Grade the Reds' offseason

[Kinsm]

It's the choose your own adventure portion of ST, so anything could happen. However, the Kyle Combo seems like a reach. Garcia played the most innings at SS last season of anybody on the roster, so he would seem to have the inside track to the job.

Meh, you could be right, but the FO spent all off-season talking about acquiring a different SS - that makes me think they don't feel Garcia is ready and will limit his service time accumulation this year. They've traded Cash for a Rule 5 pick (usually don't do that unless you're determined for him to make your club) and signed an XX-B free agent too a minor league deal as well when the FA market ran out of starters. I mean, .194 in 68 PA's doesn't scream - inside track to me.

[M2]

I hope you're right. I'd still prefer Story or Rosario, but I want no part of either Kyle getting more than a start per week.

Oh yeah, I'll do somersaults if they acquire a quality SS.

[Kc61]

I used your word “plan” and probably shouldn’t have. There is a plan, just no decision made yet. There is no need for the Reds to have a decision on who will be playing SS this season. The plan, as I stated, is the same for every team where there is an open competition for a spot: Let them play in spring training and make a decision based on what they see.

If a team goes to ST with open competition for a starting spot, that team has a problem.

Different for a 25th or 26th man on the roster.

I would hope Reds have a plan for shortstop, even if changeable by further acquisition. ST should be confirmatory for starting positions, rather than the key factor. ST performance itself can be misleading.

[MoneyInTheBank]

If a team goes to ST with open competition for a starting spot, that team has a problem.

Different for a 25th or 26th man on the roster.

I would hope Reds have a plan for shortstop, even if changeable by further acquisition. ST should be confirmatory for starting positions, rather than the key factor. ST performance itself can be misleading.

At the risk of sounding like Bill Clinton, it depends on your definition of "open". I see nothing wrong with letting a veteran compete with a young guy who came on late the season before with the young guy going to AAA if he doesn't show out. However, the Reds current situation of signing and trading for a gaggle of AAAA types and letting them battle it out, not so great.

[M2]

Meh, you could be right, but the FO spent all off-season talking about acquiring a different SS - that makes me think they don't feel Garcia is ready and will limit his service time accumulation this year. They've traded Cash for a Rule 5 pick (usually don't do that unless you're determined for him to make your club) and signed an XX-B free agent too a minor league deal as well when the FA market ran out of starters. I mean, .194 in 68 PA's doesn't scream - inside track to me.

They also decided the marginal cost of all of those FA shortstops wasn't worth the price. Obviously being cheap is the motivator there, but they also didn't make that call thinking "Hey, we've got Kyle Farmer." And Holder cost them how much? 25K? At least I think it was for the buyback amount if they cut him and the Yankees want him to return to their organization. They liked the kid better last year (that's the inside track, they put hi there) and now he's a year older with a concrete idea of where the bar is set in the majors.

[M2]

If a team goes to ST with open competition for a starting spot, that team has a problem.

Different for a 25th or 26th man on the roster.

I would hope Reds have a plan for shortstop, even if changeable by further acquisition. ST should be confirmatory for starting positions, rather than the key factor. ST performance itself can be misleading.

I don't think it is a competition. If they don't acquire someone, then Garcia's just got to show competence and it's his.

[Kinsm]

They also decided the marginal cost of all of those FA shortstops wasn't worth the price. Obviously being cheap is the motivator there, but they also didn't make that call thinking "Hey, we've got Kyle Farmer." And Holder cost them how much? 25K? At least I think it was for the buyback amount if they cut him and the Yankees want him to return to their organization. They liked the kid better last year (that's the inside track, they put hi there) and now he's a year older with a concrete idea of where the bar is set in the majors.

I don’t think the Reds decided anything, the free agents did by choosing not to come here.

I bet Holder cost a couple hundred thousand, they’d get 50k back if he’s returned.

[M2]

I don’t think the Reds decided anything, the free agents did by choosing not to come here.

I bet Holder cost a couple hundred thousand, they’d get 50k back if he’s returned.

The Reds chose what to offer/not offer. Anyway, I just don't buy Farmer as their first fallback. He wasn't last season.

Could have sworn there was some reporting Holder cost half his Rule 5 fee, though damned if I can find it now.

[RED VAN HOT]

I think the Reds are transitioning to a modified Rays model. For the Reds that means develop your own pitchers and trade them before they lose value. Extend position players sparingly. No long term contracts on free agents. Hang onto top prospects. Pick up former high draft picks at bargain prices and attempt to uncover the value that led to their bing drafted in the first place. Votto may be the last lifelong Red we will see.

Regarding the offseason, I think they have bet heavily on pitching development. I doubt that they ever intended to spend in this area. As for SS, they underestimated the market. The hope was to pick up a bargain on a one year deal. Although Garcia would be benefit offensively from a year at AAA, I think there was always a comparison between playing Garcia and paying someone else to fill the gap. Clearly, the cost of a one year filler was more than the Reds were willing to pay. I'd give them a C- for this reason.

I don't see this as a rebuilding as much as a transition to a more appropriate small market strategy.

[Kc61]

I agree with the overall point that Reds will be relying more on young players. But they don’t yet have ready prospects to fill the team’s holes. They needed solid stop gaps for 2021.

One-year players who could fill the obvious holes was a modest ask. Not to re-tool the whole club, or get another Bauer, but just to maintain the team’s basic level for 2021.

That’s why people are giving them low grades in the poll.