Q: When Johnny Cueto is traded, will his translator, Tomas Vera, go with him? — WORDMAN, Troy.
A; No, Tomas needs to stay to translate for Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias and Eugenio Suarez. Cueto doesn't really need a translator. He understands English and speaks it. But he is not comfortable in a mass interview, fearful he'll be misunderstood. But opposing hitters do need a translator to interpret all those different pitches Cueto throws.
Q: Are the Reds scouting the Mexican League for pitching? — STOCC, Miamisburg.
A: They'd be better suited looking for hitters in the Mexican League, the Iceland League, the Botswana League and any other league that swings bats. The Reds are set in pitchers, they are lined up for auditions. But finding hitters in the system is like looking for Where's Waldo.
Q: Can the Reds trade general manager Walt Jocketty to the Cubs for their general manager (Jed Hoyer) so the Cubs can start drafting better starting pitchers and the Reds can start drafting better position players? — BARB, Cincinnati.
A: No, they can't. Teams don't trade GMs, they fire them. The Cubs have adopted a philosophy of drafting position players, and with all the young hitters on their roster it seems to be working. The Reds like to draft pitching and that is working, too. Maybe they should just combine the teams.
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