While their 75-win tally fell far shy of postseason qualification, the Reds did crack seventy victories for the first time since 2014. Expectations are only ramping up from there, as club president of baseball operations Dick Williams made clear in his chat today with media members including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The measure of success in 2020 is unambiguous. Per Williams: “The goal for us now, all we’re talking about is the postseason. That’s what matters. That’s the goal next year. It’s not taking incremental steps in a rebuild. It’s about the postseason.”
Getting there is going to require a massive effort, beginning with the hot stove efforts of the front office. Williams says he sees a path to an “even more impactful” offseason effort than he oversaw last year, because “we’ll have more financial resources at our disposal.” He went on to state plainly: “Our payroll will be bigger this year. There will be good opportunities to invest that payroll.”
The Cincinnati ballclub already ramped its spending up significantly this year, opening the season with over $126MM on the books. There’s a bit less than sixty million committed already for 2020, before accounting for the arbitration salaries of Trevor Bauer, Anthony DeSclafani, Michael Lorenzen, Jose Peraza and others. That should leave a fair bit of breathing room to work with, particularly with the Opening Day payroll figure slated to rise.
Williams didn’t exactly map out how the team intends to spend that cash, but did make clear that it isn’t going to “shy away from” a “big-dollar, multi-year contract.” There’ll be a healthy respect for avoiding too massive a commitment, he said, but made clear that open-market spending “is part of the strategy this year.”
The Reds have quite a few pieces in place, but no shortage of areas to improve. There’s need in the middle infield and room for an outfield bat (especially after dealing away top prospect Taylor Trammell to acquire Bauer). It’s possible to imagine the club again exploring a better-hitting catcher. The rotation may need only a depth addition or two, but the bullpen could stand to be upgraded with multiple good arms.
Figuring out how to sustain the pitching advances achieved in 2019 remains necessary. But the focus will surely be on bringing up an 87 team wRC+ that was sixth-worst in baseball. Williams says that the pitching strides came from “a combination of making smart trades, smart signings, the staff we brought in, the advancement in technology.” The Reds hope to replicate that blend with the bats this winter. The organization will anticipate “internal improvement” but won’t be content watching and hoping, he says. The Reds also intend to “add to the offensive side of the club.”
They went for it too soon and now they’re stuck..
Join the Phillies and Angels in just hoping for the best at this point.
Not at all. They trade Bailey for a boatload or potential return, improved their rotation dramatically and put things in place to have the flex if things didn’t pan out for 2019…it didn’t and now they’re moving forward with plenty of money to make a difference.
Question: does MLBTR pay you to make stupid, baseless, moronic comments? Do you get paid more for less factual context?
Congratulations! Your rent is paid this month with this gem!
Stuck? Hardly…apparently you skipped the part about adding payroll and being aggressive…
How are they stuck? They have the flexibility to add and have plenty of good players already…
Reds will be scary good next year. This coming from a Cubs fan.
I’ll believe when I see it.
Offensively would go after Ramos if Mets make him availabe
Infield Would go after Didi and Schoop
And outfield would go after Corey Dickerson
Moves u gotta make offensively if u wanna be playoff calibar
I’m too concerned about Ramos’s defense, so I’d rather roll with Tucker/Casali if they can’t get Grandal. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ramos’s bat, but I think it would make our pitching staff take a step back with the defense.
Schoop was a name that never really came to mind originally for me, but I’d be ok with that. Ditto on Dickerson, though I think the top outfield priority should be Ozuna or a trade for Ketel Marte.
Didi would definitely be high on my list as well.
They have a nasty 123 if they can get a lefty like Rich Hill or Dallas Keuchel to be their #4 the would become division favorites from that alone.
They would not be the division favorites just by adding Keuchel or Rich Hill, but its a good start.
I’d love Keuchel if the deal is right. Hill is too injury prone, at that point might as well take a shot on re-signing Wood for cheap.
They absolutely would not be division favorites just by adding a #4 starter.
Are we sure Peraza’s getting tendered a deal? He’ll probably make 4 million bucks. I’d probably go ahead and give Jose Iglesias those 4 million bucks instead.
