Alonso Willing But Reluctant to Go To Reds Outfield

Reds top hitting prospect Yonder Alonso -- stuck at Triple A Louisville because his promotion to Cincinnati is blocked at first base -- is willing to keep learning the outfield if that's what it takes to make the major leagues, though he would prefer to stay at his natural corner position.

"I think I'm a good first baseman;  I like playing first base;  I want to stay there,  but they've already got some guy up there,"  Alonso told Sirrius-XM Radio host Grant Paulsen on Paulsen's Sunday morning "Majors and Minors" program.

The "guy" playing first base for the Reds,  of course,  is none other than reigning MVP Joey Votto,  who is not likely to give up his position anytime soon.

"We text each other every day,"  Alonso said.  "I tell him,  'I hit a home run today,'  and he says back, 'I hit two!"

Alonso, 24, a former first round pick,  rejects calls for him to be traded,  hoping the day will come when he finally takes the field at Great American Ballpark,  at first,  in the outfield or on the bench.

"This is where I was drafted.  This is where I want to stay,"  he said.

The former Cuban national -- who fled the communist controlled Caribbean island when a boy -- is hitting .280 in his first 84 at-bats for the Redbirds, but is heating up.  He has four hits in his last 12,  including two homers.

Reds 2B Brandon Phillips Eyeing RBIs

By his own admission, Reds 2B Brandon Phillips is NOT a power hitter, but more of "a hitter with power," but that's enough to punch his ticket to a key spot on the middle of this year's batting order.

"I'm the best person for the job," Phillips eagerly told WLW Radio, who queried him regarding the front office's failure to land a big right-handed bat during the offseason. Look for him to bat 4th or 5th at least as long as manager Dusty Baker has so few other options.

Phillips hit 21 homers last year, and 30 in 2007. Sandwiched between 1B Joey Votto and OF Jay Bruce, Phillips can easily be expected to see his share of fastballs and to knock in more than 100 RBI.

Athletics Seek Joey Votto to Replace Emil Brown

Oakland GM Billy Beane has set Cincinnati abuzz with his reported interest in Reds first base prospect Joey Votto, whom Beane would move to left field as a replacement for 33-year-old A's journeyman Emil Brown.

Brown can play a little -- having hit a combined .287 with 32 homers in '05 and '06 before missing much of last year with injuries. But Brown always gets a bit of a bad rap after being buried for the better part of a decade in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, and perhaps being better suited as a fourth or fifth outfielder as Brown faces inevitable health concerns toward end of his career.

Though Votto is cherished in Cincinnati, he is in some senses expendable because the Reds still control former Athletics first baseman/catcher Scott Hatteburg, who hit .310 last year as the left half of a first base platoon for the Reds. Moreover, Hatteburg, 38, might be preferred by new Reds manager Dusty Baker, who likes to play experienced players over rookies.

But the main thing is that Votto -- who projects as .300 hitter with 30-homer power -- would bring a major prize to Cincinnati in the person of Oakland No. 3 starting pitcher Joe Blanton, 27, whom Beane is committed to trade.

Though Votto is a first baseman by trade, he has outfield experience and relatively good speed for a corner infielder. He would fit nicely in Oakland's no-name outfield alongside Chris Denorfia and Travis Buck, becoming the cornerstone of a high potential, small market trio that potentially would play together for many years, and do so cheaply.