General Manager Nick Krall collected youthful talent the last two years, trading veterans for Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson and Noelvi Marte. He added to home grown talent from its own farm system featuring Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, Jonathan India, Hunter Greene, Tyler Stephenson and TJ Friedl. They also picked up Will Benson, a first round draft choice of the Cleveland Indians (Guardians) in 2016. This youthful and eager group made fans forget the 100 loss 2022 season by competing for a playoff spot up to the last series of the 2023 season finishing 82-80. It was the third winning season for manager David Bell who as a native of Cincinnati with a family history tied to the franchise. This off season the Reds invested over $100 million, hard earned dollars by signing switch hitting infielder Jeimar Candelari, Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagan, Brent Suter and Justin Wilson. The Reds are poised to make a strong bid for the National League Central Division crown and/or a playoff opportunity. They need to start fast this season. They play Philadelphia Phillies which played in the World Series and NLCS the last two seasons seven times in April. They have a three-game series on the road with the World Champion Texas Rangers and a four-game set with division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers in their first 31 games. The start of the road was not 100 percent smooth though. Marte will miss half the season after testing positive for a banned substance. Friedl fractured his right wrist on March 16. He will miss up to eight weeks, although he could begin activity in six weeks. McLain was slowed by an injury to his oblique then developed a problem with his left (non throwing) shoulder that is still under evaluation. Bell said that the remaining group has responded positively to the adversity and resolved to press forward to the playoffs. "There is one thing that is certain for all teams. The injuries are going to happen," Bell said. "We talk about this. It is how you respond that leads to the outcome of the season. A lot happened in the last seven to 10 days (before the season). We are going to miss each of those guys individually. It shows how together this team is. It is an opportunity for players to step up and show how close our team is." Stuart Fairchild will get an extended opportunity to show his ability after being a valuable sub the last two seasons. Candelario gives the Reds a power bat in the middle of the lineup to make up for the departure of Hall of Fame shoe-in, Joey Votto. Santiago Espinal was a late addition to the infield. He was an All-Star for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022. He was considered a better option than Josh Harrison, a Cincinnati native, Tony Kemp and Mike Ford. The three opted to become free agents but could conceivably be signed if a better opportunity for them doesn't appear. STARTING ROTATION Martinez and Montas will join Greene, Abbott and Ashcraft in the starting rotation with Lodolo not quite ready for the start but not far behind. Montas was the opening day pitcher for Oakland in 2020 and 2022. He was 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA in 2021. "It is not just getting the ball opening day. It is getting the ball at all," said Montas, who missed all of last season with a right shoulder injury. "I got to have a normal winter and spring training to get my muscle memory back. Montas now heads a group of younger starters. "They have a lot of talent. For the amount of time they have, they know how to go about their business. I'm excited to pitch with these guys. When I see Hunter Greene, I see myself when I was younger. I'm happy to be playing with these guys. People are saying to me that you're the old guy in this rotation. They have a really good idea of pitching. They have way more talent than I had at that age." The pair of free agents have a reputation for throwing strikes and challenging hitters, a plus for Great American Ball Park. All of the home grown starters suffered injuries except for Abbott who worked 163 innings which was more than the 131 innings in his first two pro seasons combined. The left-hander started strong when he first arrived in Cincinnati but ran out of gas at the end. It is a necessary step in his progression. Ashcraft is recovered from surgery on his right foot. Greene, the 2023 opening day starter, pitched 15 Cactus League innings. He missed six weeks last season with a right shoulder strain and a month to a hip injury. Lodolo is close to recovering fully from a stress reaction to his left tibia. The left-hander allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings over two spring starts. He will likely replace Martinez in the rotation sending the veteran to the bullpen. "Health is number one for a lot of guys," Greene said. "But this is going into my third year. I remember an interview last year saying that I haven't been part of a team that won anything since high school. I have been missing that feeling for a long time. We have a great opportunity to that here. Everybody sees it and feel it." Waiting in the wings are Connor Phillips, Williamson, Carson Spiers, and Lyon Richardson, who all helped the Reds cope with setbacks last season. Bullpen The club made a conscious effort to strengthen the bullpen. Last