Cincinnati Reds: Will Lucas Sims make the team out of Spring Training?

The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of talented arms on this year’s roster. Does last year’s trade acquisition, Lucas Sims, have a real chance to make the team?

Lucas Sims came to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2018 July trade deadline along with Matt Wisler in the deal that sent outfielder Adam Duvall to the Atlanta Braves. Does Sims have chance to crack the Reds roster in 2019 or is he destined to spend the year in Triple-A Louisville?

Expectations of Lucas Sims were not especially high, as we knew what his career-ERA (6.73) was when the deal was made. When Sims came over from the Braves he was sporting a 7.84 ERA on the season, after only appearing in 6 games and throwing  just over 10 innings.

Lucas Sims ended up taking the mound only three times for Cincinnati and threw only about 5 innings of work. He showed some potential with the Reds, though his numbers didn’t improve much. He ended the 2018 season with a combined ERA of 7.47 with 16 strikeouts; also giving up 15 hits, 13 runs, and 3 home runs.

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This year’s Spring Training will be significant for many pitchers on the Reds staff. After the offseason moves (acquiring pitchers Alex Wood, Sonny Gray, and Tanner Roark) and everyone’s priority being improvement of the starting rotation, there is a lot on the line for them.

Sims, like several of the Reds pitchers, is on the young side. He’s only 24-years-old and he only made his major league debut in 2017. There is still a lot of time for him to improve and make some noise in the Reds organization.

I think there is a lot to expect and look forward to from Sims once he has a chance to work with the new coaching staff and develop his technique, which he is going to have to do if he wants to have a shot at the starting rotation. I don’t know how many chances he’ll get to start in next season, the rotation looks pretty set now that the deal for Sonny Gray is done.

As it stands, the players who have the best shot at grabbing the No. 5 starter role this year are Sal Romano, Anthony DeSclafani, Tyler Mahle and Cody Reed.  DeSclafani appears to be the leader in the clubhouse for that spot currently, but a lot can change in Spring Training.

Sims will have to work hard during Spring Training to prove himself if he wants a shot this season. The Reds may have locked down Gray for a few years, but Wood and Roark still only have one year left on their respective contracts and will likely move on as free agents after this season.

Hopefully some of the in-house options, including Sims, Romano, and Tony Santillan, will be ready for a starting spot next season so the team isn’t back in this same position next offseason trying to get starting pitching.

There is a lot for Cincinnati Reds fans to look forward to as we head into the 2019 season. Expectations are high for the team as a whole with all of the moves they’ve been making. Hopefully, Lucas Sims can make necessary improvements to his technique. It’d be nice to see some of these young players, already have on their roster, make a move into the rotation this season and next.