Cincinnati Reds Must Make One Last Addition Before Spring Training

The time has come. The date circled on the calendar for MLB pitchers and catchers has arrived.

For the Cincinnati Reds, Thursday is the day players convene in their new spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Position players are to report the following week.

Most of the roster has been decided—except for left field. As of now, the Reds certainly have options...but not good options.

Yet there remains a free agent out there that the Reds need to grab.

He's a guy that can play LF, hit for average and for power, and who actually wants to play for the Reds. He hit 20 home runs and batted .267 in roughly only a half-season of work in 2009—for the Reds.

He wasn't called up till the end of May and had to settle for pinch-hitting roles up until the final two months of the season—which coincidentally is when his numbers took off.

I am talking about the 30-year-old veteran Jonny Gomes.

“There’s a still a chance (with Gomes),” GM Walt Jocketty said over the weekend. “I don’t know how soon we can get it done. We’ve got to see how much opportunity for playing time is there, and we’ve got to work out with the payroll.”

The Reds need help on offense, and this is the guy that can provide it. Besides, check out the other available options.

Chris Dickerson

He is the front-runner heading into spring training. He hit .275 in 255 ABs last season while playing in 97 games. He has a solid OBP of .370 and has a decent glove (although he admits LF is his weakest spot in the outfield).

His main problem is his durability. He has battled injuries throughout his minor league career as well as his time with the Reds. If he stays healthy and plays 140-plus games, then the Reds will be all right. Odds aren't likely.

Laynce Nix

He was red-hot for a few weeks early last season and helped pick up the slack when Joey Votto was on the DL. But he slid down the depth chart once Gomes emerged after the All-Star break. He's got pop (15 HRs in 277 ABs), but he is awful against lefties. He hit a paltry .156 against them a year ago.

Wladimir Balentien

He played his way into the fold because he hit .264 in the 111 ABs he had late in the season with the Reds. He is out of options, so the Reds have to keep him on the 25-man roster. He had stud written all over him when the Seattle Mariners brought him up in 2007. But as a career .227 hitter, he hasn't lived up to the label placed on him only a few years ago.

There are also Juan Francisco, Aaron Miles, Chris Heisley, and newcomer Josh Anderson that will be available. But Miles is more of an infield backup, and the rest will all likely start 2010 in AAA.

Clearly the Reds' options in LF aren't exactly world-beaters, but Gomes has the power the Reds crave in their homer-friendly ballpark. Since Gomes still doesn't have a team, he will be cheaper than Valentine's Day candy in March.

Despite speculation on who the Reds might be interested in, Gomes is the only free agent the club is talking to.

“We’ve pretty much shut it down,” Jocketty said.

If that's the case, please oh please make this one final move. It bolsters the depth and power in the lineup, and he won't even make a dent in owner Bob Castellini's wallet.