Admittedly, I was not a big Sam LeCure fan last year. He appeared very hittable with a fastball that barely tops out at 90 MPH and just seemed like one of those guys that was destined to get a cup of coffee in the Majors and nothing more. He finished his rookie season 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA. In 48 innings (15 relief appearances, six starts), he gave up 50 hits, struck out 37 and walked 25.

However, LeCure is starting to prove he has a lot of intangibles that make him an intriguing option for the seventh and final member of the Reds' bullpen to begin the 2011 season. Hal McCoy recently penned a nice article about the 26-year-old LeCure.

A starter throughout his minor league career (sans rookie ball in Billings in '05), LeCure has been excellent this spring pitching out of the pen. He hasn't given up a run in seven innings (four relief appearances).

At Triple-A Louisville last year, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound LeCure was 8-3 with a 3.67 ERA. In 98 innings (15 starts) he had 87 strikeouts.

LeCure was a fourth-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2005 out of the University of Texas.

For the Cincinnati Reds, one of the most encouraging things to come out of spring training thus far has been the defense of Yonder Alonso in left field.

Considered exclusively a first baseman when the Reds selected him in the first round of the 2008 draft – just before Joey Votto exploded as one of the top players in Major League Baseball – Alonso is making the slow transition to playing LF.

Alonso will never be considered a “good” defensive outfielder, but he’s proven he can at least hold his own and not embarrass himself. And after years of watching Adam Dunn and now Jonny Gomes man the position, it’s not as if Reds fans have very high expectations when it comes to the defensive prowess of their left fielders.

The big question surrounding Alonso is whether the Reds keep him as a super sub on the 25-man roster, or send him to Louisville to get every day at-bats (and continue to work on the transition to LF).

As it stands right now, I am picking the latter. I don’t think Alonso will be in uniform for Cincinnati on Opening Day on Thursday, March 31 against the Brewers. I fully expect him to start the year at Triple-A and then it will be a matter of whether he tears it up at that level, or is just a mediocre player that has far too much written about him. If he gets off to a hot start, I don’t expect him to be in Louisville for long.

Dusty says no platoon in LF?

One more quick note: Reds manager Dusty Baker said earlier in spring training that there would “not be a platoon in left field.” That took many by surprise and even angered some Reds fans. But I’m not buying that for a minute. It was a classic case of Dusty building up Gomes’ confidence and showing him respect after a solid (yet inconsistent) 2010 season when Gomes emerged as one of the team leaders. There is no doubt in my mind that Gomes and free-agent acquisition Fred Lewis will platoon in left (with some Chris Heisey sprinkled in for good meaure). However, Baker being the old-school manager that he is wants to make Lewis earn it this spring. He doesn’t just want to say, “Yeah, we’re automatically going with a platoon of Gomes against lefties and Lewis against righties in left,” but I think that’s exactly how it will pan out.

Poor Carson Palmer. Someone forced him to re-sign with the Bengals in 2005 in a deal that made him the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL at the time.

Remember, this was a full three years after Carson had been in Cincinnati. Surely three years was long enough for him to realize what a train wreck of an owner Mike Brown is – yet he still had no problem cashing those checks.

But now Palmer wants out and the latest comment from him – according to a source who spoke with Ferris’ cousin at 31 Flavors last night – is he will: “Never step foot in Paul Brown Stadium again.”

Oh, how dramatic, Carson. It’s going to be fun watching the Bengals call your bluff.

Yes, Palmer is loaded and doesn’t need the money. And in classy fashion with the unemployment rate in this country nearly at an all-time high, he was quick to point out that “I have $80 million in the bank.”

You see, Carson Palmer doesn’t give a damn about Bengal fans. He had no issues re-signing with the Bengals … but now that things haven’t gone his way, he’s behaving like a spoiled brat. I’ve said it before in this space and it deserves repeating: Palmer is taking his ball and going home, while crying to his mommy the entire way.

Another fact that is important to point out here: Palmer has been borderline awful the last two seasons and his arm is not even close to what it used to be. He led the universe in “pick-6’s” last year and is the polar opposite of a hard-worker.

