Cincinnati Reds: Three steps to becoming a World Series contender

With the World Series beginning tonight, Cincinnati Reds fans are left to wonder what it will take to bring a title to the Queen City.

The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals kick off Game 1 of the World Series tonight from Minute Maid Park. Unfortunately for Reds Country, fans in the Queen City haven’t seen a World Series Championship since 1990. What will it take for the Cincinnati Reds to become World Series contenders heading into 2020?

Despite finishing the 2019 season with a record below .500, the Reds put a good product on the field and showed a lot of promise. The pitching staff was greatly improved, especially the starting rotation. Luis Castillo established himself as a legitimate ace and the acquisition of Sonny Gray proved to be well worth what the team gave up in return.

Eugenio Suárez was the most impressive offensive player on the team. Suárez was neck and neck down the stretch with New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso for the league lead in home runs. Suárez set a career-high in hits (156) homers (49), slugging percentage (.572) and OPS (.930). Suárez has replaced Joey Votto as the Cincinnati Reds best player.

In addition, the Reds got some solid contributions from three rookies – Nick Senzel, Aristides Aquino and Josh VanMeter. Though Senzel finished the season on the injured list, he flashed the potential that made him a first-round pick in 2016. Aquino powered his way into the record books and VanMeter was a pleasant surprise. All three look to be part of the Reds core heading into 2020.

So, while a lot went well in 2019, there was a lot that didn’t go the way of the Reds as well. That’s why, for the sixth consecutive season, the Reds are sitting at home during October. It feels like Cincinnati is close, but the front office will need to make some additions and some of the players must improve their performance. What will it take to make the Reds World Series contenders next season?

Step 1: Sign a big name free agent early

Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams has made no bones about it; he expects the Reds to be competitive in 2020. For that to happen, team owner Bob Castellini will have to open his wallet and spend some money in free agency.

There is not a bevy of big names on the free agent market this season, but there’s enough impact players at positions of need for the Reds to go after once the World Series wraps up. I’m sure the front office and coaching staff have already identified some names, but the Reds should not dawdle and allow players and agents to set the market.

You know the names, right? Milwaukee Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal, New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna and Chicago Cubs right fielder Nicolas Castellanos are some of the biggest names available this winter. If Gregorius and/ or Ozuna are extended qualifying offers, that makes them less desirable to sign.

Grandal would top my list if I were in the room with Williams and general manager Nick Krall. Grandal is among the very best offensive catchers in the game. The 30-year-old slashed .246/.380/.468 with 28 home runs and 77 RBIs. He’s also among the very best when it comes to pitch framing.

Whether it’s Grandal, Castellanos, or even Anthony Rendon, the Cincinnati Reds should be aggressive early on during free agency and bring a big fish to the Queen City. Starling Marte is another name to follow if the Pittsburgh Pirates fail to pick up his option.

Step 3: Trade for some relief pitchers

While some fans felt as though David Bell overused his bullpen last season, that’s not exactly accurate. Cincinnati relievers only pitched 554.2 innings, which is 11th out of the 15 National League ball clubs. That said, the Reds could use a few more arms in the bullpen, specifically, left-handers.

Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson, Raisel Iglesias and Amir Garrett are all likely to return next season. Those four are quality relievers. However, with the departures of David Hernandez and Jared Hughes coupled with the horrendous performance from Zach Duke, the Reds need to reload the bullpen.

While players like R.J. Alaniz, Joel Kuhnel and Matt Bowman had moments of success last season, the front office needs to add to the bullpen. A few names to consider are left-handed reliever Jarlin García of the Miami Marlins, right-hander Scott Oberg of the Colorado Rockies and southpaw Justin Wilson of the New York Mets.

Those players would obviously come with a price tag, but the Reds have a logjam of outfielders currently on the roster and Dick Williams has talked about adding more. Is there enough room for Jesse Winker, Phillip Ervin, Aristides Aquino, Josh VanMeter, Bryan O’Grady and another couple outfielders?

I think the Reds will seriously begin fielding offers for players like Winker and perhaps Tucker Barnhart this offseason. Barnhart was on the trading block last offseason and Winker has underproduced the last two seasons and finished both 2018 and 2019 on the injured list.

The bullpen has been a strength of the Cincinnati Reds the past two seasons, but Iglesias had some struggles last year despite a career-high in saves. Garrett was shaky down the stretch and proved the Reds need another quality lefty in the pen. Lorenzen and Stephenson were the most consistent relievers Cincinnati had in 2019, but they’ll need reinforcements in 2020 if they hope to contend for the postseason.