Reds’ future with Cueto
Johnny Cueto ascends the mound, digs the toe of his right shoe into the dirt and scrapes a guiding line from the edge of the rubber toward home plate.
Properly lined up, he starts his warmups.
The Cincinnati Reds’ rookie throws hard, right from the outset. He releases the ball with more energy than elegance, whipping his right leg around forcefully to get every bit of oomph out of his 5-foot-10 frame.
Everything about him says: Power.
Cueto is 22 years old and throws 96 mph. Those two numbers only begin to explain his significance to the Reds, who are starting to see results from years of playing catch-up in international scouting.
“There’s still a lot they haven’t seen from this young man,” manager Dusty Baker said.
Cueto signed for $35,000, according to former general manager Wayne Krivsky, not the $3,500 that has been widely reported. Right away, he impressed with his ability to throw hard and throw strikes.
He added weight – he’s up to 183 these days – and wore No. 45 in the minors to honor his idol, Pedro Martinez, a 5-foot-11 power pitcher from the Dominican. Cueto learned a changeup from former Reds pitcher Mario Soto, who works in player development and scouting.
Best of all, he showed a knack for throwing strikes with a fastball that tops out at 96 mph and a slider that takes a forceful turn at the plate. He soared from the bottom of the farm system to the top last season.
His debut made him an overnight sensation.
Cueto became the first pitcher in modern baseball history – since 1900 – to strike out 10 without walking a batter. He gave up nothing more than Justin Upton’s solo homer in seven innings of a 3-2 win over Arizona on April 3, retiring the first 15 batters he faced.
When he left the game, fans gave him a standing ovation. Cueto, who lets teammates translate during interviews, knew what that meant.
“They love me,” he said.
Zito moved to bullpen
Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief.
Zito, who only 16 months ago signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants to lead their rotation, was informed of the move in a meeting with manager Bruce Bochy.
The left-hander has lost his first six starts this season and has a 7.53 ERA.
Posada placed on D.L.
The Yankees placed Jorge Posada (shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career.
The 36-year-old has caught at least 137 games in each of the past eight seasons.
Clearing the bases
Texas Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock has a small tear in his left hamstring and will be out at least three weeks. … Two-time All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal will retire with the Phillies on June 1.