Part of me wants the Bengals to just deal him and get a couple draft picks for him. One rumor I heard was Seattle was offering a second-round pick this year and a first-rounder in the 2012 draft. I would take that in a heartbeat.

But then again, it’s going to be funny to watch the Bengals just sit there and not trade Carson out of spite. Mike Brown is a crazy old bastage. He has proven time and time again he will sacrifice winning (he’s not exactly Charlie Sheen, you know) for pretty much anything. Usually it’s money, sometimes it’s pride. This falls into the latter category. Brown has to be beyond pissed that he paid Carson like he was one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, and Palmer re-paid him by playing like he was maybe the 20^th-best QB in the league.

Palmer doesn’t need the money, but best believe he wants the money. Best believe his wife wants their bank account as rich as possible. Best believe he does too, no matter what he is saying to his confidants.

And that brings us to another interesting point: Palmer is such a female body part that he’s not even willing to come out and tell the fans where he stands. Anyone who cared about their fanbase would not behave in the fashion that Palmer is. Instead, Palmer is hiding behind veiled threats made to the Bengals through his agent. Everyone knows what is up by now, just come out and say what is on your mind. Then at least the Bengal fans would have a clear understanding of the situation and could begin the process of moving on. But Palmer doesn’t care about that. He just wants to prove how much of a whiny brat he really is. Right now, there are still fans clinging to the idea that he will be back. An anonymous Bengals staff member was quoted today as saying the Bengals were not changing their stance: The team will not trade Palmer. He will either retire, or come back to play for Cincinnati.

Now, people might say, “How can you fault Palmer for not wanting to play for an incompetent owner like Brown, who STILL hasn’t put up an indoor facility because he’s such a cheap ass?” Well, again, I would counter with “Was he held at gunpoint after being with the Bengals for three years when he signed his contract extension?”

If he retires (very little chance) I think the Bengals should go after his signing bonus – which you know Brown will do. It’s an obvious breach of contract.

Anyway, for any fan out there hoping this saga will end soon, don’t hold your breath. Both sides are digging in and I have no doubt that the Bengals won’t cave.

Good riddance to the overrated and overpaid Carson Palmer. Now if we could just get rid of Mike Brown too.

Oh, and Jordan Palmer, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, either. Your brother just cost you a job with the only NFL team that would have anything to do with your talentless ass.

* Early reports positive on Arredondo: Right-handed reliever Jose Arredondo is looking good already for Cincinnati. More than a year removed from Tommy John surgery, his fastball is topping out at 96 MPH and he is consistently in the 93-95 range. He also has a forkball, slider and change.

Arredondo had an outstanding rookie year with the Los Angeles Angels in 2008. Reds manager Dusty Baker was quoted as saying “I’m surprised the Angels didn’t wait on him. But we’re thrilled to have him.”

Presuming Arredondo makes the club, that really only leaves one spot available in the Reds’ bullpen. The team will likely carry seven relievers and five players entered spring as virtual locks: closer Francisco Cordero, lefty flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, right-handed set-up man Nick Masset, lefty Bill Bray and righty Logan Ondrusek.

If Arredondo is the sixth member of the pen, that will leave a host of players such as Jared Burton, Carlos Fisher, Danny Herrera, Dontrelle Willis and Jordan Smith fighting for the final spot. I’m kind of rooting for Willis to make it, because if he could come close to his old form, he would be one interesting guy to have coming out of the pen. And he could be a spot/emergency starter, although I don’t think the Reds will need it this year considering their vast depth in the starting pitcher department.

* Can Yonder play left?: 2009 first-round draft pick Yonder Alonso was considered a first baseman all the way when the Reds selected him out of the University of Miami. However, with that position blocked for at least the next three years (and hopefully longer) by Joey Votto, Alonso is getting some work in left field this spring.

He did start 30 games in LF at AA and AAA combined last season, so the Reds’ “other” Cuban import is not exactly starting from scratch. But they have really amped-up his preparation to be a 1B/LF as opposed to just a 1B. Billy Hatcher is working with him and spending extra time with him this spring.

