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Dusty Baker stated that he will split time among Chris Heisey, Fred Lewis, and Johnny Gomes in Left Field going forward. All I can say is it's about time. I like Johnny Gomes, but he looks lost at the plate right now. Honestly I don't think he should be on this team anymore. He hasn't been good at the plate since that hot start he had at the beginning of last season and there's nothing he's done in his career that says he is going to be good again.
Gomes is taking up a valuable roster spot and he can not produce. Dusty has been known to play veterans and stick with them way too long and he's done the same with Gomes. Bottom line is wins in the Major Leagues and the best players should play regardless of how long they've been in the league. Gomes is clearly not the best option out there. Heisey is head and shoulders above Gomes on defense and is a better hitter. The same with Lewis so far as he's played fairly well when given the opportunity.
Heisey is the future it looks in LF and with the youth movement going on with this team I think it's time to get him regular at bats and let him develop. Why not just let him play about two thirds of the games or at least every time it's a lefty on the mound and some games against righties. Let Heisey develop with Stubbs and Bruce out there. We have a young outfield that is talented and let them grow together. They have the talent to be one of the best outfields for years to come both in the field and at the plate. All three are excellent defensive players and not a lot of balls are going to drop with those three out there.
If they allow Heisey to develop out there, by the time Votto gets to the third year of his contract, they will have an excellent lineup top to bottom. It will look something like this:
1. Stubbs, CF
2. Phillips, 2B
3. Votto, 1B
4. Bruce, RF
5. Heisey, LF
6. Mesaraco/Hannigan/Hernandez/Grandal, C (2 of those 4)
7. Francisco, 3B
8. Janish/Cozart, SS
That's a dominant lineup top to bottom and you could possibly do a number of different things if Billy Hamilton is ready and can play SS. He would then move to lead off and Stubbs would bat 2nd and Phillips 4th where he has really excelled this year. That would move everyone after that down a spot and your 8th hitter would be Juan Francisco who has a ton of potential or whoever else they bring in to play 3rd base.
The future is bright for this team and it's time to start getting these younger players regular playing time. We don't know what Votto will do after his 3 year contract is up so we have to look at this thing as having a goal of winning a championship within the next 3 years and the best way to do that is get all these young hitters their lumps now so in 3 years they're ready to win it all. Don't get me wrong I don't think they would go downhill if Votto left because they have another big bat in the wings with Yander Alonso. With they way the Reds have their farm system set up and all the talented players they have they should be consistent winners for a long, long time. They are so loaded in the farm system that soon they aren't going to be able to keep all the talented players on the 40 man roster. That gives them the flexibility to make trades for a missing peice during the season and make a run at a World Series Championship. Possibly this year even going after Reyes or Felix Hernandez or both even. Could you imagine upgrading SS with Reyes with this team and adding an ace like Hernandez. The rotation would be Hernandez, Arroyo, Cueto, Bailey, and Wood. That's a sick rotation and a sick lineup with Reyes now playing SS. Here's what the lineup would be now with them in the mix:
1. Reyes, SS
2. Stubbs, CF
3. Votto, 1B
4. Phillips, 2B
5. Rolen, 3B
6. Bruce, RF
7. Hernandez/Hannigan, C
8. Heisey/Lewis, LF
9. Hernandez, P
If Chris Heisey is your 8th hitter then pitchers throughout baseball would fear playing the Reds. You wouldn't get a break anywhere in that lineup. All of those hitters can hit for good average and can take you deep at any given time, especially at GABP. I know I'm dreaming, but if they pulled off those trades, and they have the ammo to do it, they would be the favorites to win it all. That includes favored against the Phillies and that rotation and the Red Sox and their expensive lineup. This team would be comparable to the Big Red Machine.
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