Cincinnati Reds 2019 MLB Winter Meetings preview

The 2019 MLB Winter Meetings are upon us. The Cincinnati Reds may be one of the more active teams next week. What can fans expect?

The Cincinnati Reds did not wait until this year’s Winter Meetings to make a key acquisition. Mike Moustakas was signed to a four-year/$64M contract earlier this month. However, most of the groundwork for such deals is laid during the upcoming week in San Diego. What can Reds Country expect from the front office as the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings commence today?

Baseball fans have already seen several high-dollar free agents signed to lucrative deals. Yasmani Grandal and Zack Wheeler, two free agents the Reds were said to be after, signed multi-year contracts. Grandal joined the Chicago White Sox on a four-year deal and Wheeler signed up for five years in Philadelphia. In both instances, however, the Reds were rumored to be heavily involved.

Recently, Cincinnati was said to be in the bidding for free agent lefty Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner, who has draft pick compensation attached to his signing due to the qualifying offer extended by the San Francisco Giants, is a four-time All-Star and three-time World Champion who took home the World Series MVP in 2014.

In addition to free agent signings, there is the possibility for trades to be executed, or, at the very least, discussed. Last year’s deal between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers gained a lot of traction during the 2018 MLB Winter Meetings.

There’s also the Rule 5 Draft. While it may be surprising to see the Reds make some acquisitions through this process, there is the possibility that a few players who went unprotected last month may find their way onto another team by the end of next week. So, without any further ado, let’s preview the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings.

Free agent targets

The list could get exhaustive, as the Cincinnati Reds have a lot of interest in several free agents. However, the rumor mill has churned out several possible free agent targets. The only positions on the roster that seem to be assured heading into 2020 appear to be first base (Joey Votto), second base (Mike Moustakas), and third base (Eugenio Suárez).

Now, it’s also likely that center field is set for 2020 provided Nick Senzel returns from injury. The Reds may also be set in the corner outfield with the likes of Aristides Aquino, Jesse Winker, and Phillip Ervin, but the rumored interest in Nicholas Castellanos and Marcell Ozuna should give fans cause to pause before slotting those three into next year’s lineup.

Shortstop is a position of interest heading into next season. After picking up Freddy Galvis‘ team option, it would appear that the 30-year-old will be part of next year’s squad. However, are the Reds comfortable with Galvis at the team’s starting shortstop, or might Dick Williams and Nick Krall look to sign Didi Gregorius?

The current catching duo of Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali seem to be safe for the moment. After failing to land Grandal in free agency and seeing the Milwaukee Brewers pull off a trade for Omar Narváez, there isn’t much to speak of in terms of a catcher that brings an offensive upgrade to the club. In addition, most free agent catchers have already been spoken for.

So, might the Reds land another free agent this week? It’s very possible. After being in on Wheeler following the acquisition of Moustakas, it’s obvious the Reds front office has money to spend. Where will they allocate their funds remains to be seen. Look for a potential signing of Gregorius to gain some traction, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ozuna’s name comes up again this week.

Potential trade targets

The list of potential trade targets for the Cincinnati Reds is endless. While I wouldn’t expect to see Dick Williams and Nick Krall set their sights on Mookie Betts, I wouldn’t rule it out either. The Reds brass seems dead-set on making 2020 a season to remember, and landing a coveted player via trade may be the Reds best chance to land franchise-changing player.

Again, a few positions are already spoken for, so the likes of Kris Bryant, Whit Merrifield, and Starling Marte are likely off the table. That said, Bryant and Merrifield both have positional versatility and could find a home in the outfield. Still, the asking price for both is likely to be astronomical, and I don’t see the Pirates or the Cubs dealing within the division.

Speaking of dealing within the division, Willson Contreras is an intriguing option if the Reds were interested in upgrading the catcher’s spot. But, again, it’s doubtful that Chicago’s front office would deal one of their rising starts within the division, and the duo of Barnhart and Casali would be much more reasonably priced while also providing better defense.

Francisco Lindor‘s name may gain some traction at this year’s Winter Meetings, but like Bryant and Merrifield, the asking price is likely to be enormous. The Cleveland star is arguably one of the Top 10 players in all of Major League Baseball and is under team control through 2021. The Reds should at least kick the tires on a potential trade for the four-time All-Star.

An intriguing name to keep an eye on during the Winter Meetings is Mitch Haniger. The Seattle Mariners outfielder is definitely on the trade block as GM Jerry Dipoto is always looking for a good deal. Haniger had a down year in 2019, but put together an All-Star campaign in 2018. The right-handed slugger slashed .285/.366/.493 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs two years ago.

Clint Frazier is another name to watch as the Winter Meetings unfold. The New York Yankees outfielder is a questionable defender, but has a lot of pop in his bat. The Yankees have a lot of depth in their outfield and have likely run out of patience with Frazier. While the Yankees are unlikely to give him away, there could be great value in a potential deal.