* LF platoon: Speaking of left field, presuming Alonso starts the season at triple-A like many expect, I really like the idea of Jonny Gomes and Fred Lewis platooning in LF for the Reds. (And Chris Heisey will be in the mix as well.) Lewis will probably get the majority of starts against righties and can bat leadoff when he does. And Gomes will get a bunch of starts against lefties and will add some pop to the lineup when he’s in there.

* Cardinals clipped?: Adam Wainwright’s elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery kills the Cardinals’ chances of competing for the NL Central title. Well, I wouldn’t rule them completely out if I had to bet my life on it, but this really leaves them depleted to say the least. They were already a team of a few stars and several average MLB players, and this just exacerbates the problem.

St. Louis’ strength was that it had two excellent hitters in Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, and more-importantly two top-of-the-line starting pitchers in Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. The latter has a history of arm problems and is getting up there in age (35), so he is always an injury risk as well. The Cards do have Jaime Garcia who was excellent as a rookie last year, but he wasn’t a top prospect heading into 2010 and many are skeptical that he might be a one-year wonder to some extent. He will now be elevated to the No. 2 starter's role and Jake Westbrook moves up to No. 3. Kyle Lohse will be the No. 4 starter (Cardinal fans just threw up a little bit) and the very-solid Kyle McClellan will likely move from the bullpen to fill out the rotation. But that will obviously hurt St. Louis' bullpen, which is solid, but nothing specacular.

The bottom line when studying all the rosters in the NL Central is that it now looks like a two-team race between the Brewers and Reds, although the games haven't even begun yet and it's going to be a long time before we have a good feel of how the divisional race will really shape up.

* Reds win spring opener: Home runs by outfielder Dave Sappelt (one of the early success stories of spring) and second baseman Chris Valaika – as well as strong pitching from Matt Maloney and Sam LeCure – highlighted the Reds’ 7-6 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday in Goodyear, Ariz., at the spring training facility shared by the two Ohio teams. Also, veteran catcher Corky Miller had a two-run double which gave the Reds the lead in the ninth inning.

Maloney started the game and pitched two innings, with two strikeouts and no runs allowed.

LeCure came in and did even better with two innings of four-strikeout, no-run ball.

Edinson Volquez was scheduled to be the starter, but visa problems kept him from taking the mound. It’s beyond amusing that his visa issues didn’t prevent him from getting in the country, just from pitching a baseball game in spring training.

The Reds and Indians get back at it on Monday with Bronson Arroyo getting the start for Cincinnati.

I know Bronson Arroyo doesn’t like pitching day games – and has told Reds’ manager Dusty Baker he wants no part of pitching on Opening Day – but I still find it interesting that Edinson Volquez was named Cincinnati’s Opening Day starter on Tuesday.

Volquez clearly has more upside than Arroyo, but it’s the latter who has been the one consistent member of the Reds’ rotation recently. I think Arroyo deserves the Opening Day start. But if he doesn’t want it, it’s no biggie.

I’m also glad the club has such confidence in Volquez, who also received the start in Game 1 in the playoffs against the Phillies last year. However, I would like to see him earn his keep before being rewarded in such fashion.

If the Reds are handing out Opening Day starts based on potential, does that mean we can expect to see Yorman Rodriguez in centerfield over Drew Stubbs on Thursday, March 31? (Yes, Opening Day is on a Thursday – not Monday – this year. It’s a league-wide effort to start the season a few days earlier so the playoffs don’t end so late.) Can we also expect to see Billy Hamilton at shortstop over Paul Janish and Edgar Renteria?

Obviously I’m making extreme examples, but despite what Arroyo wants to do, I think Baker as the manager should say, “I respect where you’re coming from. That said, you’re getting the ball on Opening Day.”

I said the same thing last year when Aaron Harang started over Arroyo on Opening Day. Since when does a manager do everything that his players request? Arroyo will have to pitch several day games during the season, so he needs to get over his dislike of doing so.

Plus, the guy has flat-out been a gamer since joining the Reds and deserves the honor of starting on Opening Day.

