Each day leading up to the NBA Draft presents a new rumor, report or flavor of the week in regards to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 1 overall selection. Thanks to New Orelans Times-Picayune writer Jimmy Smith, this week’s report is that the new frontrunner—according to Smith—for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft is Maryland center Alex Len.

While that rumor was quickly debunked by Fox Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico in his latest article, it appears Len is still in consideration for the No. 1 overall selection. Amico stated, “…FSO sources said such is not the case, and for the time being, there is no favorite.” Since Amico is very well connected to the Cavaliers’ organization, for the time being we will take his word over a New Orleans Pelicans’ writer.

Len may not be the frontrunner, but he is certainly among Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and Otto Porter as possible future members of the Wine and Gold. And while this writer typically does not buy into different rumors spreading across the web, there are a lot of reasons why the 7’1” and 255-pound center’s name is high on the Cavaliers’ draft board.

At just 20-years old, Len averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game as a sophomore at Maryland this season in just 26.4 minutes per game. After coming over from the Ukraine just two years ago, Len has added bulk (nearly 30 pounds) to his 7’1” frame and it appears he is not done growing yet thanks to his larger upper body and wide shoulders.

There is a lot to like and dislike about Len’s game, which is why so many people are torn on his NBA potential. At first glance on film you see a big man with a nearly 7’4” wingspan with the ability to run the floor well, finish aggressively above the rim and hit mid-range jumpers with ease. Len shoots at a high percentage from the floor (53.4 percent last season), and seems to position himself well on offense in order to get those high percentage shots. Thanks to his ability to move, he continuously is moving without the ball and can cut to the basket with the best of them on the Pick and Roll.

Unfortunately when you study his film more, you see quite a few glaring negatives in his game as well.

At first glance it seemed as if Len had a very polished offensive game near the basket, however, when you look more closely he has a tendency to be passive when in a mid-range situation. He settled for the outside shot on numerous occasions when he could have attacked the basket with ease thanks to his mobility. He also is very poor when forced to utilize his left hand, throwing up wild hook shots among other poor shots. NBA coaches will recognize this immediately on film and have their post defenders forcing him to his left early in his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, Len is an excellent rebounder and seems like he could be an elite rim protector (2.1 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game). However, that same film study showed that while he should be effective in transition, he was often late in rotating back to his man, allowing easy baskets in the process.

This writer’s biggest concern with Len also came while studying his defense, as the big man was pushed around by smaller offensive players that established good post position. Despite being as big as he is, Len routinely allowed players under 6’9” to make him look pretty soft down low. If he could not handle defending smaller players at the collegiate level, how is Len going to body up aggressive centers weighing 260-plus pounds at the NBA level?

There is certainly a lot of intrigue with Len, as he looks like he could develop an offensive game similar to that of Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez. While Lopez has developed into one of the best offensive centers in the league, there have always been questions about his toughness and being outworked down low.

Undoubtedly Len will be selected in the Top 10 of the 2013 NBA Draft—his skillset and size certainly warrant that. But as a potential No. 1 overall pick, Len lacks that “it” factor that will separate him from the other candidates. So unless the Cavaliers make some blockbuster move and trade down from the No. 1 pick, Chris Grant and the front office should just say no to Len.

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As the National Hockey League turns their focus to the 2013 NHL Draft, a pair of high draft prospects of the Columbus Blue Jackets look to take the league by storm this season. Those two players are Oshawa Generals center, Boone Jenner, and Everett Silvertips defenseman, Ryan Murray.

With the Blue Jackets  loading up for another run at the playoffs in 2013-2014, they are set to bring up a pair of promising young prospects this coming season. The Jackets will look to 2012 No. 2 overall pick, Murray, to bolster an already promising blue line group featuring Jack Johnson, James Wisniewski, Fedor Tyutin, Adrian Aucoin, Nikita Nikitin and promising young rounder Tim Erixon. Murray has been said to be the most NHL ready player in the 2012 class, and many feel that he has the skill, attitude and ceiling to be a captain in the league one day.

At 6’0″ and just over 200 pounds, Murray doesn’t bring Zdena Charo size to the table, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in finesse. A solid puck-handler, Murray often is able to steal from talented offensemen before they ever cross the blue line. That is not to say he can’t get physical, he never shies away from contact and he plays larger than his stature dictates. He also brings an above average shot to the table, capable of finding the net from the point, as well as being able to anchor the power play.

