The Cincinnati Reds are coming off three consecutive losing seasons with a total of 192 losses over the last two years alone. Unfortunately for baseball fans in Cincinnati there are more tough times ahead. The good news is that they have a chance at establishing some momentum this season with the opportunity to accelerate their rebuild while playing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. The Reds will likely once again finish at the bottom of the National League Central this coming season but if their young pieces can continue to develop they could move a lot closer to returning to contention than people realize in 2017.
Key Additions: IF/OF Arismendy Alcantara, SP Louis Coleman, IF Richie Shaffer, RP Drew Storen
Key Losses: C Ramon Cabrera, SP John Lamb, SP Ross Ohlendorf, RP Keyvius Sampson, SP Alfredo Simon
Strengths
Cincinnati remains a team in transition but they have some solid pieces in their infield and could be pretty good there if they stay healthy. Devin Mesoraco will be fine behind the plate, but the reason for optimism with this group revolves mostly around joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Zack Cosart and Eugenio Suarez. All four of those players can be quality contributors when healthy but they can’t afford to fall victim to the injuries that have plagued this team in past years. At the very least, the Reds might consider moving one or more of these pieces to continue to restock their farm system.
Weaknesses
There are not too many strengths to talk about but there are plenty of weaknesses throughout the Cincinnati lineup beginning with the starting rotation. Getting rid of Alfredo Simon and John Lamb might end up being addition by subtraction but there isn’t much to get excited about with their current group other than maybe a strong season from Anthony DeSclafani. Scott Feldman, Brandon Finnegan, Robert Stephenson and Homer Bailey round out the remainder of the rotation so there isn’t much to get excited about there. Meanwhile, the Reds brought in Drew Storen to help stabilize a bullpen that was an absolute mess a year ago. There is no guarantee that Storen even improves the bullpen with Tony Cingrani, Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzon all back in the mix. While the Cincinnati infield is solid on paper, the outfield is still a work in progress with holes in both corners. Billy Hamilton is a solid fit in center when healthy but he needs to prove he can avoid injuries and perform at a high level.
2017 Cincinnati Reds Depth Chart
| Catcher | Tucker Barnhart | ||||
| First Base | Joey Votto | Adam Duvall | |||
| Second Base | Jose Peraza | Dilson Herrera | |||
| Third Base | Eugenio Suarez | Adam Duvall | |||
| Shortstop | Zack Cozart | Jose Peraza | |||
| Left Field | Adam Duvall | Jose Peraza | Scott Schebler | ||
| Center Field | Billy Hamilton | Jose Peraza | Arismendy Alcantara | ||
| Right Field | Scott Schebler | ||||
| Starting Pitcher | Brandon Finnegan | Anthony DeSclafani | Scott Feldman | Robert Stephenson | Tim Adleman |
| Relief Pitcher | Jumbo Diaz | Raisel Iglesias | Drew Storen | Blake Wood | Michael Lorenzen |
| Closer | Tony Cingrani |
Projected Win Total: 70.5
World Series Odds: +12500
Outlook
Unfortunately for Reds fans, things could get a lot worse in 2017 before they get better. It certainly doesn’t help that they play in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. The Chicago Cubs are one of the top teams in the league, which means that they should be in the 100-win range and beat the Reds on a regular basis. Teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and even Milwaukee Brewers could and should be superior to the Reds.
After refusing to commit to a rebuild sooner, the Reds are now forced in to a long process at a time when they still have holes to fill on their major league roster and in their farm system. Cincinnati should once again finish at the bottom of the NL Central but if they can show signs of progress and maybe even add to their prospect list there could be reason for at least some optimism looking forward to 2018. As of right now, though, don’t expect this team to be anywhere near the playoffs.
Prediction: 65-97
The 2017 MLB season is rapidly approaching, so if you’re looking at some early lines and World Series futures, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI!
