Cincinnati Reds: 3 questions we hope to answer at the Winter Meetings

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PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 22: A.J. Pollock #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Los Angeles Angels during the MLB game at Chase Field on August 22, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Angels 5-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

The Winter Meetings are a time when baseball business gets done. Let’s look at 3 questions we hope to have answered by the time the Cincinnati Reds leave Las Vegas.

Winter is coming. Forgive the Game of Thrones reference, but seriously, the Winter Meetings begin on December 9th in Las Vegas and fans of the Cincinnati Reds are eager to see what moves, if any, the team makes. Cincinnati has been eerily silent in an offseason that fans are hoping to see dramatic change.

Baseball’s offseason began after the Boston Red Sox dispatched the Los Angeles Dodgers and won the World Series. Since the end of the season, we’ve seen the Reds hire a new manager, re-work the contract of one of their top relief pitchers, and say goodbye to a fan favorite.

The hiring of David Bell and his new coaching staff appears, on the surface, to be a fine hire by the Reds front office. Signing Raisel Iglesias to a three-year extension takes the guesswork out of a possible arbitration hearing. And, while many fans were sad to see Billy Hamilton go, it was a move that made good financial sense given Hamilton’s lack of production at the plate.

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However, the one thing we’ve yet to see is a major free agent signing or blockbuster trade. Reds Country is clutching their cell phones as they follow Twitter just hoping to see the news of a big time move from their beloved Reds. As of yet all they’ve heard is crickets.

There’s been plenty of rumors, as there are every season. The Reds are said to be “in on” this player or in “hot pursuit” of that player. Pundits, experts, and even the writers here at Blog Red Machine speculate about what moves the Cincinnati Reds could make in order to improve their team.

Will the Cincinnati Reds gamble away their future this week in Vegas or will they strike it rich? Who knows. So, while we all wait with bated breath, let’s take a look at three questions we hope to have answered by the end of the Winter Meetings next Thursday.

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 21: Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 21, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

1. Will the Reds sign a top-level starting pitcher?

This has been the question for the Cincinnati Reds since the season ended. If we’re bing honest, this has been the question for the franchise for the past several years. The Reds must improve their starting rotation this offseason and there’s no better time to do that than this year’s Winter Meetings.

So, what do we know about the Reds pitching situation? For starters, we know that the team has one, maybe two viable starting pitchers on the roster currently. Both Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani can be penciled in as part of the Reds’ starting rotation.

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Secondly, we know that there’s a handful of young pitchers on the team that have yet to prove themselves. For some of those players, there time may be up. Robert Stephenson, Brandon Finnegan, and Cody Reed have been given ample time to produce and none of them have grabbed hold of that brass ring.

Tyler Mahle, perhaps the Reds best young pitcher, had a roller coaster first year in the big leagues. It’s very possible that Mahle will get every chance to lock down a starting spot in the rotation heading into 2019. How about Sal Romano? Personally, I see him as more of a relief pitcher next season.

So, will the Reds get the pitching and who will it be? To answer the first part of the question, yes, I believe the Cincinnati Reds will leave Las Vegas with at least one, if not two additional starting pitchers. As for the second part of the question, I have no clue who it could be.

With Patrick Corbin already off to D.C. and Nathan Eovaldi back in Beantown, the No. 1 free agent target is obviously Dallas Keuchel. The left-hander would be a fantastic addition to the Reds, but it’ll cost Cincinnati big bucks. Think close to a $20-million per season average over at least 4 years. Is he worth it? I believe he is.

If not Keuchel, then who? The Reds could always go bargain hunting for a player like Anibal Sanchez, Gio Gonzalez, or Wade Miley. But those types of players will be available after the Winter Meetings. They’re not in high demand, so Cincinnati should stand pat this week if the best they can get is a player like that (taking nothing away from any of those players, of course).

Another name that’s made the rounds is J.A. Happ. He’s a lefty and a ground ball pitcher, so naturally he’d fit in well at GABP. The problem with Happ is two-fold. While he had a phenomenal run with the Yankees last season, he is a bit long in the tooth. Also, the Yankees really like him and it’s likely he’ll return to New York on a two or three year deal.

So there you have it. Will the Reds walk away from the Winter Meetings with a new starting pitcher added to the roster? Yes, but it may not be via free agency, which leads us to our next question?

ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 23: Marcus Stroman #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on June 23, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

2. Will the Reds make a trade?

The Reds have made two moves of note this offseason. Cincinnati renegotiated a contract with Iglesias and they decided to non-tender Billy Hamilton. Neither of those move really moved the needle with the fan base, although the move to not retain Hamilton was a bit surprising.

If the Reds are able to work out a trade, especially for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, fans will start to get excited about next season’s potential. Let’s face it, Cincinnati has one of the Top 10 Minor League farm systems in baseball, it’s time for them to dip into it a little bit.

Players like Nick Senzel, Taylor Trammell, and Hunter Greene, to me, should be untouchable. That may not sit well with some fans, but that’s just my opinion. The team has already invested way too much in Senzel to not see what he’s got, Trammell may be their best outfield prospect since Jay Bruce, and Greene is only 19 years old.

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That being said, everyone is fair game as far as I’m concerned. Jonathan India, last year’s top pick, appears to be an uber-talented young prospect. Unfortunately for him, he plays a third base, a position where the Reds currently have plethora of talent. The same can be said for Shed Long who’s primary position is second base.

Tyler Stephenson could be a special player at the next level, but Tucker Barnhart is signed for the next three years to a very team-friendly deal. It’s hard to see the Reds moving on from him anytime soon. Jose Peraza appears to be coming into his own, making players like Alex Blandino and Jeter Downs expendable.

My point is, the Cincinnati Reds have a ton of talented position players, but that will do the team no good if they don’t improve the starting rotation. Outside of Tony Santillan and Greene, their best prospects area position players who are blocked at the Major League level. So it’s time to sell.

If the Reds want to target Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays, maybe they’ll have to give Stephenson and Vladimir Gutierrez. If Cincinnati wants to go after the Indians’ Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber, it might cost them a little more. Again, if I were the Reds’ brass, Senzel, Trammell, and Greene would be off limits. If that reduces the number of players that I’m able to pursue, so be it.

Will the Cincinnati Reds make a trade? With a farm system as deep as the Reds have, they have more assets than most other clubs. That said, it takes two teams to make a trade, and while a player like Shed Long may be a fantastic prospect, maybe he doesn’t fit well with the particular team that the Reds target as a trade partner.

If the Reds are unable to land Keuchel or Happ in free agency, I believe you’ll see Cincinnati in trade rumors nearly every hour of the Winter Meetings next week. Cincinnati has essentially promised their fans that they’re going to get the pitching. If the Reds emerge from Vegas empty-handed, the fans will become incredibly restless.

PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 21: A.J. Pollock #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks smiles during batting practice prior to the MLB game against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field on April 21, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

3. Will the Reds replace Billy Hamilton?

While, to me, this is the least of the Reds problems this offseason, it appears the front office feels differently. After non-tendering Billy Hamilton last week, the Cincinnati Reds now have a hole in center field and seems the Reds are exploring adding a skilled veteran this offseason.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to the Reds finding a veteran to plug into the outfield for a year, but recently it’s been reported that Cincinnati is pursuing A.J. Pollock. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of that move. In the end, I believe the Reds will be outbid for Pollock’s services and that’s fine by me.

Pollock is very good defensively and has a better bat than Billy Hamilton, but the guy can’t stay on the field. The best ability is availability, and has only played in 237 of a possible 486 games over the past 3 seasons due to injury. I can’t see the Reds dropping a bunch of money on a player who’s played in fewer than 50% of the games over the last 3 years.

Rather than chase after Pollock, maybe the Reds should go after a player like Denard Span, Adam Jones, or Jon Jay. Any of those players would likely sign a one-year deal and be a stopgap for the Reds No. 2 prospect Taylor Trammell.

There’s also the idea of moving No. 1 prospect Nick Senzel to the outfield. If the Reds choose to go this route, which I’m not opposed to at all, they might be best to put Scott Schebler in center field and Senzel in left.

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Like I said, finding a center fielder, unless it’s Pollock, is not a giant priority for the Cincinnati Reds. We may not have a new center fielder at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings on Thursday. Whatever happens, however, hopefully Reds Country gets some answers this coming week. Here’s hoping the Reds get the pitching.

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