Before being injured in Everett during the NHL lockout, Murray played in 23 games; registering 17 points with two goals and 15 assists.  In 191 games with the Silvertips, Murray notched 22 goals and 99 assists for a total of 121 points. The score sheet does not tell the whole story, however. Murray is absolutely accountable on the defensive side of the ice, never posting a season with a negative +/- rating. He projects as a top pairing in the NHL, potentially alongside Johnson.

The other player the team will look to bring up is fan-favorite, Jenner, a center who saw time with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons last season. The team is fairly deep already at center with Mark Letestu, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Derek MacKenzie, but Jenner could be the odds-on favorite to take the place of MacKenzie next season. Jenner is a hard-working, tough and gritty player that could easily anchor the Blue Jackets’ third line and give them great depth at the position. Many people have compared Jenner to that of Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal with his solid two-way style of play.

In 56 games last year for the Oshawa Generals, Jenner went on an impressive run, finishing third in goals behind Sarnia’s Reid Boucher and Plymouth’s Vincent Trocheck. He notched a total of 82 points with 45 goals and 37 assists. He posted a 23 +/- rating and was a constant threat to score when on the ice. In the playoffs for Oshawa, he scored eight points in nine games before moving to the playoffs for the Springfield Falcons. With Columbus’ AHL club, Jenner kicked in five points during his eight playoff games while there. That experience in big games could pay off big for the Blue Jackets with their sights set on the 2014 NHL Playoffs this year. Look for both players to compete hard in camp and come in to make an instant impact in the 2013-2014 season.

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Before their regularly scheduled game with the Minnesota Twins Saturday night at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians will take a look back at their recent glorious past as Carlos Baerga, and former General Manager John Hart will be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame. Baerga came to the Indians in 1989 along with Sandy Alomar Jr. and Chris James from San Diego in a trade that sent Joe Carter to the Padres.

That trade, along with drafting players like Albert Belle, Charles Nagy and Jim Thome were the building blocks that would see the Indians rise from helpless has-beens to a force in the American League as the team moved from Cleveland Stadium to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

The stocky second baseman became a fan favorite spending his first six seasons in the majors with the Indians, leading the Tribe in hits four times. He made the American League All-Star team three times, and won two silver slugger awards. In 1992-93, Baerga became the first second baseman since Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby in 1922 to have consecutive seasons of 200 hits, 20 home runs and 100 RBIs. In the 1995 postseason, Baerga batted .292 with nine RBIs, as the Indians won their first American League pennant since 1954. In the AL Championship Series against Seattle he hit .400 with a homer and four RBIs.

On July 29, 1996 then general manager John Hart traded Baerga, along with utility infielder Alvaro Espinoza, to the New York Mets for infielders Jeff Kent and Jose Vizcaino. Even though the Indians won the Central Division for the second straight year, the trade of Baerga did not sit well with the Wahoo faithful.

In August 16, 1999, Carlos returned to the Indians again in a trade with San Diego. At this time of his career, he was a reserve player though, playing just 22 games and he was not on the postseason roster. Baerga will become the 39th player inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame this weekend. Baerga’s tenure on the North Coast was a memorable one as he ranks among the Top 20 all-time in homers, runs batted in and batting average. He is one of the club’s ambassadors and also was part of Terry Francona’s staff this past spring training in Goodyear.

Hart came to the Indians in 1989 as a special assignment scout. Later that season he was the interim manager of the club after Doc Edwards was relieved of his duties, and he posted an 8-11 mark in the dugout. The next two seasons he was the Director of Baseball Operations.

In 1991 he became general manager, succeeding Hank Peters. Those 10 years while Hart was in charge were simply spectacular, as he started to build one of the most feared teams in baseball with players like Alomar, Baerga, Belle, Thome, Manny Ramirez, Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Roberto Alomar, Omar Vizquel and others as the Indians won six Central Division titles and two American League pennants (1995 and 1997) and a pair of World Series appearances.

During his time with the Indians, Hart was twice named baseball Executive of the Year by the Sporting News. He also built an outstanding baseball staff which included Dan O’Dowd who later became GM in Colorado, Jay Robertson and Lee MacPhail in scouting, Neal Huntington (currently the GM with the Pittsburgh Pirates) and former GM and current Indians team President Mark Shapiro.

