Cincinnati Reds: Projecting the Regular Season Pitching Rotation

The Cincinnati Reds spent the offseason adding some serious firepower to their pitching staff, but what will their rotation look like when regular-season play finally begins?

Dusty Baker and company could choose to set things up in several different ways, but I expect the five-man rotation to look something like this come Opening Day.

1) Johnny Cueto

Johnny Cueto is finally becoming the ace that the Cincinnati Reds have so desperately needed for the past several years.

While he only managed to win nine starts last season, his 2.31 ERA and 1.09 WHIP were among the league's best.

Look for Cueto to get the nod on April 5 and continue to be Cincinnati's No. 1 starter through the duration of the regular season.

2) Mat Latos

Cincinnati gave up the farm to bring in former San Diego ace Mat Latos, but the Reds' risky transaction may very well prove to be one of the smartest moves of the entire offseason.

Latos has absolutely nasty stuff, and could potentially surpass Cueto down the road, but he'll have to adjust to pitching in a much smaller ballpark if he hopes to find continued success in Cincinnati.

He should be the No. 2 guy, providing the Reds with an impressive 1-2 punch.

3) Bronson Arroyo

Bronson Arroyo is by no means Cincinnati's third-best starter, but his experience and unique mound delivery make him a nice fit in the No. 3 slot behind Latos.

Dusty Baker loves his veterans, and he will likely stick Bronson in the middle of the rotation to express his confidence in the 12-year vet.

Arroyo still has the talent to be a solid contributor, but he will have to be much more consistent this season in order to maintain his starting role.

4) Mike Leake

Much like Cueto, Mike Leake showed flashes of brilliance last season and will play a larger role this season because of that.

While he is probably deserving of a higher spot in the rotation, Leake pitching in the No. 4 spot could help the Reds earn some bounce-back wins should Arroyo continue to struggle.

This could very well be the year that Leake embraces his potential and bursts onto the scene as one of the best young righties in the NL.

5) Homer Bailey

Year after year, Reds fans are bombarded by Homer Bailey hype. And year after year, the young right-hander never seems to live up to the buzz.

Bailey did show signs of improvement last season, however, and could very well find himself in a starting role in 2012-13.

While the Reds have talked about using Aroldis Chapman in the rotation this season, I have to believe that Chapman's value as a late-inning reliever will force Cincinnati to keep him in the bullpen.

Having a rotation packed completely with right-handers isn't ideal, but given the Reds' personnel it seems logical.