareTweetShareShare2019 Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings: Shed Long is #8!Sam Greene-USA TODAY SportsShed Long has owned the Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby previously in his career, even taking home the title when swinging with just one good arm. That, his rather advanced walk rate, his ability to swipe bags, and his solid pop for a guy listed at just 5’8” has managed to keep him among the Reds top prospects for the last few years.He destroyed Florida State League pitching to begin the 2017 season, and while he has struggled to repeat that in his AA outings to date - a .253/.345/.400 line in 682 PA across two seasons - there’s still enough promise in his hitting profile for him to take down the #8 spot in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings.As for #9, well...Vladimir Gutierrez, RHP, 23Highest 2018 Level: AA (Pensacola)Eye-Poppingest Fact: 3.82 K/BB ratio, 8.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9Most Worrisome Fact: 4.35 ERA in 147 innings and was pretty hittableAlias(es): Vlad Goots, Gootius Maximus, The CountBB-Ref PageVladimir Gutierrez was an international signee ($4.75 M bonus) from the 2016 class where the Reds paid a whole bunch of money to some base ballers. I don’t want to go in great detail on those signings because they’re super controversial but Vladimir Gutierrez was not controversial. He is a small guy (6’0, 190lbs) and profiled much like Raisel Iglesias when he was signed. Gutierrez is also considered to be one of the more polished pitchers in the Reds system, and his name has been brought up briefly in trade rumors.Gutierrez has had a rather up and down professional career so far. Scouts laud him for his control and breaking pitches. His fastball isn’t super overpowering (low to mid 90’s, but has touched as high as 98) but it has decent movement and he can control the pitch. The problem with it so far is that it gets hit well. He also has a curveball that grades out at 60 and a change up at 50. If you go based on his peripherals Gutierrez looks really good and some of his blips are probably just maturation and feel. There has also been some concerns about his endurance at the ends of games and near the end of the season. He did pitch 147 innings in 2018, and as long as he can limit the real bad games the sky is the limit for this kid. His start to the 2018 season was about as bad as it could get with an ERA of 5+ in April and 7+ in May, but he settled down well in the Summer months. I think there’s a real good shot that he starts the year in AAA.TJ Friedl, OF, 23Highest 2018 Level: AA (Pensacola)Eye-Poppingest Fact: .381 OBP over 570 plate appearances in A+ and AAMost Worrisome Fact: .100 ISOAlias(es): TJ Of The Hill Friedl, Frield Day, You Got A Friedl In MeBB-Ref PageAt this point, I think everyone is aware that TJ Friedl came to the Reds as a undrafted Free Agent after some weird mix up in the 2016 draft. Basically http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , he was playing in an All-Star circuit, didn’t have an agent, and no one knew he was eligible to be drafted. Once it was figured out he was eligible to be drafted, the Reds threw the largest amount of money at him to sign him. I think it was something like $700,000 or so but don’t quote me on that. It’s also not like the Reds were throwing money around. They were the only team that could offered that much because of rules.Regardless, the only thing Friedl has done since signing with the Reds is get on base, and he definitely did that in 2018. Friedl was putting up a super impressive season with Daytona (.405 OBP, .817 OPS) before being promoted to Pensacola and holding his own (.359 OBP, .719 OPS). Scouts like Friedl because of his dependability and because he’s a bit scrappy. He plays a good center field, and can reliably play all over the outfield, and as long as he gets on base he’ll find himself in the big leagues sooner rather than later. There could be a bit of controversy putting him on the voter list so early because he does lack that big prospect ceiling. But, he’s also one of those players that shows reliable skills that could make him a starter or at least a 4th outfielder type. Honestly, he’s probably one of my favorite prospects in the system so he’s getting a favoritism boost.Mike Siani, 19, OFHighest 2018 Level: Rookie (Greeneville)Eye-Poppingest Fact: .288/.351/.386 slash line over 205 plate appearances. He’s like really good at playing the defense.Most Worrisome Fact: .98 ISO and he didn’t pick up many steals.Alias(es): Mike Trout Siani, Mike Salami, Say It Ain’t SianiBB-Ref PageWhen picking the new guy to put on the list I kept thinking to myself, “Don’t pick the young guy that’s in lower level rookie ball. Just don’t do it.” Well, I did it and I’m not ashamed. I’m gonna dream big on this kid because he’s got some killer tools in his arsenal. Mike Siani was considered a high potential draft pick that should have went earlier than the 4th round but a lot of teams figured he’d go to college. However, the Reds threw some big money at him ($2,000,000) which almost no youngster turns down. It’s real fun to see what the Reds do with their draft bonus pool money. They’ve been pretty creative.What is exciting about Siani is that Mike Trout is his favorite player so of course he’s going to turn into Mike Trout. Definitely. Siani is lauded for being one of the best defensive center