~John Hickey has a piece on Jeremy Reed in today's PI. It's a typical spring training fluff piece about how he is one of the first to arrive and last to leave and how he knows he has to earn his spot on the roster.
I'll be shocked if Reed isn't the starting centerfielder for the M's when the team breaks camp. Due to Bucky's lingering knee issues and barring an unforeseen trade or injury, Ibanez will more than likely start the season as the everyday DH, with Winn in left and Reed in center. Had Bucky entered the spring at 100%, there may have been more pressure on Reed to perform and earn his spot (although he probably would have had to have a horrendous spring to be left off the roster).
As much as I like Reed, I think the fans and the media might be setting expectations too high for the rookie outfielder. Offensively, he's more Darin Erstad and Mark Kotsay than Jim Edmonds. But that's okay. Erstad and Kotsay are valuable ball players in their own right. Looking at the projections that are floating around the web, I believe they are in the right ballpark for logical expectations.
Baseball Prospectus PECOTA: .286/.353/.423
John Sickels: .287/.351/.431
Jeff Sullivan: .280/.340/.400
Dave at USS Mariner: .280/.340/.400
Defensively, well, let's just say that he has a stronger arm than Winn. He could conceivably grow into the CF role the more he plays, but I agree with the rest of the consensus that a corner OF spot is in his future.
Don't misinterpret my comments about Reed. I am a firm believer that Reed is going to be a useful piece for the M's in 2005 and the future. I just don't think that placing extremely high expectations on him is a good thing. I would much rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.
~If you're like me and cannot read enough material on Felix Hernandez, Finnigan adds his two cents about `The Future'. It's an interesting read and further perpetuates the aura surrounding Felix. And just a friendly reminder, Felix is scheduled to follow Jamie Moyer tomorrow as he takes the mound tomorrow for the first time against Major Leaguers.
~In a story that should make some barley and hops aficionado's excited, the M's are lowering the price for a 12 ounce beer price this year . Of course, Moore hints that lowering the cost of the 12 ounce beer will most likely result in the raising (25 to 50 cents) of the 16, 20 and 24 ounce versions of everyone's favorite ballpark refreshment. Sort of like robbing from Peter to pay Paul, but it is a solid PR move from the organizations standpoint.
~It appears that the M's are beginning to focus on a market that has gone, for the most part, relatively untapped in the Pacific Northwest. Possibly influenced by the addition of Adrian Beltre, Jorge Campillo and the immanent arrival of Felix Hernandez, the M's are beginning to focus on the growing Spanish market.
In the grand scheme of things, the M's have taken baby steps. If the M's are able to effectively target the Spanish market in a similar fashion to the Dodgers and Angels, it's another revenue stream that will be beneficial to the team for years.
In a related story, the M's have been aggressively trying to find a Spanish radio station to replace KKMO, after the station decided it would stop carrying Mariner home games. The M's also recently reached a one year agreement with Azteca Mexican Restaurants.
Update: Spanish market portion of text was edited for clarity.