Roster is up in the air

Starting rotation, bullpen, bench are problems to be solved.

A mantra proffered by nearly every major-league manager in history is: “Spring training will fool you. The sampling of games, at-bats and innings pitched is too small.”

The best example for the Cincinnati Reds occurred in 1983. In 1982, a big redhead named Jeff Jones hit 42 home runs and drove in 101 runs for Cedar Rapids in the Class A Midwest League.

During spring training of 1983 he tore it up, hit nearly .500. Against the wishes of manager Russ Nixon, general manager Dick Wagner insisted Nixon not only keep him on the roster, but stick him in right field.

So Jones was in right field on opening day, 1983. He lasted 16 games, hitting .226 with 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in 58 plate appearances. By April 24, two weeks into the season, he was back in the minors, never to be seen in the majors again. He struck out 749 times in 894 minor-league games.

Then there was outfielder Dave Sappelt. He tore it up in the spring of 2011 and made the team. He hit .243 in 38 games with the Reds. After the season he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with pitcher Travis Wood for relief pitcher Sean Marshall.

The Philadelphia Phillies released Sappelt in April of last season and he ended up playing the 2014 season in Mexico.

So, yes, spring training can fool you, as former manager Dusty Baker liked to say, “big time.”

But there has to be some basis for teams to judge young

NL looking at using designated hitter in Ask Hal,