REDS
Three days till opener, 11 cuts still to make
Friday, March 28, 2008
With spring training almost finished, the Cincinnati Reds still have decisions to make.
Thirty-six players remain in big-league camp, a number that must be reduced to 25 before the regular-season opener Monday, March 31, at Great American Ball Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Extras
"It speaks to how good the competition has been," General Manager Wayne Krivsky said.
Having such a swollen roster is unusual at this point, but the Reds are not alone. The Yankees had 41 players in camp as of Thursday. The Dodgers had 40, the Royals 36.
Finishing touches need to be applied to the bullpen, where lefties Mike Stanton, Kent Mercker and the oft-injured Bill Bray may be competing for one spot. And what about catcher Dave Ross? Will he need more time? If not, will three catchers head north?
As the Reds weighed options, Bronson Arroyo worked seven scoreless innings Thursday in his final tuneup and Ken Griffey Jr. supplied a two-run homer in a 5-1 victory over the Twins.



