In your opinion...

[CaiGuy]

Senzel should be able to bring back two quality bullpen arms.

Huh

[GAC]

It well might affect him negatively.

We "know" he's a good defender at both 3B and 2B because he earned best defensive player at those positions in the minors. Not to throw around scouting reports, but he also has a strong, accurate throwing arm and is very fast. Fast players who are praised by minor league managers as being defensively adept are also typically quick and don't make many errors. (Which jibes with his minor league error totals.)

When he was first coming up in the minors and making a mark, I had visions of a future Scott Rolen dancing in my head (LOL)

[allpurpose]

They are likely already a slightly better than .500 team right now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I think they stand a very good chance of winning the division. If they win the division the WS is within grasp since the post season is a far shorter period to do well. Once it's post season it's any team's game. It usually depends on who gets hot in most cases. Occasionally it's one dominant team, but usually whoever's the hottest team at the time.
Can the pitching hold up or do as well as last year? Will they strengthen the bullpen significantly and will hitting stay alive? Perhaps even one player will have the one super special season to make up for any weaknesses. There's a lot of moving parts and variables. Get the right combination at the right time and we might just be in baseball heaven again.. I'm personally hoping it happens. If not then oh well.. In the immortal words of myself, there's always the next season then.. I have the feeling it's our time once more...not that I've EVER looked at the Reds with rose colored glasses in the off season..Not me..never..except for every season.. Heck, maybe Bell will even have learned something from last year.

[Assembly Hall]

A little late to the party but I give them an "A" if for anything effort. Dang, they are trying and it builds my hopes for the upcoming season.

Edit: As I live in Cubs country, you should see how their fans are pissing and moaning about the non-moves they have made. But I digress...

[NebraskaRed]

NM

[Ben Zinger]

Too many things must go Cincy's way for this current roster to be considered with much confidence to be a contender....but it could happen, nonetheless. What the latest moves have done with certainty (to me) is produce a better and more exciting to watch baseball team....a tough opponent on any given night. A likeable one, too. I'll take moves like that any off-season. Dick, you get an A minus from me.

[BluegrassRedleg]

B-

They’re definitely putting in a better effort than we’ve seen in the recent past, but they are still an impact bat and bullpen help away from being a serious division contender. If they don’t get another bat, they really need Votto to have a big-time bounce-back campaign. And what about the pen?

[RED VAN HOT]

I like what they have done so far, but I would give them an incomplete.

I wanted Will Smith, but I can see why they would be unwilling to go 3 years. Further, teams need to be more selective in signing LH relief pitchers under the new rules.

I am happy with the outfield. I seem to have more confidence in Aquino and an Ervin/Winker platoon than most.

Catching is adequate. I have hope for Barnhart's changes in hitting approach. I don't think they would have settled arbitration with Casali early if they planned on signing someone else.

Of the three signings, I like Shogo, then Miley, then Moustakas in that order. Shogo gives them improved CF defense and OBP at the top of the order. Miley gives them a LH starter with a good chance for the Reds to be .500 in games he starts. Moose, of course, gives them sorely missed LH power that will make the rest of the batting order better. I am encouraged that he is rated a better defender at 2B than 3B.

They have signed several LH pitching and hitting options that may surprise in spring training. Long shots to be sure, but options, nonetheless.

They haven't had to trade prospects yet and they still have money to spend.

The changes made in their minor league pitching development give hope they will be able to improve their record on home grown talent.

It's incomplete for two reasons. Despite Galvis's good fielding stats, they need at the very least a good defensive backup. Trading for an upgrade would likely be costly in terms of prospects and would probably be a blockbuster trade. Thus, incomplete.

Also, there is some question still surrounding their desire to add an impact bat in the outfield. I think two areas, SS upgrade and outfield bat, are related in that they will not both upgrade SS and add an impact bat in the outfield. If they upgrade SS, the outfield will remain the same except for the pieces they trade. If they upgrade outfield, they will likely look for a defensive backup at short.

[Aland]

Add puig in. 3 year deal.

Shogo. Puig. Moose. Votto. Suarez. Improved Senzel

I bet they could get Puig for 18-24 mill

[corkedbat]

nm

[UPRedsFan]

Add puig in. 3 year deal.

Shogo. Puig. Moose. Votto. Suarez. Improved Senzel

I bet they could get Puig for 18-24 mill

Where does Senzel play? Which outfielder are you sitting on the bench for Puig? Winker? They'd be insane to do that.

[klw]

I will go with a B. It would be an A had they been able to land Didi and sign a proven reliever.

[Shoeless Jeff]

I give them a solid B. They have three new solid additions and have added some low-risk options hoping that one or two of those surprise. I think my grade could move to an A because I don't think they are done yet. I still thinking they are beating the bushes for a shortstop (starter or backup) and will probably make at least one more move for the pen. Also don't know what the status of the outfield is (Ozuna), although if they sign a free agent there I would think they would have to be looking at playing Senzel some in the infield because there are too many outfielders.

[mth123]

Where does Senzel play? Which outfielder are you sitting on the bench for Puig? Winker? They'd be insane to do that.

I'd trade Aquino for something. Puig in RF. Senzel in CF, Winker/Ervin in LF. Akiyama plays 2 times per week each in CF and RF with Puig and Senzel getting rest. Senzel plays 2B when Votto, Mousakas or Suarez rests (and Votto should rest once per week) with Moose moving around the IF and Akiyama getting more PT that way

[TRF]

B-

I banged the "Address CF" drum all offseason. And they did, albeit in a way that has some risk. And that's fine. I'm not averse to risk. They addressed a perceived lack of power with the Moustakas signing. But they were in the exact middle of the pack in HR's in the NL and all of MLB. They not only did not address OBP, an area they did poorly in as a team last year, Moustakas may make it worse with Shogo being a wildcard.

I think defensively, the OF looks pretty good. CF will be fine, RF fine and LF... well, that depends.

And then there is the issue of Nick Senzel and no place to play him. Or Jesse Winker and no place to play him. And do the Reds need a better SS than Galvis? Defensively, no. But he's had trouble finding 1B. And that's a problem because Aquino, and I love the guy, is not a lock to OBP well north of .300. Moose, same. All the team's OBP will come from 3B, 1B, maybe C and CF.

But...

They addressed the main position of need, CF.

Love the Nate Jones signing. potential impact reliever if he can stay healthy. There is that word again: If.

I'm meh on Miley. Not sure he's an actual upgrade to Mahle given the learning curve he is on. I don't think the rotation was lacking in experienced veterans. Mahle was slotted as the 5th starter. I don't see Miley as being better than 5th in this rotation. He doesn't have a high ceiling at this point in his career, but his floor has a pretty deep basement. I don't care much about the LH SP thing. Look at his stats throughout his career. Yes, he had some success in 2018 with Milwaukee. He's never been as good as he was in his rookie year. Just... meh for me. I think the front four of Castillo, Gray, Bauer and Disco allow you to further develop Mahle at the MLB level. He has nothing to prove at AAA and he's wasted in a RP role.

But...

With the exception of 2018, Miley takes the hill 30+ times a year, and durability is a thing. As a 5th SP, his numbers are what you'd expect. I want more, personally, but he'll have to do.