Iglesias is not good. Peraza is worse. I honesty think they let Iglesias walk AND non tender Peraza, then you either upgrade at SS via trade/FA or roll with Galvis
Please dear God roll the dice on getting an upgrade at SS and let Iglesias and Galvis go and non tender Peraza.
I called it! I knew it! They’re gonna splurge on someone. It won’t be someone everybody is curious about. It will be someone sturdy and with some veteran skill sets, someone well rounded and dependable, but not quite a super star, someone in danger of only earning $10-15M AAV but hopes to earn $17-22M AAV. Someone like… Didi Gregorious for 4 years/$70M heavily back loaded ($10M, $13M, $17M, $25M w/$5M buyout on an option) maybe $60M if he wants the money and the years but the market isn’t there to necessitate a truly competitive blow the competition out of the water bid.
I think Iglesias earned his money this year. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see them part with Peraza and possibly move Senzel to the infield.
Peraza is below average everywhere … he’s got to go
Agreed…Iggy should come back and Peraza should go elsewhere…
Even with one of his better offensive season’s Iggy was still one of the worst starting shortstops. Thanks for the awesome defense and good luck elsewhere.
Iglesias is gone senzel to 2nd
They are definitely one of the relatively few teams that makes sense for Didi.
I see them being on pretty much everyone at positions of need who could be had for four years or less. So top targets could be JD Mart (risky), Castellanos, Didi, Puig, Grandal, Hamels, Hill, Ryu (unlikely), Roark. Could see them getting 2-3 guys, but of course there will be many other teams bidding for the same players so not so easy.
Good
The Reds don’t need a shortstop if they bring back either Jose Iglesias or Freddy Galvis. Sign Yasmani Grandal to be your starting catcher. Trade with either Boston for Jackie Bradley Jr or with Pittsburgh for Starlin Matte. Sign Will Smith, Craig Stammen and Declin Bettances for the bullpen and add a 5th starter along the lines of a Dallas Keuchel. Keep Garrett, r. Iglesias, Stephenson, lorenzen and maybe Cody Reed as a 3rd left-hander in the pen. Keep Casali, Irvin, farmer,van meter and the one of Galvis and Iglesias who isn’t the shortstop and move Senzel to 2nd base
Stammen would be a great fit…
Bradly jr suck can’t hit
Here’s to crackin seventy boyz!
it certainly is a shame how things turned out for the Reds this year. if anyone in that Jeter Downs deal held their weight they would have done quite well this year, even in that hars division.
2020 is clearly the go-for-it year. Bauer is on his last year of his deal; what the hell happened to him since coming over from the Tribe? Surely he will round back into form next year. Castillo, Bauer, Gray (and then DeSclafani and whomever) is a strong staff. Cubs will take a dump in their pants and sit in it, per usual. The division will come down to Reds and Cards.
I think the reds have a lot of good players in place, but they definitely need a center fielder. They should put nick at 2nd, keep Jose Iglesias, trade peraza and r Iglesias. Sign two or three relievers and a 4th starter. 1-3 and 5 in the rotation are covered. Winker, aquino and Ervin are good enough to cover rf and lf.
Taylor Trammell is NOT an outfield bat. At least not yet. The guy couldn’t hit in AA, so I am pretty sure he would not be the answer for 2020 if he wasn’t traded.
Outfield bats are not really that hard to come by, especially in the offseason. Just yesterday, you posted a story about the Rangers wanting to trade away an OF this winter. Several other teams would probably trade away an OF for peanuts. Or they could try to make a splash and pick up a star like Charlie Blackmon or even Mookie Betts. Plus there will be several options on the FA market like a reunion with Puig.
The point is that trading away Trammell is not the death knell for the franchise that people are claiming. Even if he does eventually turn into a superstar, it’s still not THAT bad.
The point is that trading away Trammell is not the death knell for the franchise that people are claiming.
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I agree that Trammell might be overrated, but they traded Trammell, Downs & Gray this year, with only one year of Bauer to show for it. I get that sooner or later, you have to go for it. But they had no shot at the playoffs this year, so Gray and Downs were kind of wasted. And you need to add a lot next year if you want to move from 75 wins to 90, or Bauer will have been wasted too.