Does it really matter in the grand scheme? No. Am I making too big of a deal about it? Absolutely.

Then again, that’s what bloggers do at times.

In their latest attempt to prove they are the most inept franchise in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals have decided to not use the franchise tag on free-agent-to-be cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

While good franchises around the league – such as the Eagles, Jets and Patriots – have decided to tag their key free agents, the Bengals are content to sit idly by and allow one of the best corners in the league to become an unrestricted free agent.

This is yet another example of the Bengals playing checkers while the good teams around the league play chess. The Eagles franchised tagged quarterback Mike Vick, the Jets tagged linebacker David Harris and the Patriots slapped the tag on offensive lineman Logan Mankins.

Let’s see: Who knows what they are doing here? The Bengals front office? Or the people running the Eagles, Jets and Patriots? Tough call there, huh? Not at all. On one hand you have an organization that has had two winning seasons in 20 years. On the other side of the ledger, you have perennial playoff teams, including a recent three-time Super Bowl winner.

Obviously it’s the Bengals that don’t understand what is going on here. Here is what Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com had to say in regards to whether the Bengals would tag Joseph.

“But no matter what happens, don’t look for the Bengals to use the franchise tag on either of their two key free agents, cornerback Johnathan Joseph or running back Cedric Benson. They want to sign both to long-term deals with sane salary cap hits. But not before the CBA is done because they want to make sure the deals fit whatever system they get.”

Wow. That’s even bad for the Bengals’ standards. They “want to make sure the deals fit whatever system they get”? Really? It’s pretty simple: No matter what the new collective bargaining agreement looks like, Joseph is going to get paid a large sum of money. It would be wise to lock him up for one more year so there is no chance he will become an unrestricted free agent. What would be the risk in tagging Joseph right now? Zero. If a new CBA can't be reached and the 2011 season is cancelled, the Bengals won't owe him any money. The money associated with the franchise tag only becomes guaranteed if there is actually a season.

Some say that Joseph shouldn’t be tagged because of injury concerns. I call BS on that. In his five seasons, he’s had two injury-marred years. I get that. However, when healthy, he’s proven he’s an elite corner and those are hard to find in the NFL. Also, cornerbacks play a lot of years – usually 10 or more if they’re of the good variety. And Joseph is. Think about all the corners over the years that have played well into their 30’s (or even 40’s in the case of Darrell Green). Charles Woodson is another great example. He just completed his 13^th year in the league – and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009, his 12^th season in pro ball. We're not talking about running backs here who have short shelf lives.

If the Bengals allow Joseph to leave, they will end up regretting it. It took them several years to find a good corner tandem and they finally have it with Joseph and Leon Hall. And now they are in the process of screwing it up. Sounds about right. Pretty much what we've become accustomed to from Mike Brown and his incompetent minions.

Again, if the Eagles, Jets and Patriots think it’s a good idea to use the franchise tag on their important free agents even without a new CBA in place, then there is no reason the Bengals can’t do the same. The above excerpt from Hobson proves once again the people running the Bengals just don’t “get it” and that’s why they will always be fighting a losing battle against the good franchises in the league like the Eagles, Jets and Patriots.

Man it must be fun to be a fan of a team that actually knows what they are doing.

Let’s examine the five biggest question marks for the Cincinnati Reds as they get ready to convene for spring training:

Who will win the final two spots in the starting pitching rotation?

There are three locks (barring injury) with Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. Then I think Travis Wood is pretty close to being a lock himself for the fourth spot. That leaves Homer Bailey and Mike Leake battling it out for the final spot, and since Bailey is out of options, it would likely be Leake who is sent to Louisville if it comes down to that.

However, these things have a way of working themselves out. How often does a Major League Baseball team going through an entire season without any injuries to their top-five starting pitchers? And there’s also bound to be someone amongst the previously-mentioned six starters who simply isn’t performing up to par.

