Predicting the Wild Card Roster

Here is my shot at the Reds 25 man roster for the Wild Card Game on Tuesday night.  After that we'll take a look at what I think the starting lineup should be.  Let's get right to it...

STARTERS (2)
Johnny Cueto
Homer Bailey

I'm pretty pumped that Cueto is starting.  He has a lot of confidence against the Pirates.  I also read somewhere that he felt really bad about getting hurt and felt like he let his teammates down.  Now he gets a chance to make up for it.  He'll be on the top of his game for sure.  You need a second starter in case something freaky happens like last year with Cueto.  Bailey would be on four days rest so I think he would be that guy.  And he does have a no hitter at PNC park, so he's not a bad second option.

RELIEVERS (8)
Aroldis Chapman
Sean Marshall
JJ Hoover
Sam LeCure
Zach Duke
Manny Parra
Alfredo Simon
Logan Ondrusek

I say they go with eight relievers.  The above names would give them four lefties and four righties.  I was hoping Cingrani would be in there but they sent him out to Arizona to get some work in.  I really don't see any other options here.  Maybe they add one and put Leake in there to be an extra longman and hitter in case the game went 13 innings or something, but I doubt it.

CATCHERS (2)
Ryan Hanigan
Devin Mesoraco

I thought about adding Corky Miller here also, that way they could start Hanigan and use Mesoraco as a pinch hitter if needed.  I don't think that is going to happen however, but it might.

INFIELDERS (6)
Joey Votto
Brandon Phillips
Zack Cozart
Cesar Izturis
Todd Frazier
Jack Hannahan

Nothing to see here, been the same guys all season.  And no September callups have done anything to even warrant a thought by Jocketty or Baker.

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Ryan Ludwick
Billy Hamilton
Shin Soo Choo
Jay Bruce
Xavier Paul
Chris Heisey
Derrick Robinson

Same with the outfielders, really nothing to see here either.  Hamilton and Robinson really give the Reds some speed off the bench and Paul and Heisey provide bench pop.  Not that they'll ever get a big hit, but they at least provide the chance to get a big hit.

STARTING LINUEP

Shin Soo Choo  CF
Brandon Phillips  2B
Joey Votto  1B
Jay Bruce  RF
Ryan Ludwick  LF
Todd Frazier  3B
Zack Cozart  SS
Ryan Hanigan  C
Johnny Cueto  P

You may not like Ludwick right now, but he has had recent success against Liriano and you aren't going to start Hamilton, Heisey, or Robinson in this game.  I think Bruce should always be batting fouth.  With Ludwick's success against Liriano, maybe that gets Bruce one extra good pitch to score some runs. 

So what do you think the roster will look like?  Any suggestions on the lineup?  At least I hope we can all agree that we just want to see one good game.  One good start.  One big hit.  One big K in a big spot.  Just something to get them to Thursday.  This team is too good to go out like this.  C'mon Reds, make us happy.  Thanks.

Curt