I think Pplama was right in his opening remark. They went for it too soon.
spend on RPs and OF, and there’s this guy named Siri…
The Reds can aspire all they want, but that is about all they can do.
Great analysis
I never really did hear about it but what would be the overall grade for 2 month’s of trevor on the team? Reds fans? Was he still at 95 pitches in the 5th or did he cut that down?
Poor. No control. Didn’t last deep into games. Got crushed (and not because of the GABP dimensions – plenty on the road) 75% of the time. I was shocked. Leaves us wondering if we keep him or flip him. I say keep him; he will bounce back. For those who criticized the trade with the Dodgers, we effectively took our return on that, added an over-hyped and underperforming prospect, Trammell (who is an incredibly nice kid, by the way), and turned it into Bauer. Nick Krall, new GM, is a dorky guy my age (early 40s) – bit I think he is doing a hell of a job going for it. They will reach the post-season this year or next year, assuming Votto returns to form. His poor year was perplexing and frustrating.
Peraza is the kind of guy thr Tigers should be interested in…buy low and see if he can turn it around. Niko Goodrum is a NL style player…plays everywhere, a little pop and speed…
Reds fans, don’t be too quick to dis Barnhart at C. True, he’s not a contributor on offense in the mold of a Realmuto or Grandel, but he’s not a black hole, either. With his stellar defense he doesn’t have to do much with the bat other than to hold down the eight-hole and hit .250ish with 8-10 HR and 50-60 RBIs.
This may sound like heresy, but the Reds should trade Votto and let Senzel play 1B where his chances of being injured in the field would be far less than any other place on the diamond. Besides, I do not see Votto having much left in the tank. Some AL team would love him as their DH and a part time 1B.
Spend or trade big for a CF and a middle infielder. I cold live with Galvis and his Gold Glove defense at either SS or 2B.
If the Reds are in a roll-the-dice mood this winter, trade for Odubel Herrera (CF). He isn’t welcome in Philly and you could get him for a song. A song? Heck, you could probably get him for just the chorus to that song. Lot of upside with Odubel. And since the cost would be super low, zero downside.
I’m sure teams will line up to pay Votto $25m a year for the next 4 years.He was horrible the last 2 yrs. and isn’t going to get better.He is untradeable because of his no trade clause.
Votto has a full no trade and loves it in Cincinnati. They’re just going to have to put up with him or bench him. Trading him is not an option.
If the Reds throw in a lot of the cheese Votto is owed and trade him to a team that figures to be a playoff contender, he might decide, especially at his age, moving on might be a wise choice if he wants to win a WS. Yes, reds will be improved next year, but a WS appearance? Nah, not quite yet.
Strong move by the Cincinnati Nepotists
Make Dietrich the everyday 2B and give Lorenzen 300-500 ABs in the OF (however many he can take without breaking down and still throw 70 innings out of the ‘pen). If they tried that, they could go with their current OFs and focus on an arm. Gerrit Cole for 4/$110 mil? They could afford that if they didn’t prioritize getting an OF with another Starter.
lol! you are funny.
Does anybody know how much we are looking to spend?
Puig 10 m
Kemp 15 m
Roark 10 m
Hill 10 m
Scooter 10 m
I know Bauer will eat up 15m of that. I read one report where we had roughly 50m to spend. If that’s the case let Iglesias walk along with Peraza. Trade Iglesias to the Dodgers for Pederson and Ruiz.
Strasburg and Chapman are probably going to opt out of their contracts.
Strasburg 5 140m 28 per
Chapman 4 60m 15 per
Scooter 1 year minor league contract
Should cure the bats for outfield
Young catcher
2B possibly covered if Scooter can turn it around.
Galvis at SS
Castillo
Strasburg
Sonny
Bauer
Disco
Curious of what we could do with that team
They should go for broke! Trade for Kluber, Sign Wheeler, Didi and Chapman (if he opts out) and get a catcher that can hit.. maybe Grandal.