The pitching has a small chance of showing improvement over 2008
The defense looks like it definitely will be improved
The offense is even weaker than last year (w/out Dunner)
And we still have Dusty.

I hope Tim Kurkjian is correct, but me thinks 2010 is a better bet for the Red to compete.

Those guys were intentionally making their teams lose. Probably why the USA lost in the WBC in 2006 and 2009.

The fact that these two have been turned into scapegoats for the pitching staff over the last 8 years is laughable. Besides, everybody knows it’s Marty’s fault.

..Joey Votto and Jay Bruce come up from Louisville and get a year or two of MLB experience. And then maybe they can trade Josh Hamiltion for a Cy Young contender.

But mostly they’ll be be better because they’ve moved their AllStar veterans.

of Sports Illustrated and Bronx Banter has picked the Reds as the sleeper team of 2009.

What is your sleeper team for 2009?

I think the Reds’ streak of eight-straight losing seasons is going to come to an end this year. I think Joey Votto is going to have a huge sophomore season. He’s surrounded by talented young hitters in Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, Edwin Encarnacion, and Chris Dickerson. Ramon Hernandez is a sure improvement over Paul Bako. Willy Taveras and Alex Gonzalez won’t hit much, but they’ll improve the Cincinnati defense, which was among the worst in baseball last year, something Dickerson will also help correct. That will benefit the rotation–which features the up-and-coming duo of Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto as well as innings-eater Bronson Arroyo, bounceback candidate Aaron Harang, and could be rounded out by a new and improved Homer Bailey–and the already solid bullpen. They’re not a playoff team, but for the first time in a long time, they look like a good team.

meanwhile, it seems that the consensus estimate for the Brewers is 4th place.

God I hope he doesn’t come on board….