The Reds start the season 9-12 and felt inclined to fire their GM. Talk about ready to make a move.

Now the question is whether new GM Walt Jocketty, formerly of the Cardinals, might be inclined to add to the Reds' group of NL Rookie of the Year candidates. Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce, two players at one time projected to be on the opening day roster, are off to great starts in the minors at positions where current Reds veterans are struggling.

"Need is not the issue right now," manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com on Thursday before allowing rookie starter Johnny Cueto pitch through some adversity in a seven-inning start. "The issue is we've got guys here that have done the job and are about to do the job.

"You're telling me Adam Dunn is not going to hit 40 home runs? You're telling me (Ken Griffey Jr.) isn't going to hit 30 home runs, no matter how they've started? Is three weeks enough to say that they're ready for here?

"I'm dying for them to get here. I really am. I'm excited for when they get here. But sometimes you have sit on your hands and let them play. It's best for them."

And it has worked out to date. Bailey is 3-1 with a 1.03 ERA in four strong starts. He has four walks and 16 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. The 21-year-old has been better with pitch conservation and shortened his delivery to better hold runners, according to reports.

Added to Bailey's great start is the failure of the Reds' No. 5 starters. Josh Fogg opened the season in that role and was so bad, he was demoted to long relief. Matt Belisle was next to get the nod in that role and was beaten up in his first start earlier this week.

Bailey, an American-born right-hander with a smooth cookie-cutter delivery, might not have the quirky deception of Dominican Dandys Cueto and Edinson Volquez, but he has every bit of the arm and still should be an impact Fantasy pitcher this season -- perhaps sooner than later.

Bruce, the top prospect in all of the minors now that Evan Longoria has been called up, entered Thursday batting .315 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He is also 5-for-5 in his steal attempts.

Bruce won't unseat co-free-agents-to-be Griffey or Dunn, but he could be an option to replace struggling Corey Patterson in center. Bruce has been playing all three outfield spots in Triple-A, but center is the spot he has played the most recently. And, what's to say the new GM might consider dealing one of the corner outfielders in their contract year?

The owner fired his GM because a 9-12 start wasn't good enough. Bruce and Bailey are still raw 21-year-old elite talents, but they can help the Reds right now. The owner might have an idea for Jocketty to improve the club from the farm.

"The thing about it, though, is you don't want to stunt their progress and growth," Baker told the Reds' official website Thursday. "It's very tempting to think only of today vs. thinking what's right for them and us in the long run, for years to come. A month can be worth years in terms of experience and confidence."

Interesting. A month, eh? Only a weekend of Triple-A baseball before that month is up.

Might be time to take those fliers now.

Prospect watch

Every Thursday, we break down all the minor leaguers who are owned in at least 1 percent of our Fantasy leagues. This will be your essential guide to unearthing the elite prospects before they hit the big time.

