Red Reposter - Skipping right ahead to September

It's August 31, the eve of expanded rosters. With Louisville's season coming to a close on Monday, word is that the Reds will be calling a handful of cadets up tomorrow and the rest after the Bats wrap. Since thinking about the team's future is significantly more appealing right now than thinking about the present, here's a full list of everyone on the 40-man roster, but not the 25, and thus eligible to be called up as soon as tomorrow:

Position players:

Juan Francisco, 3B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Jeremy Hermida, OF
Chris Valaika, IF
Kris Negron, IF

Pitchers:

Jared Burton, RP
Carlos Fisher, RP
Jeremy Horst, RP
Matt Maloney, SP/RP
Jordan Smith, RP
Daryl Thompson, SP/RP
Edinson Volquez, SP (RP?)
Travis Wood, SP (RP?)

Unless I've miscounted, the 40-man roster stands at 40. So in order to add Devin Mesoraco and get him some garbage time, the Reds will either have to put Scott Rolen on the 60-day DL (as recently as a week a go he was still trying to return this season) or DFA someone. If you think Mesoraco is definitely catching in Cincinnati to start the 2012 season - and that's become murkier since the end of July -  then you're going to face this decision in the near future anyway, so you might as well get it over with now for the sake of Snacks getting some MLB experience.

Given the pitching fatigue and uncertainty for next year, Reds should go ahead and get all arms on board by Monday. (I'd like to see Volquez or Wood starting in Arroyo's spot, but that's unlikely). Bonus Reposter prediction game: Who gets called up tomorrow? Then who's in the second wave? I'd say that Grandal, Burton and Negron are the only three that have less than even odds of eventually getting the call.

• John Fay has it from the horses mouth 
  Unfortunately, the horse is muzzled and has an oat-bag and a bit in its mouth. We don't know who the call-ups are going to be, just that there will be "quite a few." It was revealed that Brad Boxberger, Nick Christiani, Donnie Joseph, Travis Webb, Grandal, Brodie Greene and Cody Puckett will be playing in the Arizona Fall League. This might be an early indicator that Boxy is getting a look at joining the Reds' bullpen sometime in 2012. I've got him down as a sleeper to break camp next spring.
• Mark Sheldon recaps a Night to Forget
  There was one interesting - or perhaps just puzzling - bit from Arroyo on his 2011 struggles: "Going 9-15 with 22 quality starts in '07 wasn't real fun. It's more frustrating when you continue to pitch well like Cueto and Leake have and don't win ballgames. I haven't really matched the quality starts I've had over the past five seasons so it's a little easier to swallow. Regardless, you'd like to go out and perform better than you have." This probably has to be taken as an effort to shake it off and pull the old athlete canard of only caring about wins and losses and the team's fortunes. But it's tough for me to believe it's more frustrating to pitch well on a losing team than pitch poorly on a losing team.
• Tom Groeschen sat down for 5 questions with Hunter Pence  
  On July 29, Pence was traded to the Phillies. On July 30, I cleaned my bathroom. On August 1, Ramon Hernandez did something. At some point Yonder Alonso joined the team. Hope they find a position for that guy. I guess he has plenty of time since he's new. On August 13, I bought a new dish strainer.
• A serious breakdown on Ronald Torreyes
  Doug over at Reds Minor Leagues has a deep in-depth, pitch-by-pitch look at Torreyes' recent performance against the Great Lake Loons.  Doug rates his plate discipline as above average for his age and taken with his microscopic strikeout rate the outlook is bright. He's had a remarkable year, but there's some concern about his ability to lay off the high stuff. Tell him to Just say no and to be Above the Influence?
• Joe Nuxhall, Waite Hoyt are both up for the Frick award again
  I hate to play this dog-eared card, but if either of them had called games in NY or MA they'd be Fricked up years a go.
• It's the blessed 10,000th "day-versary" of Pete Rose’s 4,000th hit