Fangraphs Q&A with Ryan Hanigan - My man-crush (Han-crush?) for the Reds' catcher continues. Hanigan is insightful and has a wealth of baseball knowledge. Would anyone be surprised to see him as a manager one day? When asked about the ever-popular idea of hitting 2nd in the lineup, Hanigan responds, "There's logic to it."
Baseball Prospectus on Choo, from a Fantasy perspective - As noted, Choo should benefit from the GABP power surge. Likewise, having Joseph Daniel Votto hitting after him should translate into runs scored.
Shin-Soo Choo | Indians to Reds | OF
Choo may see a small drop-off in the speed department in moving from Manny Acta to Dusty Baker, but new Indians skipper Terry Francona’s tendencies are pretty similar to Baker’s, so that seemed inevitable even if he stayed in Cleveland. The biggest impact will come with his power. Choo moves into one of the best parks in baseball for lefty power and should finally find his way back over 20 home runs again, maybe even approaching 25. A .280-20-15 line would have quite a bit of value, especially with Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Bruce, and Ludwick to drive him in.
Blog Red Machine is shopping for bargains - They float the idea of pursuing Brandon Webb if he's willing to accept a minor league deal. Walt has been a master of the low-risk/high-reward free agent signings in his time with Cincinnati, and Webb might fit that description...
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch details the "low profile" approach of NL Central teams this off-season - When you look at the make-up of each team, it's hard to imagine any team outside of Cincinnati winning the division.