fielders in not only last year’s draft but probably in all of minor league baseball at any level. He’s got legit, plus skills across the board sporting great range Chad Bettis Jersey , an amazing arm (90+ MPH pitcher in high school), and a nifty glove. Scouts believe that he’ll also probably keep his above average speed. The only knock on him is that scouts were mixed on how well he would hit. He’s not a real big guy right now, but there is some belief he could put on twenty pounds or so without losing a step.In 2018, he was promoted to hit against college aged hitters and fared pretty well (see the Eye-Poppingest Facts). He didn’t hit for really any power but showed a mature approach at the plate that I don’t think many expected. Obviously, his talents are in the field but if he can continue to hit (and find some power) he’s going to be a top prospect in no time. The smart bet would be that he starts the year in instructional league and then starts the year in Billings. However, I’d be real interested to see if the Reds are more aggressive and just let him sink or swim in Dayton. They did the same thing pretty much with Taylor Trammell and that worked out pretty good. Two options have made a case, but who takes the job?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Twinkie Town Farm ReportSatire, Irreverence, & Other HumorGame RecapsJake Cave vs. Michael Reed for fourth outfielder; Who ya got?New,17commentsTwo options have made a case, but who takes the job?EDTShareTweetShareShareJake Cave vs. Michael Reed for fourth outfielder; Who ya got?Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsAs spring training comes to a close, many of the roster spots have already been determined. However, the regular season is approaching quickly(!!!) and the Twins have two men on the roster who have made a strong case to take the 4th outfielder spot. We all know about Jake Cave, who came out of nowhere to become one of the best hitters on the squad last year while filling in for the injured/inconsistent Byron Buxton. After his season last year (at age 25), one would assume he’d be a roster lock. However, Buxton is back and (hopefully) better than ever, and the corners are locked down by Rosario and Kepler. A spot as the fourth outfielder would naturally be his spot to lose, then. Enter Michael Reed. The 26-year-old has seen very limited action in the bigs with the Braves and the Brewers over the last three years, and many saw him as nothing but a depth signing this winter. However, Reed has showcased a sweet swing to produce a strong spring that is now meriting roster consideration (he’s even a Minnesotan, too!)Let’s look a little deeper. The two outfielders are strikingly similar on the surface. Both are 26 years old (born less than a month apart). Both are listed at 6 feet tall, with Reed packing a little more weight (200 lbs to 215 lbs). They can both play all three outfield positions if need be. It is hard to draw much of a comparison from their stats, as they have limited big-league experience. We’ll take a look anyway. In one year Jonathan Lucroy Jersey , Cave slashed .269/.316/.481 with 13 (mostly very, very long) dingers over 283 at-bats, producing 1.5 WAR. He has proven himself to be a productive hitter in the bigs. Over three years, Reed has produced to the tune of .229/.270/.257 and 0 home runs, but take those numbers with a grain of salt. Reed has only received 35 at-bats, and no more than 22 in a single season. However, he has out-shined Cave in spring training action this year. Reed is batting .313 with a home run in 16 AB’s, while Cave is hitting .268 (also with one home run) in 41 at-bats. If you overlook Reed’s advantage in the very limited sample size of spring training, I believe Cave is clearly the choice. Minor league options complicate the matter. Cave has two options left, while Reed has none. This means that if Reed doesn’t make the roster, the Twins will have to risk losing him on the waiver wire. Given his strong spring and the constant need for suitable outfielders, there is a pretty good chance he would be picked up by another team if this occurred. So the central question is this: do the Twins believe that Jake Cave will be enough of an improvement over Reed to justify losing Reed? Furthermore, do the Twins believe they have enough depth that they can lose another outfielder after shipping away Zack Granite this spring? It’s hard to say what the front office will do. However, here’s how I’d answer those questions: yes and yes. Jake Cave was not only a good backup outfielder last year, he was a legitimately good player. He also got enough at-bats that his season should not be considered a small-sample-size aberration. Reed has proven very little, and having 16 good at-bats in spring training shouldn’t outweigh that. The Twins have two AAA outfielders who should be ready to get their feet wet this year (Lamonte Wade and Brent Rooker), and replacement-level outfielders will likely be available on waivers at any given time during the season. It’s not only AAA that can provide extra outfield depth, either. Marwin Gonzalez, Ehire Adrianza, and Willians Astudillo (to a lesser degree) are all capable (or more than capable) to man outfield positions, and Kepler can cover centerfield with ease if Buxton is out. In conclusion, I believe Jake Cave should be the fourth outfielder for the Twins come Opening Day. Don’t send him back to the Jake Cave!