CBSSports.com's most-owned minor leaguers
Farmhand TM POS Own% Level Note
Jarrod Saltalamacchia TEX C 31 Triple-A Gerald Laird's decent start leads to trade?
Josh Fields CHW 3B 28 Triple-A Going well, but Joe Crede is faring better
Cameron Maybin FLA OF 28 Double-A Has cooled off and is striking out too much
Jay Bruce CIN CF 27 Triple-A Getting starts in all three outfield spots
Homer Bailey CIN SP 25 Triple-A Josh Fogg is out; Matt Belisle is next out?
Clayton Kershaw LA SP 25 Double-A Cruising; up after first Dodgers SP injury?
Bartolo Colon BOS SP 22 Triple-A Still on DL as BoSox go to other prospects
Chase Headley SD 3B 14 Triple-A His bat is as lifeless as the Padres offense
Max Scherzer ARI SP 13 Triple-A Scorching; now has 38 Ks in 23 innings
Colby Rasmus STL OF 13 Triple-A Struggling but homered in back-to-backs
Brandon Wood ANA 3B 11 Triple-A Hitting .325-5-11-11 in past 10 games
Jerry Owens CHW CF 9 Triple-A Great SB threat, but ChiSox like their OF
David Price TB SP 7 TBD Still has yet to throw official pro pitch
Adam Miller CLE SP 6 Triple-A Finally off DL; needs to prove healthy
Ian Stewart COL 3B 6 Triple-A You like Chase Utley? He's the next Utley
Adam Lind TOR LF 6 Triple-A Just doesn't belong in minors right now
Shelley Duncan NYY DH 5 Triple-A Too good of a hitter to be in minors
Gio Gonzalez OAK SP 5 Triple-A Has yet to get back five innings
Steve Pearce PIT RF 5 Triple-A Rebounding some from slow start
Wladimir Balentien SEA OF 5 Triple-A Brad Wilkerson's struggles are noteworthy
Brad Thompson STL SP 5 Triple-A Recently demoted and not worth owning
Jeff Niemann TB SP 5 Triple-A Will be back, but Rays rotation crowded
Nick Adenhart ANA SP 4 Triple-A Red hot, but John Lackey is coming back soon
Carlos Gonzalez OAK OF 4 Triple-A A's could use him right now
Jeff Clement SEA C 4 Triple-A On monster roll and has 15-10 K-BB ratio
Jason Bergmann WAS SP 4 Triple-A Non-prospect should be dumped in all formats
Reggie Willits ANA CF 3 Triple-A Needs a trade before he is Fantasy option again
Matt Wieters BAL C 3 High A Wow, the next Jason Varitek is really good
Rick Porcello DET SP 3 High A Great start to pro career for elite teenager
Andrew McCutchen PIT OF 3 Triple-A Next Lastings Milledge heating up of late
Matt Antonelli SD 2B 3 Triple-A Struggling just as much as Headley, Padres
Justin Masterson BOS SP 2 Majors Likely to be sent right back down to Double-A
Josh Barfield CLE 2B 2 Triple-A Has three homers in past five games
Aaron Laffey CLE SP 2 Triple-A Passed over in favor of Jeremy Sowers this week
Chris Volstad FLA SP 2 Double-A Might not take long for Burke Badenhop to fail
Matt LaPorta MIL OF 2 Double-A Hitting .342-3-12-7 in past 10 games
Philip Humber MIN SP 2 Triple-A Still yet to make it past five innings
Fernando Martinez NYM OF 2 Double-A Seven doubles but K-to-BB ratio disconcerting
Carlos Carrasco PHI SP 2 Double-A After great start to season, finally had a stinker
Jake McGee TB SP 2 Double-A Elite lefty hasn't made a start in 10 days
Wade Davis TB SP 2 Double-A Numbers OK, but not quite as good as McGee's
Reid Brignac TB SS 2 Triple-A Jason Bartlett's slow start might open door
John Patterson TEX SP 2 TBD Still has yet to pitch in comeback attempt
Travis Snider TOR OF 2 Double-A 20-year-old up a level amid Jays hole in LF
Jarrod Parker ARI SP 1 Low A Teenager will be held to low innings in minors
Jordan Schafer ATL OF 1 Suspended 50-game suspension means September at best
Brandon Jones ATL OF 1 Triple-A Hitting just .231 with .323 SLUG and .320 OBP
Josh Anderson ATL OF 1 Triple-A Hot! Hitting .333 with .373 OBP and eight steals
Jo-Jo Reyes ATL SP 1 Triple-A Shouldn't be long before Braves need him again
Brent Lillibridge ATL SS 1 Triple-A Hitting just .167 with .250 SLUG and .247 OBP
Scott Moore BAL 3B 1 Triple-A Demoted, struggling and shouldn't be owned now
Garrett Olson BAL SP 1 Triple-A 1.61 ERA, .229 BAA and more than K per inning
Radhames Liz BAL SP 1 Triple-A Fanned 10 Thursday in first good start of season
Lars Anderson BOS 1B 1 High A 20-year-old has cooled off after hot start
Brandon Moss BOS OF 1 Triple-A Got a bum deal on demotion, but not hitting
Josh Vitters CHC 3B 1 Low A Looks like there is no way he will arrive this year
Eric Patterson CHC OF 1 Triple-A Had brief call-up but struggling back on farm
Jeremy Sowers CLE SP 1 Majors Expected to be called up to be No. 5 starter
Joe Koshansky COL 1B 1 Triple-A Big Joe is hitting .355-3-7-11 in past 10 games
Clete Thomas DET OF 1 Triple-A Demoted; dump him in all formats
Dallas McPherson FLA 3B 1 Triple-A Power is there, but he needs a Jorge Cantu injury
Rick VandenHurk FLA SP 1 Double-A Demoted and now on DL in minors; drop him
Ryan Shealy KC 1B 1 Triple-A Bad numbers make him look like Chris Shelton
Michael Moustakas KC 3B 1 Low A Playing SS still, but like Vitters won't arrive in '08
Kyle Davies KC SP 1 Triple-A Way too good for Triple-A; Royals could use him
Jon Meloan LA RP 1 Triple-A Transition to starting increases his keeper appeal
Alexi Casilla MIN 2B 1 Triple-A Hitting just .177 with .316 OBP and .226 SLUG
Claudio Vargas NYM SP 1 TBD Has yet to pitch after signing with Mets
Jose Tabata NYY OF 1 Double-A Off to a punchless start; likely won't arrive in '08
Austin Jackson NYY OF 1 Double-A 1-to-1 K-to-BB ratio as intriguing as anything
Kei Igawa NYY SP 1 Triple-A Perhaps just a bad Ian Kennedy outing away?
Joe Savery PHI SP 1 High A Will be interesting race between him and Porcello
Kris Benson PHI SP 1 Triple-A Opened year on DL in minors and yet to pitch
Neil Walker PIT 3B 1 Triple-A Looks like he needs full season in Triple-A
Carlos Triunfel SEA SS 1 High A 18-year-old hitting just .152 so far
Nate Schierholtz SF OF 1 Triple-A Hitting .381-2-12-10-2 in past 10 games
Chris Perez STL RP 1 Triple-A Solid Triple-A closer, but just middle relief if called
Chris Davis TEX 3B 1 Triple-A Awful Rangers could use him at 1B right now
Taylor Teagarden TEX C 1 Double-A Numbers look terrible right now
Kevin Mench TEX RF 1 Triple-A Washed up, cut and ignore him in all leagues
Kazuo Fukumori TEX RP 1 Majors Called up, but nothing more than a middle reliever
Eric Hurley TEX SP 1 Triple-A Pitched better last time out after bad start
Elvis Andrus TEX SS 1 Double-A Teenager has five steals but showing little pop
Jesus Flores WAS C 1 Triple-A Johnny Estrada's return means long stay for Flores?
Christopher Marrero WAS OF 1 High A Teen hitting .197; '08 seems out of the question
Ross Detwiler WAS SP 1 High A Didn't make it out of the first Wednesday