Hart goes into the Indians Hall in the Distinguished Hall of Fame, a place for non-uniformed personnel, and adds his name to men such as Bill Veeck, Dick Jacobs, long time trainer Jimmy Warfield and broadcaster Jack Graney. The Indians were one of the first teams in all of North American professional sports to establish a Hall of Fame back in 1951 until 1972. It was restored in 2006 co-inciting with the building of Heritage Park out in center field to honor the team’s greats.

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The 2013 NHL draft marks the first prospect class of the Jarmo Kekalainen era, the new general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team came close to being a Cinderella success story in 2013, falling just short of the playoffs after an incredible second half of the season. With newly-crowned Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky in the net, and the addition of All-Star forward Marion Gaborik, the Jackets went on a tear to end the season. Had the Minnesota Wild not owned more non-shootout wins, the story might not have ended prematurely for Columbus.

In an effort to get the team over that hill, the Jackets will turn their eyes to the 2013 NHL draft. After the early struggles of the Blue Jackets, Rangers and Kings, many fans were already dreaming of Columbus having three Top 10 draft picks this season, due to trades with New York and Los Angeles, it didn’t last long. All three teams caught fire in the second half of the season, and the dreams of Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin were put to rest. Fortunately for Columbus, this may be one of the deepest drafts in the past few years. So who will Kekalainen and the Jackets be eyeing up on June 30th?

No. 14 – Bo Horvat, Center, London Knights

Horvat has been called the most complete player in the 2013 NHL class. While not a master of any one skill, he is very proficient in almost all other areas. As a reliable two-way player, Horvat helped lead the London Knights into the Memorial Cup, falling just short of the ultimate prize. Last season, he racked up 61 points, 33 goals and 28 assists and was practically shut-down on the defensive side of the ice. While right now the Jackets are fairly deep at center, the talent of Horvat would be far too much to pass on. There is no harm in preparing for the future, especially while the team is still trying to lock up restricted free agent, Artem Anisimov.

No. 19 – Valentin Zykov, Left Wing, Baie-Comeau Drakkar

A Russian right-winger, Zykov exploded on the scene in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after very little offensive production overseas. He smashed through for 40 goals and 35 assists, taking the league by surprise, and launching himself into the first round of the NHL draft this year. Zykov is very physical and limits turnovers by using his size and strength to keep the puck safe. He has a good shot, above average puck skills and truly breaks the mold of the Russian sniper incapable of playing defensive hockey. Zykov could come in from day one and be an instant upgrade over the likes of Blake Comeau, but will likely stay in the juniors another year developing his skill.

No. 27 – Ryan Hartman, Right Wing, Plymouth Whalers

Hartman has a high motor that never stops. A hard worker on both ends of the ice, he brings versatility that allows him to play multiple positions. In 56 games last year with Plymouth, Hartman grabbed 60 total points, 23 goals and 37 assists. Hartman compares favorably to the Colorado Avalanche’s Ryan O’Reilly, in the way that he is capable of both scoring and setting up the play. While not an explosive athlete, Hartman does everything solidly. He can be trusted in all aspects of the game and would be an excellent complement to a star center in the NHL.

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The London Knights capped off an impressive season by dropping a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Seth Jones and the Portland Winterhawks in the 2013 Memorial Cup semi-finals. What may be even more impressive, however, is that they are set to release three Top 15 prospects into the 2013 NHL Draft. The only other team that could even come close to that honor is the 2013 Memorial Cup champions, the Halifax Mooseheads, who boast three first rounders as well.

Halifax features a rare combination of prospects.

Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin are set to go off the board in the first three picks, while Zach Fucale is slated to go in the later half of the round. With London’s prospects, all three should be sure-fire Top 20 picks, and if they last until 20, many people would be surprised. A team that will be heavily scouting the Knights will be none other than the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is the owner of the No. 14, No. 19 and No. 27 picks in this year’s NHL Draft, and it is very likely he will be wheeling and dealing to put himself in prime position to take a pair of impact contributors earlier in the round. If he wants players that are talented and have big-game experience, it would be hard to go wrong with the likes of the London Knights’ Max Domi, Bo Horvat and Nikita Zadorov.

Domi, the 5’9″ and 185-pound Toronto native, took the Ontario Hockey League by storm last season. He notched 87 points, 39 goals and 48 assists, showing both speed and versatility on both ends of the ice. Having scouted six London Knight games this season, it appeared that each game he looked stronger and quicker, leading this writer to believe that the world has only seen the tip of the potential in Domi’s game. London’s head coach Dale Hunter seems inclined to agree, stating that, “he has extensive offensive skills and his skating ability is — and I hate to say it — Sidney Crosby-esque. You never want to compare [a player] to someone like that, but he has a very strong lower torso, so his center of gravity is amazing.”

