Will the Reds Compete in 2005?

I haven't touched much on the Cincinnati Reds, but now that Spring training is in full force I'll make a prediction. The Reds will finish second in their division and challenge for the wild card playoff spot.

Before you start laughing, think about this. Here's a club that finished at nearly .500 without a pitching staff. This year they've added Eric Milton and Jose Ortiz to the starting rotation and several improvements in the bullpen. They lost a hot-hitting Ken Griffey, Jr. at mid-season and went downward after that. All indications are that Milton and Ortiz are big improvements and Griffey will be around for the full season.

They also added Joe Randa, a serviceable third baseman (last year, they used a platoon system depending on who wasn't playing) and Felipe Lopez seems to have shored up the shortstop job. Having so many question marks last year, it's a wonder they did as well as they did. This year, almost all of those have been answered, if not perfectly, at least adequately. I also can't imagine the Chicago Cubs or the St. Louis Cardinals being better this year. I see Houston as in decline. It's a very old club.

So, there you have it. Let's see what happens