season the bullpen was effective early but as injuries to starting pitchers resulted in shorter outings, the workload wore down the pen. Alex Young, was the lone left-hander and was the first to show wear. The Reds added Sam Moll with two months left in the season to shoulder the load. Ian Gibaut, Buck Farmer, Lucas Sims and Fernando Cruz had good seasons for the most part. Alexis Diaz was outstanding early but also showed fatigue down the stretch. TJ Antone is back from nearly two years of injury. He showed great promise in 2021. The Reds hope he has fully healed and is as effective as he once was. The Reds signed left-handers Brent Suter, a Cincinnati native, and veteran Justin Wilson. Nick Martinez, will start the season in the starting rotation, but has experience working from the pen. He is expected to be a long reliever and spot starter. Emilio Pagan had success in Minnesota. He adds backup for Diaz, having collected 32 saves, including 20 with Tampa Bay in 2019. Casey Legumina provided support in 2023, getting valuable big league experience. Tony Santillan had a good spring to show he is fully recovered from a series of injuries to his back, knee and hamstring. Tyler Gilbert anothe left-hander will start the season in Louisville but provides depth. CATCHERS Tyler Stephenson is back to get most of the starts. He is in his second season from the injuries that mounted in the 2022 campaign. The offense of .242/.317/.378 with 20 doubles and 13 home runs can be written off to residual effects of a broken collar bone. In his fourth full season, the Reds are counting on more production offensively from their catcher. "Just how every one expected us to be last year, we way over achieved. The second half last year was the most fun baseball we played," Stephenson said. "We were disappointed not making the playoffs because we were so close. This is a big year for us." Luke Maile who hails from Northern Kentucky is the backup. He is an expert handler of pitchers from his 385 games over his eight seasons in and around the big leagues. His numbers .235/.308/.391 fail to show the hits he provided in clutch situations last season. While the catching position is considered mostly a defensive oriented one, the Reds could use some "bonus" offense from those who wear the masks. INFIELD This is an exciting group with shortstop De La Cruz had a strong spring after thrilling Reds' fans with his dare devil baserunning. A rare combination of speed, power and throwing arm has the makings of a super star in the image of his mentor, Barry Larkin. McLain had an outstanding rookie season moves full time to second base but is going to miss the start of the season. Candelario will get time at first and third base with plenty of DH opportunities. Ditto for Encarnacion-Strand who is potentially a source of power. Steer and India will provide offense by playing both infield and outfield. Espinal will be the spare part off the bench. "I found a better way to prepare for the role. There were times last year I felt unprepared for moving positions. It is tough playing left field for two days straight and coming in to play third base," said Steer who feels more comfortable at second or third base. "I think I have a better plan of attack for that. I was able to work on things this spring, rather than moving positions during the season." Ultra talented Edwin Arroyo had a strong spring. Barry Larkin is high on him. The 20-year old, who was pried from Seattle in the Luis Castillo deal, has a outside chance to jump to the majors. He advanced to Chattanooga last season where he got four games under his belt with six hits, including two doubles and a triple. OUTFIELD Friedl will return sometime in June. Fairchild has the speed to play center and has potential to be a solid hitter with power. Benson showed why s drafted him in the first round. He has a good glove and strong arm and also has speed and power. Fraley with an injury free season that he has yet to enjoy, offers a boost to the Reds' offense. What is lacking in this garden is a right-handed bat. That is where India and Steer converting to the outfield come into play. Jacob Hurtubise will likely make his Major League debut sometime this season, alas he is another left-handed bat. Right handed hitting, Rece Hinds and Blake Dunn are nearly ready. They could very well start their big league career this season. SKIPPER Bell starts his sixth season at the helm. He has a background in player development which has been valuable in building the current roster. The coaching staff remains nearly the same with Jeff Pickler being promoted to be the bench coach, tasked with game planning. Freddie Benavides is back for his sixth season as Bell's bench coach. It is his 11th on the Reds' staff. With Pickler sharing the load as bench coach, the Reds' lifer will add defensive positioning to his duties. The energetic Collin Cowgill, a Lexington, Kentucky native, will coach first base. His expertise is base running. J.R House will return as the third base coach. He has minor league managerial experience and handles the catchers. Joel McKeithan starts his second season as hitting coach. Terry Bradshaw (second season) and Tim LaMonte will assist him. Highly regarded Derek Johnson returns for his sixth season as pitching coach. Alon Leichman, a native of Israel, will assist with the mound crew.
No comments:
Post a Comment