By Brian Gillespie, MLB Contributing Editor (My Sportsbook)

2002 FINISH (78-84) - Third Place (NL Central)

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Elmer Dessens (RHP); Shawn Estes (LHP); Joey Hamilton (RHP); Todd Walker (2B)

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Pete Harnisch (RHP); Felipe Lopez (SS); Paul Wilson (RHP)

PROJECTED LINEUP: Barry Larkin (SS); Aaron Boone (2B); Ken Griffey Jr. (CF); Austin Kearns (RF); Adam Dunn (LF); Sean Casey (1B); Brandon Larson (3B); Jason LaRue (C)

PROJECTED ROTATION: Jimmy Haynes (RHP); Danny Graves (RHP); Ryan Dempster (RHP); Jimmy Anderson (LHP); Paul Wilson (RHP)

PROJECTED CLOSER: Scott Williamson (RHP)

MANAGER: Bob Boone

OVERVIEW

When the Great American Ball Park opens its doors on March 31st, a new day will be dawning for the Cincinnati Reds. The memories of recent failures at Cinergy Field have gone up in a cloud of dust and the page will officially be turned when Pittsburgh comes to town.

A new revenue source in the form of the gorgeous park has cash flowing into the Reds' front office, but they have chosen to keep their payroll under $60 million. Gone are expensive second baseman Todd Walker, quite possibly the Reds' best hitter last season, and number one starter Elmer Dessens.

General manager Jim Bowden, in one of his few offseason moves, picked up the option on manager Bob Boone's contract, keeping him in the Queen City through the end of the season. Boone will have one final chance to lead the Reds, who have started quick and faded down the stretch two years in a row, to the postseason.

One trade that never came to fruition in the offseason was the proposed deal that would have sent Ken Griffey Jr. to San Diego in exchange for Phil Nevin. Apparently, Nevin invoked his no-trade clause to remain on the West coast and Griffey knew nothing about the possible deal. Griffey has struggled with injuries since joining his hometown team in 2000, but is determined to prove his worth to owner Carl Linder this season.

"They can do whatever they want," Griffey said about the Reds' front office. "I don't play for a GM, I don't play for a manager. I don't play for an owner. I love playing baseball because I love playing baseball."

Boone has shifted his roster around a bit in the offseason, keeping most of the same faces but putting them in different places. Hard-throwing reliever Scott Williamson is finally healthy, allowing Boone to move him to closer and place former stopper Danny Graves in the starting rotation.

Also, Boone has paved the way for young Brandon Larson to join the everyday lineup at third base. Larson, 26, is filled with promise, so much that his emergence shifted Aaron Boone from the hot corner to second base. Aaron Boone saw time at both third and shortstop last season.

With the two major changes, Bob Boone has put himself out on a limb prior the year. Whether or not his adjustments pay dividends will likely determine if the veteran manager will be around for the opening day parade in 2004.

INFIELD

Larson, a former first round pick, has seen limited time in the majors over the past two years. Nonetheless, he has flashed a good enough bat that it motivated the Reds to deal Walker and move the coach's son to an unknown position.

Last year, Larson hit .275 with four homers and 13 RBI in 51 major league plate appearances. He also didn't make an error while playing three different positions, including first, third and left field. It is unknown whether Larson will be ready for opening day, though, as he is struggling with a strained rib-cage muscle in his right side.

Aaron Boone is coming off an up-and-down season at the plate, as he posted 26 homers and 87 RBI while batting just .241. His ability to handle second base will be the true test for him, as he is 6-ft-2, 195 pounds.

"I did this for unselfish reasons," says Aaron Boone. "Hopefully, the reward will be that this works -- and we're playing for something down the stretch."

Crafty first baseman Sean Casey and veteran shortstop Barry Larkin remain to anchor the Reds' infield. Casey, who struggled through an injury-plagued 2002 season, will be crucial to the Reds' success. The upbeat first baseman, which managed to hit just .261 following three previous .300-plus seasons, must prove that he is back to full strength after shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, Larkin, 38, is in the final year of his current contract and could likely be singing his swan song. The lifetime Red and former yearly All-Star selection has seen his offensive numbers plummet in each of the last three years. It hasn't helped that his body has become brittle and seems to breakdown very easily.

Cincinnati insured itself in the offseason when it acquired shortstop phenom Felipe Lopez in the Dessens deal. The 22-year-old Puerto Rican performed in somewhat of a platoon role for Toronto over the past two seasons. Lopez has a combined batting average of just .240 in his short major league career.

