Don't know if you all saw this...

[redsfan28]

Baseball America has rated the Reds minor league system the worst in Major League Baseball. You have to subscribe to their online reports or the magazine itself in order to read the article, but ESPN had the headline.

That isn't surprising, but it sucks nonetheless.

[SF Kid]

Who else is on that list?

Bet the Mariners are there too.

[griffeyfan3]

This isn't surprising at all. The local newspapers have Chris Denorfia and William Bergolla as the top Reds prospects, which they arent bad players but arent gonna be "studs" in the major leagues.

[redsfan28]

How is Homer Bailey not the top spec on this team?

[griffeyfan3]

I have abosolutly NO clue. I wondered the same thing.

[CincyRedsFan30]

But don't you remember? O'Brien made our farm system great! Just ask him, per his "goodbye" press release when he was fired:


"I truly enjoyed being a part of the Reds organization and living in this community – it was great.

When I originally accepted the job, I was very honest in portraying the current condition of the organization and what our plan was to rebuild the Reds into a championship-caliber organization.

The only means to accomplish this goal was by building a solid organizational foundation with a productive minor league system. I promised that we would not take shortcuts, and I never wavered from that commitment.

While I do understand the frustrations involved, immediate results at the major league level were not a realistic goal. I was very forthright in explaining the timeline necessary to accomplish our goals. Unfortunately, I was not given the requisite time necessary to carry this plan to the ultimate conclusion, which is a championship.

I understand that it’s new ownership’s prerogative to make changes and hire their own people. It is a difficult part of the business, but I respect Bob Castellini’s decision.

I want to assure everyone that the minor league and scouting foundation that’s currently in place is there for future success. I’m very confident in the quality and the depth of the talent base at the lower levels of our minor league system, due primarily to the last two years’ free-agent drafts and the restructuring of our Latin American operations.

I commend everybody on the scouting staff for a job well done, and our minor league managers, coaches and instructors have every reason to be proud of what they’ve accomplished at this point in time. I want to personally thank each and every member of the front office staff for their hard work and dedication. I have great confidence in these individuals to continue to move the organization forward during this transition period.

In addition, I’d like to commend Jerry Narron and his major league coaching staff. Jerry is the right man for this job, and I’m very certain that the team will play to its potential under his leadership.

I’m convinced that this organization is headed in the right direction and I’m genuinely proud of the effort that was put forth over the last couple of years. What’s been accomplished to date will play an important role in the future success of this franchise. The quality of the work that has been done will stand the test of time and validate the decisions that have been made.

In closing, I’d like to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Lindner for presenting this opportunity. I’m genuinely grateful and appreciative, and I think all of you know that I truly care about the Reds organization and I respect the people who work here behind the scenes."

[DirtyKash]

Who has the top ranked system? Arizona I'm guessing?

[homerun21]

The Reds system in the lower levels has some talent, but all of their good prospects are 2-3 years away from contributing. AA and AAA suck though.

[ATLien]

redsfan28, can you say where Atlanta was ranked? Thanks.