Horvat, the lesser talked about forward in the Knights’ 2013 class, has all the tools to be a second line center in the NHL one day. While not as pro-ready as Domi, Horvat has better physical attributes, standing at 6’0″ and 185 pounds. Last season, he scored 32 goals with 28 assists in 67 games and was plus-three with 29 penalty minutes. Horvat plays a gritty, physical type of game and is equally impressive on the defensive side of the ice. He is capable of standing in harm’s way in front of the net and grabbing the tough rebounds for easy goals, a trait reminiscent of New Jersey Devils David Clarkson this past season. A player like Horvat would be a welcome addition to any NHL team, as he would instantly add skill and toughness to the lineup.

Zadorov, the lone defenseman of the trio, is a physically imposing young prospect. The 6’5″ and 228-pound Russian is already a sizable opponent to the rest of the league, and at 18-years old, he’s still not done filling out his frame. Zadorov does not project as a number one defenseman, but he has developed into a talented stay-at-home blue line player, capable of being a top pairing in the NHL. He struggled last season in the early going, but he finished strong with a plus-33 rating on the season. He has a heavy shot that is more than sufficient to find the back of the net, but his six goals and 19 assists say he is likely more of a set-up player. Any team looking for defensive help would surely love a player that can stand up forwards in front of the net like Zadorov can.

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There is a common misconception floating around that if the Cleveland Cavaliers select Ben McLemore No. 1 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft it means the Dion Waiters era in Cleveland is over before it had a chance to start. In reality, if the Cavaliers decide to select the dynamic scorer out of Kansas over Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel, it means they are adding another weapon to an already potent back court that could use some help.

I know what many of you are thinking. Why would a duo that featured an NBA All-Star in year two in Kyrie Irving and a First Team All-Rookie selection in Waiters need any help?

For starters, the duo missed a combined 44 games last season due to injury. While Irving has been every bit the superstar caliber player the Cavaliers needed to land with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, the youngster missed 15 games in his lockout shortened rookie season and another 23 games in year two.

Irving’s aggressiveness while attacking the hole is part of the reason he is so good, but it will also lead to hard fouls and spills on the ground that his 6’3” and 191-pound frame isn’t going to be able to take from time to time. The same can be said for Waiters, who utilizes his own 6’4” and 215-pound frame to draw contact while getting to the basket. This is not to say these two players are injury prone by any means, but what it is saying is the Cavaliers need another scoring option.

This is where McLemore fits in.

The Cavaliers have 96 minutes of play time to divide between the point guard and shooting guard positions. Irving averaged 34.7 per game last year and Waiters averaged 28.8, which means the team gave 32.5 minutes to reserves that had nowhere near the scoring ability of a guy like McLemore. While the likes of C.J. Miles, Wayne Ellington, Shaun Livingston and Daniel Gibson filled in admirably, not one of those players has the ability to be a 20-point per game scorer—McLemore can.

Standing 6’5” and 190 pounds, McLemore has already drawn comparisons to NBA great three-point shooter Ray Allen thanks to his sweet stroke. Averaging 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists per game in his lone season in college, McLemore showed scouts he can not only hit the outside jumper, but he has an uncanny ability to read defenses for backdoor cuts and easy opportunities around the basket. Try to think of the last Cleveland Cavaliers player who could do that—you’ll find him currently residing in South Beach.

Having a player with McLemore’s offensive abilities to share those 96 minutes per game will not only provide the Cavaliers with more scoring—they ranked No. 18 in the league at 96.5 points per game last season—but it will also force defenders to choose between doubling Irving and leaving him open, or giving Irving more isolation plays. For those of you who have enjoyed watching Irving during his first two seasons with the Cavaliers, he is at his best when able to isolate against the opposing defender thanks to his quick first step and court vision.