Rookie watch

Top AL rookies to date

  1. OF Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS -- Apparently last fall was no fluke for the "next Johnny Damon."
  2. SP Armando Galarraga, DET -- Just two starts so far, but they have been really good ones.
  3. 3B Evan Longoria, TB -- Average is low, but his run production and OPS is right there.
  4. SP Greg Smith, OAK -- They will have to pry him out of the rotation at this point.
  5. RP Joba Chamberlain -- Hank Steinbrenner was a knee-jerk this week, but Joba remains in relief.

Top NL rookies to date

  1. C Geovany Soto, CHC -- Last year's Triple-A MVP is currently the No. 1 catcher in all of Fantasy.
  2. OF Kosuke Fukudome, CHC -- Great OPS and run production, despite being homerless since opener.
  3. SP Johnny Cueto, CIN -- Pedestrian Thursday, but great sign was pitching through adversity.
  4. SP Jair Jurrjens, ATL -- This under-the-radar guy won't carry that compound modifier for long.
  5. 1B Joey Votto, CIN -- Breathe a sigh of relief: Elite talent is hitting stride in great hitter's park and lineup.

Newbie needs

MC: I have Jeff Clement, Josh Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Jon Meloan, Joe Koshansky, Reid Brignac and Nick Adenhart on my minor league squad. I need to release three of them by the end of the month. League rules allow for only four players on that squad starting May 1. I have two reserve spots filled by Colby Rasmus and Clayton Kershaw on my regular roster, allowing no room to move any of the prospects up. Which of these prospects have the least short-term potential and should be dropped at the deadline?

Emack: Adenhart and Clement are must-keeps in that group. Anderson should only be held in deeper NL-only Rotisserie formats. Brignac and Koshansky are intriguing but less likely to arrive early in the first half than the starting pitcher prospects. Keep Adenhart, Clement, Gonzalez and Meloan at this point.

Jake M., Houston, Texas: Assuming Adam Lind gets called up now: What are your projections for him for the remainder of the season?

Emack: We will stick with what we had in our preseason projections and in our fifth annual Fantasy Baseball Magazine: .281 average, 17 homers, 65 RBI, 55 runs and two steals (.321 OBP and .463 SLUG). He is obviously showing the potential for much more, which is intriguing when the Jays are running out the likes of Shannon Stewart in left field with Matt Stairs replacing released Frank Thomas at the DH spot.

Jay Pompano, Guilford, Conn.: What are your thoughts about the rumor that Bartolo Colon can leave if not in the majors by May 1 and, if he does, what are the chances Justin Masterson gets called up?

Emack: Wonderful foresight. Masterson is likely ticketed back to the minors after his outstanding debut Thursday, but the Red Sox got a look at him and David Pauley as stopgap starters this week. It is very clear Masterson can fill-in for the Red Sox if needed now, so stash him in deeper AL-only formats where you can afford to wait on a prospects' recall.

You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball prospect questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Prospects in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.

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