The Cincinnati Reds have been near dead last in the National League in the last couple years, but can they change, this year? There have been many terrible teams that turned it all around in one year: the 1991 World Series was between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves, the 2 teams that had finished last in their respective leagues the previous year.
The Reds are kind of like the Boston Red Sox, they’ve been bad for a few years, but their minor league system has some good prospects who could very possibly take the Reds back to the playoffs. Before we talk about them, however, let’s focus on who’s currently on the team: They’ve got young stars like Billy Hamilton and Adam Duvall who they can rebuild around, but they’d need to get rid of some of their veterans for younger players. Brandon Phillips is a no-brainer, but he won’t go. The Reds have tried every year to rid themselves of him and get some minor leaguers, yet Phillips repeatedly invokes his no-trade clause; the Reds Legs are stuck with him until after the 2018 season. Joey Votto, on the other hand, is a bit of question mark. He’s been good in the last few years, but is he so good that they should keep him and rebuild around him or so good that they should trade him and get good players and prospects for him? Votto’s batted over .300 in the last 2 seasons, and 6 more times in his 10 year career, he hit 29 home runs in each of the last 2 years, and he’s batted in more than 75 runs in each of the last 2 years. These stats make you wonder how he hasn’t made the all-star team since 2013: he was hurt for most of 2014, but in the last couple years, he’s been better in the second-half of the season. If Votto can keep up these stats for the entire year, he, alongside Hamilton, Duvall, and the soon-to-be rookie, Jesse Winker, might be able to take the Reds to their first playoff bout since their Wild Card Game loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. Zack Cozart is a player for whom Cincinnati may consider a trade. While he may not have peaked yet, he has a great future ahead of him and The Reds would be able to acquire other prospects. He would be a valuable acquisition for a team striving for the championship this year like the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, or Texas Rangers. Cozart’s contract ends after this coming season, so the Reds will definitely want to trade him and get players in return, rather than lose him to free agency and get nothing. This is all assuming that the Reds won’t want to sign him back. Now, they could do what the New York Yankees did with former Reds’ closer Aroldis Chapman, and trade him away during the season then sign him back after the playoffs when he’s a free agent. Getting back on the topic of prospects; there is another hope for Reds Country: Jesse Winker. Playing in Triple-A ball for the Reds’ Kentucky affiliate, the Louisville Bats, Winker batted .303, had 115 hits, and batted in 45 runs. Granted, MiLB is nowhere near being on the same level of playing as MLB, these stats are still quite impressive. Keep in mind, if the RBI and hits seem low, he did only play 106 games at AAA. Winker isn’t their lone ray of hope. As I mentioned before, Hamilton and Duvall are very promising, yet there are more minor leaguers that should be ready, and plenty of young men who are currently on the roster. Other players in the Reds’ minor league system include Nick Senzel, Amir Garrett, Robert Stephenson, and Alfredo Rodriguez. Of these 5, Winker is rated third, by MLB.com, behind (in order) Senzel and Garrett. Senzel played 10 games for the Pioneer League Rookie Ball Billings Mustangs and 58 games for the Midwest League Single A Dayton Dragons. In total, he hit .305, 24 doubles, and he batted in 40 runs. Garrett has a bit more experience; having played professionally since 2012, he pitched very well in 2016 for the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Triple A Louisville Bats: with a total 2.55 Earned Run Average in 144.2 innings, he only gave up 6 home runs, and a 1.092 WHIP (Walks plus Hits over Innings Pitched). Robert Stephenson has already made the majors; in fact, he started 8 games at the end of the 2016 season for the Reds with a 2-3 record and a 6.08 ERA in 37 innings pitched. It’s not quite clear how close Rodriguez might be to the majors, for he’s playing for the Reds of the Dominican Summer League. Players in that league are usually Hispanic guys who were just recently signed by a big team. Most players don’t exceed the age of 21, which is the age when a good portion of Hispanic guys make the majors. Rodriguez, at 22 years old, is one of those few, though he was only signed last year. The Reds already have on their team promising young players like Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Dilson Herrera, and Eugenio Suarez. These guys, combined with their prospects, the future players they may receive in trades, and the veterans like Joey Votto that they may not trade in order for them to lead the team, could turn the Reds back into the playoff team they were a few years ago, in the late 80s and early 90s, or the Big Red Machine of the 70s. It will take some crafty ownership and general managerial skills, but the hunt for a Reds October may not be too far off from their prey. Jesse A. Cook January 8, 2017 “The Hunt For Red October”
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