Another reason drafting McLemore over Noel makes sense is the current composure of the Cavaliers’ roster. While it would be great to add a potentially elite rim protector like Noel, the team does have Anderson Varejao (if healthy), 2012 first-round pick Tyler Zeller and 2011 No. 4 overall pick Tristan Thompson down low. While not elite by any means, Zeller and Thompson averaged just shy of a block per game last season.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers’ next highest wing scorers were backups C.J. Miles at 11.7 points per game and Wayne Ellington at 10.4 points per game. The Cavaliers’ own a team option on Miles for this coming season and Ellington is a restricted free agent. So not only could the Cavaliers vastly improve their scoring on the wing, but they could save some money by letting one of those two players walk in free agency and allocate it to bringing in a free agent that could help protect the rim. With all due respect to Noel, it is much easier to find a big man to defend around the rim than a guy who can put the ball in the basket like McLemore.

McLemore is not without questions of his own, as a number of scouts feel he needs to work on his ball-handling and shot creation while in isolation situations. He also had a sub-par end to his freshman season in college, putting up just 11 points against Western Kentucky and two points against North Carolina in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. He did bounce back to score 20 in Kansas’ loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16, but by then the judgments had already been made.

Many people feel this conversation would not even be relevant if Noel hadn’t torn his ACL, but in this writer’s eyes the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft has to have star potential, the ability to score at an elite level and be someone that can impact your team for a very long time. While Noel will certainly be a very good to great defender, his ceiling as an offensive product leaves much to be desired.

This is where McLemore wins the No. 1 overall pick, because he does have that next level ceiling for the Cavaliers’ franchise. He has the ability to come in and make a major impact from Day 1 thanks to his great shooting ability, and will also keep Irving and Waiters from having to play 40 minutes per game. McLemore also gives the team a clear-cut third (likely second) scoring option they have desperately needed.

It will be a tough sell at first, drafting the first shooting guard in 40 years at No. 1 just one year after taking Waiters at No. 4. But this isn’t a replacement selection, this is adding a dynamic playmaker to an offense currently lacking one with his abilities. It is about taking the best player available, but also the one that can change the offensive dynamic for the franchise in year one. And that player is Ben McLemore.

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Johnny Cueto will come off of the Disabled List and start today’s game for the Cincinnati Reds, and this puts the Reds in a very interesting situation.

When Cueto went to the DL on June 5th, the Reds brought up Pedro Villareal from Louisville to fill the spot of Cueto. The only reason Villareal was brought up was due to the 5th being his normal day to start. On the 7th, Villareal was sent back to Louisville and Henry Rodriguez was brought up so the Reds could have an extra bat to come off of the bench. Then on the 11th, Tony Cingrani was brought back up from Louisville to make a start against the Chicago Cubs.

Cingrani is still with the Reds and Cueto, as mentioned earlier, is set to start today’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Cingrani is definitely the top pitching prospect in the Reds organization and many believe that he will be in the starting rotation in 2014.

The situation becomes even more interesting with the news from yesterday that Jonathan Broxton was placed on 15-day DL. This presents an opening in the bullpen for a left hander, and Villareal was called up to take the place of Broxton. However, there are many that believe the Reds should send Villareal right back down to Louisville and have Cingrani in the bullpen until Broxton is ready to come off of the DL.

The reasons stated by many as to why Cingrani was sent back to Louisville after his first time with the Reds still has not been addressed. These reasons were that Cingrani didn’t have a secondary pitch that he could consistently throw for a strike, his pitch efficiency was not where it should be and that he would have a better opportunity to work on these things down in Louisville.

This writer believes that moving Cingrani to the bullpen will delay his potential as a starter. In Louisville, Cingrani will be able to pitch every fifth day, have more of an opportunity to work on a secondary pitch in game situations and work on his pitch efficiency. These are things that cannot be worked on at the Major League level.

It is understandable the Reds have to think about and do what is best for the team in the short term, but they cannot forget about the long term.

Let’s think about this innings wise, in the bullpen in Cincinnati for two weeks he might get in for maybe an inning every other game, or maybe he would just come in for one batter in a game. In Louisville, he would start every fifth game and in Louisville this year he has averaged 5.2 innings per game. So if he would start three games in that two week span, he would get in 17 innings of work but it would be safe to say that the organization would like see him pitch deeper into games while with Louisville. It is pretty obvious he would get more work while in Louisville, and that is what he needs at this point in his development as a pitcher.

Sure it would be great to have Cingrani in the bullpen because he is a terrific arm, but the possibility of stunting maybe two weeks worth of growth that Cingrani could get in Louisville does not make much sense.