The starting catcher for the Reds will be Jason LaRue this season. LaRue is tough to run on, but he allowed 20 balls to get by him. His offensive skills have improved, but he lacks consistency.

OUTFIELD

The clear strength of the Reds will be their trio in the outfield. Youngsters Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns, along with Griffey, will give Cincy one of the most formidable outfield groups in the game.

Griffey has the tools to be spectacular, and if his play in spring training is any precursor to the future, the Reds are in good shape. The 33-year-old is hitting well over .300 and has blasted some impressive homers in preseason ball. Nonetheless, he must stay healthy, considering he competed in just 54 games in 2002 due to a variety of maladies.

Cincy expects an even better season from up-and-coming All-Star Adam Dunn, who struck out an amazing 170 times and walked 128 times last season. Dunn did belt a team-high 26 homers while driving in 71 runs, but he disappeared down the stretch. The 23-year-old will need to be more consistent in the clean-up slot for the Reds.

Kearns, similar to Dunn, has his best years ahead of him. The 22-year-old was on the brink of nailing down the NL Rookie of the Year last season, but his inaugural campaign was cut short due to a hamstring injury. Still, Kearns managed to hit .315 with 13 homers and 56 RBI prior to hitting the disabled list. He may get off to a slow start after undergoing left elbow surgery during spring training.

STARTING ROTATION

The Reds' starting rotation isn't loaded with stars, but it may just be improved this season. Adding Ryan Dempster late last year and Paul Wilson in the offseason should solidify the staff.

Dempster struggled after joining the Reds just prior to the trade deadline last season, but he recovered with a 3-0 September. The sixth-year twirler has posted a 47-48 career mark with a career ERA of 4.81.

Meanwhile, Wilson is coming off a decent 6-12 campaign with a 4.83 ERA for Tampa Bay. The durable righthander has twirled at least 150 innings in each of the past two seasons. Wilson is also struggling with a strained rib cage muscle.

With Dessens in Arizona, righthander Jimmy Haynes takes over as the Reds' ace twirler. Haynes took his play to a surprising level last year, registering a 15-10 mark to go along with his lowest ERA (4.12) since his rookie campaign. The journeyman will need a repeat performance as the anchor of the staff.

Graves could be either the second or third starter in the Reds' rotation. The righty, who has tallied at least 27 saves in four consecutive seasons, will likely take some time to adjust to the starting role. In fact, Graves has yet to finalize his method of working from the stretch.

The fourth slot in the rotation was recently handed to southpaw Jimmy Anderson, a Pittsburgh castoff. Anderson went 8-13 with Pittsburgh last season, then signed a nonguaranteed minor league deal with the Reds in January.

BULLPEN

Over the past few seasons, the Reds have used their bullpen more than any other team in the league. Scott Sullivan and Graves each logged more than 75 frames out of the 'pen in 2002. The wear and tear finally got to Sullivan, who was forced to his least amount of appearances since 1998 due to shoulder problems.

With Graves joining the rotation, even more pressure will be placed on Sullivan, Williamson and Gabe White. Williamson has posted no more than eight saves since his rookie campaign in 1999. The Oklahoma State product must have better control of his pitches this season if he expects to keep the closer spot.

Kent Mercker, John Riedling, White and Josias Manzanillo are expected to handle the middle relief for the Reds. Mercker and White, both lefties, should provide solid depth in the middle innings. All in all, the bullpen could use many more innings from the starting rotation in hopes of avoiding tired arms.

BENCH

The Reds bench is headlined by their logjam in the outfield. Ruben Mateo, Wily Mo Pena and Reggie Taylor are all capable fielders with the ability to give Cincy a lift off the pine. Joining the fray recently was free agent outfielder Benny Agbayani, who inked a minor league deal. Outfielder Russell Branyan should also grab a roster spot when he returns in April after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Infield depth will be handled by versatile youngsters Lopez and Juan Castro. Both of the talents can play any of the four infield positions, as well as handling the bat pretty well.

OUTLOOK

The usual set of questions lie around the Reds heading into the 2003 campaign. Will Griffey finally show up? Can their key players stay healthy? Do the Reds have enough pitching to compete in the tough National League Central? How many times can they go the well with their mixture of decent young pitchers and veteran retreads? The Reds will have a solid offensive club, but it may not be enough to get them a wildcard. Look for yet another fourth place finish in the Central.