If the Reds get through the season with all six of them healthy and all of them pitching well, that’s a problem they would like to have. As of now, there are no plans to put Leake in the bullpen if he doesn’t make the rotation. And yes, it would be strange for Leake to begin this season in Triple-A considering he skipped the minors and went directly to the Majors to begin his professional career last season after being the Reds’ first-round pick in the 2009 draft. Leake started off like gangbusters last year with a 6-0 record. But he eventually hit the rookie wall, and then the Reds moved him to the bullpen to decrease his workload. Eventually, the team shut him down for good in order to protect his arm for future seasons.

Who will be the leadoff hitter?

As it stands, it looks like free agent acquisition Fred Lewis will leadoff against right-handed starting pitchers. The left fielder bats left handed and it should be a good platoon situation for the Reds with Jonny Gomes starting against lefties.

But since Gomes isn’t going to bat leadoff, who will when Gomes is in the lineup?

There just simply aren’t many good options. I don’t want to see Brandon Phillips leadoff, and I really don’t want to see Drew Stubbs in that role. If I had to pick one or the other, it would be Phillips. And there will be times when Chris Heisey starts in left field against left-handed pitchers and he is a player that can bat leadoff if need be.

Who will earn the final bullpen spots?

The Reds will likely carry 12 pitchers, meaning there will be seven relief pitchers on the roster. Five relievers are locks to make the club in my estimation: closer Francisco Cordero, left-handed phenom Aroldis “The Cuban Missile” Chapman (who is the hardest-throwing human on the planet – clocked as high as 105 MPH last year), right-handed power pitcher Nick Masset, lefty Bill Bray and big righty Logan Ondrusek.

That leaves two spots open. One bullpen arm to keep an eye on is Jose Arredondo who had a terrific rookie season in 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels, but then suffered an arm injury in ’09 and has missed the last year-and-a-half. If he’s back to his old form or even close, it will be quite a boost to the Reds’ pen. Arredondo is one of those guys I’ll be keeping close tabs on during spring training.

I also think Jared Burton has a very good chance at making the team.

Other relief pitchers that are legitimate candidates to make the team include: Dontrelle Willis, Jordan Smith, Carlos Fisher and Danny Rey Herrera. And there might be some converted starters in the mix as well – guys like Sam LeCure, Matt Maloney and perhaps Bailey or Leake.

Who will be the starting shortstop? Or might there be a straight platoon?

The Reds are saying Paul Janish will be the starting SS, but I don’t think they would have signed Edgar Renteria unless they were planning on making him at least part of a platoon situation. If the team was convinced Janish was the answer, why even give Renteria $2.1 million to come to Cincinnati? One might argue that it was just for insurance, but I tend to think these guys will receive roughly the same amount of playing time. And it won’t surprise me if Renteria ends up winning the job to some degree.

What will happen with young sluggers Alonso and Francisco?

Will the Reds want to get third baseman Juan Francisco and first baseman Yonder Alonso everyday at-bats at Louisville? Or will they keep one (or both) on their 25-man roster so they have some pop off the bench? I think Francisco will likely start the year with the Reds and Alonso will start in triple-A. The Reds have a big need for a backup third baseman due to Scott Rolen’s injury concerns. Rolen is sure to get a lot of days off, meaning Francisco should get enough bats to stay somewhat sharp.

On the other hand, there is not much chance Alonso would get much playing time if he made the 25-man roster. Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto needs to play as much as possible. Therefore, look for Alonso to begin the season in triple-A. Sure would be nice to see him tear it up there for a couple months, forcing the Reds to bring him up, or perhaps trade him.

In your best Jeff Brantley voice, say it with me: Carson Palmer lacks intestinal fortitude. (It should have taken you about 10 seconds to say those last two words if you were imitating the Cowboy properly.)

That’s right, the Bengals’ quarterback has basically told the team, “I’m taking my ball and going home since I’m not getting my way.”

Atta boy, Carson. Way to behave like a 5-year-old child. Well done.

Palmer recently put his Cincinnati-area house up for sale, and he and his family will now live somewhere in their native Southern California. Could he live in SoCal and still play for the Bengals? Of course. Plenty of players don’t live in the NFL cities where they play.