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Since the smash mouth style of Cleveland Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers left in a cloud of dust under the past regime, the Browns have looked to replace him with a cheaper and more versatile alternative. Vickers was known for getting in the faces of even the most intimidating defenders, including Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, and igniting passion and physicality for the Cleveland offense. He was the type that could set the tone with his attitude and performance on the field, and many fans were disappointed to see him go.

Instead, former general manager Tom Heckert decided to take a chance in the 2011 NFL Draft. Selecting in the fourth round, the team chose fullback Owen Marecic of the Stanford Cardinal. Marecic was lauded for his intelligence and versatility, blocking for Heisman candidate Toby Gerhart while in college. He also performed dual-duties on both sides of the ball, often lining up at linebacker while not on offense with positive results. The Browns decided that he could carry the load and clear lanes for their running game, but so far, that has not been the case. Marecic had fallen out of favor with the previous coaching staff, sitting the bench while tight end Alex Smith filled the void.

In the 2012 draft, the team took a flyer on a seventh round H-Back out of Alabama, Brad Smelley. In his brief time with the team, Smelley has not seen the field much. When he has, it has been more often in a tight end role than in a fullback role, but it is worth noting that he was a primary blocker for Trent Richardson while with the Crimson Tide. That experience can only help him as he looks to grab hold of a starting job in 2013, but will Cleveland be content taking a gamble on the likes of Smelley and Marecic?

The run games remains very important in new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s offense. With Smith gone, and question marks on the rest of the depth chart, it should come as no surprise that sources have indicated that Cleveland is interested in former Ravens smash mouth fullback, Vonta Leach.

The team is not alone, however, as the agent for Leach has revealed that the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs are also in contact for his services. With three Pro Bowls under his belt and coming off a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens, it would make sense that he would be looking to win another ring, but at 31-years old he is unlikely to receive a big money deal from a Super Bowl contender.

Instead, he could be looking at cashing in at the highest paying location, and Cleveland would be at the very top of that list. With salary cap space to burn, the Browns could restore physical dominance on the ground with Leach blocking for Richardson, a power back in his own right. Leach brings an attitude and swagger that would quickly become a favorite among fans hungry for the days of the physicality the Browns running game used to be known for.

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The Cincinnati Reds have now won 40 games in the 2013 season and currently sit in second place in the National League Central. So it is safe to assume that you may be curious as to why there is an article being written about who needs to step up for the Reds. Even with the hot start the Reds have had, they do have some room for improvement.

When digging into the stats of this Reds team, you will see that so far they have been very good, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Brandon Phillips has 52 Runs Batted In through 66 games, which ranks him second in that category. Joey Votto has a .328 batting average and a .446 On Base Percentage. Shin-Soo Choo has 18 hit by pitches and a .430 OBP. Votto’s .446 OBP and Choo’s .430 OBP have them ranked first and second in that category, respectively. Votto also has 80 hits on the season, ranking him tied for third. Jay Bruce has 20 doubles and that puts him second in that category. As a team, the Reds have scored 307 runs, which is third in the NL, a team batting average of .254, which is seventh, and a team OBP of .335, which is tied for second in the NL. It is safe to say that the offense has definitely not been a problem so far in 2013.

After looking at the offense, the next logical step is to look at the pitching.

Let’s start with the starting pitching. The starting pitchers for the Reds have an Earn Run Average of 3.13, which ranks them second in that category in all of the MLB. They have pitched 416.1 innings so far, which ranks first in all of baseball and is very good thing for the bullpen. They have recorded 346 strikeouts which is fifth most in baseball and second in the NL. They also have a WHIP (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched) of 1.14 which ranks third in baseball and second in the National League. The crazy thing about these team pitching stats is that the St. Louis Cardinals rank first in almost all of those stat categories. Probably one of the more crazy stats coming from the Reds pitching staff is that Mike Leake has an ERA of 2.76 and that ranks him 19th in MLB. If you don’t follow the Reds, Leake is the No. 5 starter in their rotation. Homer Bailey has 83 strikeouts and that ranks him 15th in MLB.

Now let’s take a look at the bullpen. The Reds bullpen currently has an ERA of 4.07 and that ranks them 10th in the NL and they have lost 13 games which is third most in the NL this season. The bullpen also has 12 wins which is tied for fourth most in the NL. Aroldis Chapman has a 2.17 ERA and has 17 saves so far this season, to go along with 50 strikeouts in 29.0 innings. Another bright spot for this bullpen has been Sam LeCure. LeCure has an ERA of 2.49 and batters have an average of .189 against him.

