Rotation, health and leadership questions loom for Reds

The Reds had a busy day Saturday, adding veteran relievers Burke Badenhop and Kevin Gregg 10 days before pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz.

The moves answered one big question: Will the club do anything to fix the bullpen? The Badenhop signing was a big enough coup that I didn't get any Twitter complaints about it. A rare, rare thing these days.

But a lot of questions remain about this club. We'll look at 10 of them — one for each day until pitchers and catchers report. Some will be resolved before spring begins, others will play out over the season.

— Is Joey Votto healthy? This is the big question going into spring. Votto's knee/quad injury was, to borrow the Winston Churchill quote, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

The Reds have gotten reports that Votto is fine. But Votto was purposefully vague when asked about the knee at Redsfest. He's not likely to be any more forthcoming when he gets to Goodyear, so until he's out there playing and hitting like he did in 2013, we won't know.

— What will the Reds do with Raisel Iglesias? To me, he may be the most intriguing guy in camp.

Scouts raved about his stuff in the Arizona Fall League. As did, Reds manager Bryan Price.

"Four pitches with command — that spells out starting pitcher, especially when it's plus-stuff across the board," Price said. "He was 93-97, so the velocity is there. The action on his fastball is there, much better changeup than I anticipated seeing and two quality breaking balls and a good feel. His last (appearance) that he made in the fall league, he had two strikeouts on 3-2 breaking balls. That type of confidence and ability to execute those pitches in those situations suggests he's a little bit more advanced than a lot of guys who are getting their first chance in big league camp."

Iglesias could slot nicely in the No. 4 starter spot and leave the No. 5 spot for others.

— What about Johnny C? The Reds have taken the never-say-never approach with Johnny Cueto's contract status. But in light of Max Scherzer's seven-year, $280-million deal, Cueto is going to be frightfully expensive.

And seven-year deals with pitchers usually don't work out, regardless of the money. Cueto's given the Reds an Opening Day deadline. How will it affect Cueto if the Reds have to admit he's too expensive?

— Will Price be different in Year 2? Price admitted his first year was a learning experience in some regards.

My guess is he'll have a sense of urgency from the start. He's on the second year of a two-year contract and his new third base coach, Jim Riggleman, has a lot of big league experience. A good start will be important after last year's rough ride.

— Will the Reds add more players before spring? Probably not, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said Saturday. After inquiring about outfielder/infielder Dayan Viciedo, Jocketty said the Reds are not a likely fit. "He wants more playing time than we can give him," Jocketty said. "He wants to start or at least platoon."

— What will the lineup be? Price hasn't committed to anything other than Billy Hamilton leading off and Zack Cozart batting eighth. The biggest question is who will hit No. 2? The addition of Marlon Byrd gives Price more choices.

— What will his sophomore year bring for Hamilton? Hamilton's rookie year was mixed bag. He had a terrific first half. His defense was top-shelf from start to finish. He won some games with his legs. But he got caught stealing a ton. And his bat wilted down the stretch. Skipping Winter Ball and working on strength should help. But Hamilton has to raise his walk rate a bit and strike out fewer times to be an effective leadoff man.

— Can the new guy lead? The Reds talked a lot about Byrd's leadership skills when the trade was made for him. It was obvious the front office and coaching staff wants a change in the clubhouse culture. That can be tough for a new player — even a veteran — to affect.

— Will the Reds go to arbitration? Aroldis Chapman's arbitration case remains unresolved. The Reds haven't gone to arbitration since 2004. Both sides try mightily to avoid it.

— Can Jay Bruce bounce back? Bruce's knee obviously had an adverse impact on his season last year. It was a miserable year for him. The Reds need him to be at his 2012, 2013 level when he won the Silver Slugger as the best hitting right fielder in the National League.