Taking Stock

[GAC]

I guess we should be content since the lead article on their website "How The Reds Are Getting Ready 2020" leads with this ....

Cincinnati made a splash in the free-agent market by signing Mike Moustakas and Wade Miley.

Ohia River must have been at high tide.

IMO, they have yet, other then add BP help, addressed any of the positions seen as weaknesses offensively. In the OF you got two guys coming off season-ending injuries (Senzel, Winker), and a question mark in Aquino. Sounds like they're rolling the dice so far ... and I hope they don't FARKLE (LOL)

[americanoutlaw1]

I guess we should be content since the lead article on their website "How The Reds Are Getting Ready 2020" leads with this ....



Ohia River must have been at high tide.

IMO, they have yet, other then add BP help, addressed any of the positions seen as weaknesses offensively. In the OF you got two guys coming off season-ending injuries (Senzel, Winker), and a question mark in Aquino. Sounds like they're rolling the dice so far ... and I hope they don't FARKLE (LOL)

You don't think 2b was seen as an offensive weakness coming into the off-season?

[allpurpose]

No figure in the inevitable bad luck.

Nor good luck for that matter. Being optimistic is always a good thing if it's realistic. My problem has always been off season optimism when the team generally stinks top to bottom.. The off season always makes me unrealistic, but I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
The good thing is we never really know who will and who won't have the greatest season of their entire career which brings us back to the inevitable question of luck.
I think the team is in pretty decent shape. A little luck can go a long way in either direction..

[Falls City Beer]

I think the Cards’ rotation and probably the Cubs’ rotation are very comparable to the Reds’. The Cards have a better offense and better bullprn. They’re certainly the odds on favorite to win the Central. From a pure talent/upside perspective, the Reds look like a 3rd place team (when you account for downside). They still have a good bit of work. They’re improved, but they’re still short of 85 wins IMO.

[Bourgeois Zee]

I think the Cards’ rotation and probably the Cubs’ rotation are very comparable to the Reds’.

Nah.

Reds' starters project better (by far) and have deeper depth with higher upside. Cardinals overperformed their peripherals last year, and were still significantly worse than Reds' SP.

Cubs are closer, but the age of significant pieces (Darvish and especially Lester), plus their paper-thin depth makes the Reds a more complete starting staff. (When Tyler Chatwood is your fifth starter, you have issues.)

I do think the Cardinal bullpen could be remarkably dominant, but that assumes at least four of Miller, Hicks, Martinez, Cecil, and Gant are healthy, in their prime (or near it, in Miller's case), and have their heads on straight. It also assumes Gallegos is for real and not a one-season mirage, as his numbers suggest. That's a lot of if's-- and a lot of bottom if those questions aren't all answered positively.

[Falls City Beer]

Nah.

Reds' starters project better (by far) and have deeper depth with higher upside. Cardinals overperformed their peripherals last year, and were still significantly worse than Reds' SP.

Cubs are closer, but the age of significant pieces (Darvish and especially Lester), plus their paper-thin depth makes the Reds a more complete starting staff. (When Tyler Chatwood is your fifth starter, you have issues.)

I do think the Cardinal bullpen could be remarkably dominant, but that assumes at least four of Miller, Hicks, Martinez, Cecil, and Gant are healthy, in their prime (or near it, in Miller's case), and have their heads on straight. It also assumes Gallegos is for real and not a one-season mirage, as his numbers suggest. That's a lot of if's-- and a lot of bottom if those questions aren't all answered positively.

I think the downside risk of Bauer and Miley is worse than most on here (I like the depth but let’s be honest, Bauer was not only unlucky last season, he was bad too and Miley doesn’t strike people out). And the Cards literally always have a Cy Young candidate tucked away in their minor league system somewhere.

[GAC]

You don't think 2b was seen as an offensive weakness coming into the off-season?

Not in comparison to other key positions (C, SS, OF). Moose is going to give this offense a boost; but IMO, the OF is still a question mark. Is it enough? IMO, as is, no. Not enough for a team that says they are going for it, want to win now. JMO.