Reds: 3 players Cincinnati wishes were still on the roster for 2021

These former Reds would help alleviate many of the question marks facing the 2021 roster.

Every team has that moment of wishing they could take a transaction back. The Cincinnati Reds front office is certainly no exception. As Cincinnati’s General Manager Nick Krall prepares to construct next season’s roster he has some glaring needs to address.

For starters, who is going to be the Reds shortstop for the 2021 campaign? Last year’s starter, Freddy Galvis, is a free agent and it’s hard to imagine Cincinnati bringing him back. The nine-year veteran slashed just .220/.308/.404 with a well below average 86 OPS+ mark.

Considering the Reds tried to give Galvis’ job away last season when they inserted rookie José García into the lineup, it was apparent the Cincinnati brass wasn’t comfortable with the veteran in the present, much less the future at the shortstop position.

As far as García is concerned, expecting him to contribute at the major league level even though he had yet to play above High-A wasn’t the front office’s best moment. Another year in the minors should be a huge benefit for his development.

Next, barring the completely unexpected, the Redlegs are going to have a massive hole in their starting rotation to fill. Cy Young Award-winner Trevor Bauer is a free agent as is longtime Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani.

Entertaining a scenario in which Bauer returns to the Queen City is unrealistic, to say the least. When it comes to Disco, the Reds have had years to extend him if they were truly interested. However, injuries and ineffectiveness should extinguish any desire on Cincinnati’s part to bring him back.

Finally, the Reds bullpen is always a cause for consternation. Even though the bullpen received excellent performances from the likes of Rasiel Iglesias, Lucas Sims, and Amir Garrett this year, another quality arm is always welcomed. If Michael Lorenzen is moved into the rotation for 2021, the need for an additional arm will be even more pronounced.

Hindsight is always 20/20. However, the following three players, who were once in the Cincinnati Reds organization, would eliminate many of the question marks facing the Redlegs 2021 roster. Let’s take a look.

1. Former Reds shortstop José Iglesias

Following the 2019 season, former Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams had a decision to make. He could attempt to negotiate a free-agent deal with 2019 starting shortstop José Iglesias or simply pick up the final year of Freddy Galvis’ deal and move him from second base to play shortstop for the 2020 season.

Williams chose to let Iglesias walk and keep Galvis. It was a disastrous decision. As I mentioned earlier, there was little positivity to glean from Galvis’ performance last season. Unfortunately, the Reds again face a 2021 campaign in which the shortstop position will need to be addressed.

During his lone season in the Queen City in 2019, José Iglesias was more than the Cincinnati Reds could have ever expected. Signed as a free agent in February of 2019, Iglesias provided his usually exceptional defense but also produced a surprisingly solid offensive season.

The former All-Star slashed .288/.318/.407 with a career-high 11 homers and 59 RBIs as a member of the Reds. As a result of his productive year in Cincinnati, Iglesias inked a two-year $6M deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Once again, Iglesias rewarded the Orioles for their confidence.

Establishing career-best marks in batting average (.373.), OBP (.400), and slugging (.556), Iglesias could have provided a solid bat to a Cincinnati team desperate for any type of offensive production during the 2020 season.

Instead, the Reds paid Galvis $5.5M for the 2020 season in which they tried to give his job to a rookie who had never played above High-A ball. Ouch! Now the Cincinnati Reds front office may be forced to pay much more in free agency to fill a need they could have addressed with a fraction of the cost by signing José Iglesias.

3. Former Reds reliever Dylan Floro

Give the Cincinnati Reds front office some credit. At the time of the transaction it caused hardly a ripple, but  the January 2018 signing of Dylan Floro was an excellent move by the Reds. Unfortunately, Cincinnati’s gamble is paying off handsomely for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Making 25 appearances out of the Redlegs bullpen in 2018, Floro allowed just two homers and compiled a 3-2 record with an excellent 2.27 ERA. The 27-year-old right-hander was rewarded by the Reds, and was shipped to the Dodgers in July of the 2018 for a pair of minor leaguers.

Since arriving in the City of Angels, Floro has become a mainstay of the Dodgers bullpen. Whether it’s for extended outings or pivotal late-game situations, Floro has become a reliable asset for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

During parts of three seasons in LA, Floro has made 104 appearances and tossed 98.2 innings. He’s compiled an impressive 11-4 mark with a solid 3.10 ERA. If you’re looking for someone to keep the ball in the park, Floro is your man. He’s allowed only six round-trippers in Dodger blue.

While middle relievers are hardly the kind of guys to generate headlines, they’re vital to the success of good ballclubs. To demonstrate how important Floro would have been to the Reds, let’s look at a few names the team employed in an attempt to fill his role in the bullpen.

Jackson Stephens, Austin Brice, and Nate Jones. Enough said. Even though it was a low-key transaction, the trade of Dylan Floro to the Los Angeles Dodgers was an example of the Cincinnati Reds playing their hand much too, too early with nary a quality chip in return.