Cincinnati Reds need to be mindful when spending money

The Cincinnati Reds rebuilding ways

The Cincinnati Reds have been brutal. So, the team has tanked this past three seasons to gain young talent and reboot the franchise. They have done good in that department. But, they aren’t out of the woods yet. This club was 29th in the MLB on the mound. That needs to change if they want to get back to contention.

Furthermore, the club still has a few years until most of the top prospects are up, such as Hunter Greene, Taylor Trammell, and Aristedes Aquino. In 2018, fans will be able to catch top prospect Nick Senzel in action. He will most likely be the notable call-up of the season for Cincinnati.

With that said, the turnover and lack of news are ongoing. Also, the Reds won’t be netting one of the top free agents. Probably not next year either. One big reason is that there is no need for an expensive veteran on a young team. They have plenty of those i.e. Joey Votto, Homer Bailey, and Devin Mesoraco.

More money, more problems

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The Cincinnati Reds are a middle market team that isn’t on the map at the moment. So, the team’s payroll is fairly low. The projected amount for 2018 is $70,901,785. That is pretty low, considering the $197-million dollar limit before penalties. The Reds payroll will probably never get that high. Being a mid-market team, player development is extremely important. Cincinnati has improved in that department.

This franchise will be dishing out money down the line with all the young talent. Although, there is a possibility of them making a splash next year to add an impact piece. But don’t count on it.

This team will be heavily relying on their in-house talent. With that said, the Reds need to be more careful about how they spend their money.

The contracts of Homer Bailey and Devin Mesoraco take up 48.13% of the payroll. That’s a ton considering they haven’t done much for the team. They both have been on the bench more than on the field. The Joey Votto contract alone takes up a massive 35.26%. Albeit that, he has been outplaying his contract so far. Those three contracts together equate to 83.39%.  That’s a large part of why Mesoraco may be on his way out.

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If this were the Yankees or Cubs payroll, this is nothing. But for a team climbing back to contention, the Reds need to hold on to their dollars for the future. It would be pretty bad if they couldn’t keep their homegrown stars, and let all the hard work be for nothing.