Cincinnati Reds: Didi Gregorius wasn’t worth the price

The Cincinnati Reds lost out in the pursuit of shortstop Didi Gregorius, who signed with Philadelphia last week. However, Gregorius was not worth the price.

The Cincinnati Reds left the MLB Winter Meetings empty-handed last week, but were rumored to be after players like Madison Bumgarner and Didi Gregorius. Both Bumgarner and Gregorius finalized deals with other teams, leaving the Reds out in cold. However, while adding a shortstop seems to be a concern among fans and the front office, Gregorius was not worth the price.

After the departure of José Iglesias and the non-tender of José Peraza, the Reds have been on the lookout for an upgrade at shortstop. For now, Freddy Galvis would be Cincinnati’s starting shortstop in 2020, but there is concern over having Galvis as an every day option, and perhaps pushing him to more of a utility role.

Many Reds fans may have been disappointed that the Reds failed bring Sir Didi back to Cincinnati. I for one, was a little disappointed at first, however, taking a look at Gregorius’ statistics and injury history over the last year, I think the Phillies overpaid and the Reds were wise to steer clear of bringing Didi home.

There is no denying that Didi Gregorius has been a good shortstop throughout his career. Gregorius, in fact, had a fantastic of couple of years in 2017 and 2018 with the Yankees. In 2017, he hit  .287 with 25 home runs, and an OPS+ of 106. In 2018, he hit .268 with 27 homers, and an OPS+ of 124.

However, last season not only started late for Gregorius due to Tommy John surgery, but was ultimately was a struggle all around for the former Reds farmhand. Didi hit 16 home runs in an injury-shortened season, but only put up a measly .238 batting average, had a horrendous .276 on-base percentage, and paltry OPS+ of just 87. Those numbers don’t warrant what Gregorius received.

While Gregorius may return to his level on play from the 2017 and 2018 seasons, there are no guarantees. The Reds, who are a small market team, would’ve likely wanted a bit more of a peace of mind if the price tag was hovering around $14M. The Reds have been down that road before, as many fans remember the signing of Ryan Madson, who didn’t throw a single pitch in 2012.

Though not a star player, I think it is smarter to have Galvis as your Opening Day shortstop rather than dole out a bunch of money for one year of Didi Gregorius. While Gregorius may be a better all-around player, there isn’t a dramatic drop off in production. Galvis did hit 23 home runs this past season; a career-high.

The Cincinnati Reds are not in dire need of a shortstop and were right not to overpay for Didi Gregorius. Remember, the offseason isn’t over yet. The Reds could make a trade for a shortstop like Francisco Lindor or Corey Seager. Not signing Gregorius to a hefty price tag should allow Cincinnati to add a couple bullpen arms and perhaps another bat.