News, Notes and Nonsense from February 22 and Reds Camp

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Dusty Baker can plainly see that Jay Bruce is slimmer and trimmer as he readies for another Reds camp in Goodyear. "He has a new body," said the Reds manager. "His trunk rotation will be better. A lot more compact and powerful."

Bruce was never heavy, but as Baker said he's never been "suave and cut." He's noticeably lighter, indicating that he's approached this camp with hard work in the off-season.

Baker also pointed out that less weight doesn't  always mean heavier production.  He remembers how pudgy Fernando Valenzuela dropped weight in the 1980's and didn't pitch nearly as well.

But he believes that generally, less weight reduces the chance of injuries and reduces the stress on the knees.

I asked Dusty if there's any specific area of the bullpen that still needs to be filled. He doesn't think so. He thinks that he has some great flexibility on this year's squad, or as he called them "interchangeable parts."

He believes the key is a bullpen that won't rust out, but won't wear out either. "It's a fine line" he noted. You want your bullpen to get enough work to stay sharp, but you don't want them to be overworked because starters aren't pitching deep into games.

He says he has a good idea of what his starting rotation is going to look like, but he's not ready to share it with reporters yet. 

He says he came with a plan for his starters during the winter. "You always have a 'Plan A' to start the season," said Baker. "You just hope you don't have to go to 'Plan F'.