Even though Chapman and LeCure have had solid seasons so far, it looks like, after looking at the stats, that the bullpen has been the biggest issue for this Reds team. Having 13 losses by a team’s bullpen is way too many for a team that wants to compete for a World Series.

One of the bigger issues has been the injury issues with Sean Marshall. Marshall has only appeared in 11 games and a grand total of seven innings. Now you can’t blame an entire bullpen’s struggle on just one arm, and there have been other guys that have not performed up to what they did in the 2012 season. Logan Ondrusek has had some real issues this season and was recently sent down to AAA Louisville. Jonathan Broxton was set to be the closer for this team coming into Spring Training, but the Reds decided to continue to use Chapman in that role. Broxton has had some struggles this season and currently has an ERA of 4.10. Another guy the Reds were thinking would have a bit of breakout season was J.J. Hoover. Hoover has really struggled this season with an ERA of 5.40 and a record of 0-5. Yes the record of a reliever is very dependent upon the situation that the reliever comes into. However, to have a record of 0-5 and an ERA of 5.40 is bad.

The bullpen is the area that this Reds team can improve upon and make this a better all-around team. How do you improve a bullpen? Some would suggest a trade will need to be made to improve it, but looking at the pieces that the Reds have left after the Choo deal and the Mat Latos deal there are not many pieces left that they are willing to part with. Others would suggest that the team should just stick with the bullpen the way that it currently is and see if they can return to their 2012 forms and become one of the best bullpens in baseball. This writer believes that the latter is the way to go for now but if it continues the way it has been then a move might be necessary.

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Ever since the 2007 season and the hard-nosed performance of Jamal Lewis, the Browns have attempted to find that dominant running back that can carry them through the rain, sleet and snow of winter-time next to Lake Erie. The team thought they had found that man in the White Rhino, Peyton Hillis. Unfortunately, injuries, contract disputes and bad luck quickly derailed any hopes of that coming to fruition.

Shortly after, they selected Tennessee Volunteer back Montario Hardesty in the second round of the NFL Draft. Hardesty was supposed to be the lightning to Hillis’ thunder, but instead, he has spent the majority of his career dealing with injuries with sub-par results on the field. Through Hardesty’s career, he has had 153 attempts for 537 yards and just one touchdown on the ground. Those numbers average out to just over 3.5 yards per carry, underwhelming numbers for any starting running back in the league.

Not satisfied, the Browns took a chance by trading up to No. 3 in the 2012 NFL Draft for Alabama powerhouse, Trent Richardson. Since he has come into the league, he has shown flashes of greatness, power and versatility. Much like Hardesty, however, he has also had his share of injuries. From coming off knee surgery at the start of the 2012 year, to broken ribs mid-way through the season, he now has been sat out of camp with a shin injury.

While it is far too premature to call Richardson injury-prone, one can’t help but get a bit nervous when they look at the depth chart below him. Obviously, the Browns’ front office shares that sentiment. They signed up Brandon Jackson, traded for Dion Lewis from the Philadelphia Eagles and picked up an undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook, Miguel Maysonet. While all three men have their share of potential, Jackson has been sidelined with injuries the past couple seasons, and Lewis and Maysonet are largely unproven. For that reason, the Browns should look towards filling out the roster with a talented stop-gap veteran.

That veteran should be recently cut Denver Bronco, Willis McGahee. He joins the list of veteran backs looking for work, and due to the length of the list, he likely will not command a large salary. Along with McGahee are available veterans Brandon Jacobs, Cedric Benson, Beanie Wells, Michael Turner and even former Cleveland Brown, Hillis. The player with the least question marks in the available talent pool, though, has got to be McGahee.

The past two seasons in Denver, McGahee has racked up 1,930 yards on 416 attempts for a 4.6 yard average. On the ground he has found the endzone on eight occasions over those 25 games. For all his value running the ball, he also has displayed consistent catching ability as well, hauling in 38 receptions for 272 yards and a touchdown.

While he is on the wrong side of 30, the Browns could use a veteran mentor for their young running backs that they have not had in recent years. If the injury concerns of the current stable of backs comes to the surface again, they would be lucky to have a hard-nosed back like McGahee ready and waiting to pound the rock in the cold winter months. Keep an eye on McGahee in the coming weeks, something tells this writer that the Browns are not done making moves just yet.

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