However, a source tells us that Palmer is steadfast in his refusal to return to the Bengals. Palmer is legitimately threatening to retire if the Bengals don’t trade him.

Personally, I would love to see the Bengals call his bluff here … and it sounds like that’s exactly what they’re doing. I can’t stand Mike Brown, but I do like how he stands up to players and agents when it comes to trade demands. (It might be the only thing I like about him.) How did those trade demands work out for Chad Johnson?

Palmer is the most-overpaid player in the NFL in the opinion here, and he’s due to make $11.5 million in 2011. Yeah, go ahead and walk away from that Carson. The Bengals can pay someone else to lead the planet in pick-6s this fall.

Bottom line: Palmer is acting like a spoiled rich kid who didn’t get quite as much as he wanted for Christmas. He thinks the grass is greener on the other side and is looking for the easy way out. Palmer also probably wants to get away from playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL where he has to face the Steelers and Ravens twice a season.

I missed it when Brown held a gun to Palmer’s head and forced him to sign the contract that made him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history at the time. Palmer has been cashing in the last few years, even though his play has been subpar. He’s paid as one of the top five quarterbacks in the league; he performs more in the 15th-20th range.

By the way Bengal fans, you might want to take a shower. Carson Palmer just took a piss on you. He proved he doesn’t give a damn about you. And it would be nice if Palmer would come out of hiding and speak for himself, rather than allowing his agent to do it for him.

In a move that no one saw coming, the Cincinnati Bengals have hired Jay Gruden as their new offensive coordinator.

ProFootballTalk.com broke the story late Wednesday evening and confirmed the news Thursday morning.

Gruden is the younger brother of former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, who currently serves as a Monday Night Football analyst for ESPN.

Jay Gruden, 43, was the head coach of the UFL’s Florida Tuskers from 2009-10. He was set to be the head coach of the UFL’s Virginia Destroyers in 2011, but needless to say he found a better gig.

Gruden served as an offensive assistant coach under his brother with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-08. He also was a head coach in the Arena League with the Orlando Predators.

Gruden was a standout collegiate quarterback at Louisville (1985-88) and played eight seasons of professional football in the Arena League.

I like this hire for the Bengals very much. Gruden is obviously unproven as an NFL coach, but this is a risk worth taking.

He appears to have a bright offensive mind – and can always tap his brother’s brain for advice. I also like that Jay Gruden was a successful player, which I knew nothing about until researching him after learning about this hire. He’s actually one of the most-successful Arena League quarterbacks ever, leading his teams to four AFL championships.

I have to think Carson Palmer will like this move. I can’t imagine someone named “Gruden” bringing anything less than an innovative, attacking offensive scheme. Head coach Marvin Lewis is determined to build a strong running game, so that will be a staple of the offense. But I also look for more creativity in the passing game, which was sorely missing under the leadership of former offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.

What an interesting offseason it’s been for the Bengals thus far and it should only get more intriguing from here.

Bottom line? The Bengals just traded Bratkowski for Jay Gruden. That should make all of us happy. There’s no guarantee it will work out, but it’s a roll of the dice I’m glad Mike Brown made. (Wait, did I just compliment Mike Brown? I apologize. It won’t happen again.)

See, all it took was me calling out Mike Brown on this blog last night for making no meaningful changes … and then today we get word that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has been fired by the Bengals.

(Now is the time you insert Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration.”)

It’s a move that was long overdue, but at least they made it.

Now the question is who will be the next offensive coordinator. I fully expect to see quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese promoted. We shall find out soon enough.

So, Brat is really gone? No more 3-yard pass plays on third-and-6? No more lack of mid-game adjustments? No more predictable play-calling? It’s almost too good to be true.

This is somewhat surprising to me because I thought Brown would have already fired Brat if he was going to do it. However, two people that reportedly were not big Bratkowski fans are head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer. Maybe they were actually able to sway Brown’s decision.

Either way, it’s a good day to be a Bengal fan. Now let’s hope Brown doesn’t screw up the “search” for a new OC. And I put search in quotes because I think the decision has already been made to promote Zampese (who Palmer has a good relationship with).