Reds Offseason Thread

• Ironman92

  

  Heard they are getting rid of the assistant GM
  
  Wish they'd get rid of THE GM
• Midstate01

  

  Any word on why Jim day won't be back?
• Ironman92

  

  I thought he was just very grateful and appreciative of his job. (The Pete Rose interview was awesome and he was in heaven it seemed interviewing him)
• Midstate01

  

  @JimDayTV: Thank you #Reds fans for all these years together! You’ve been great. Thank you @Reds , thank you @foxsportsoh #blessed
  
  Made me sound like he's leaving.
• wildcats20

  

  If he is leaving, he was fired. He loves that job with every ounce of his being. I honestly think he was just being appreciative.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Why the hell was he fired?
• Rotinaj

  

  So, are Frazier and Meso our only offensive players that weren't giant piles of shit this year? I liked a lot of stuff I saw from BH this season but he has a ton of work to do. We have so many holes in the field/offensively, as of now, I don't see us being much better next year.
• Azubuike24

  

  The Reds success hinges on 2 things.
  
  1. The return of a healthy Votto, Bruce and BP. We all know Cozart and LF sucked this year. Barring a miracle, neither will find significant upgrades in 2015. Cozart will be tough to upgrade from and we just have to hope someone finds some short-term success in LF. However, combine an improved BP and no-fluke years from Mesoraco and Frazier along with these guys just at their career averages, it's a different ballgame.
  
  2. The bullpen, outside of Chapman, finding its niche. This is what cost the Reds so many games this year. Hoover, Ondrusek, LeCure and Parra, 20 LOSSES! I'm sorry, but that's a lot of games being decided by the arms of guys who honestly, aren't even necessarily major league caliber. Finding another bullpen arm to pair with Chapman, and then finding a TRUE lefty, could make 2015 successful.
  
  How is this done? Well, a decision has to be made on a few of the starters. Cueto, Latos, Leake and Simon are all free agents after 2015. How do Cingrani, Stephenson and Lorenzen fit into your future? 2015? 2016? This is the spot where the Reds have a significant advantage over other teams. Major league ready arms. Everywhere else, they are behind the eight ball and will need to be creative with a trade or 2 to upgrade the team.
  
  For as doom and gloom as I was this season, I'm still confident in 2015. Look at Boston in 2012? They win it all in 2013. They suck in 2014, after some big moves. I wouldn't be shocked if they are a major contender in 2015. Baseball isn't as difficult as it once was to build a contender for a year, and the Reds, barring some luck on their side in 2015, can still contend for a title.
  
  C Mesoraco
  1B Votto
  2B Phillips
  SS Cozart
  3B Frazier
  LF ???
  CF Hamilton
  RF Bruce
  
  Schumaker
  Pena
  Heisey (arb eligible)
  Negron (did he earn a spot?)
  ???
  
  Cueto
  Latos
  Bailey
  Simon/Leake
  Cingrani
  
  Chapman
  Diaz
  Marshall (healthy?)
  Parra
  LeCure
  ???
  
  Ludwick and Hannahan's options won't be picked up. Hoover, Ondrusek and Santiago will be non-tendered. One of Leake or Simon should be traded, likely Leake given he has more value.
• thavoice

  Azubuike24;1658892 wrote:The Reds success hinges on 2 things.
  
  1. The return of a healthy Votto, Bruce and BP. We all know Cozart and LF sucked this year. Barring a miracle, neither will find significant upgrades in 2015. Cozart will be tough to upgrade from and we just have to hope someone finds some short-term success in LF. However, combine an improved BP and no-fluke years from Mesoraco and Frazier along with these guys just at their career averages, it's a different ballgame.
  
  2. The bullpen, outside of Chapman, finding its niche. This is what cost the Reds so many games this year. Hoover, Ondrusek, LeCure and Parra, 20 LOSSES! I'm sorry, but that's a lot of games being decided by the arms of guys who honestly, aren't even necessarily major league caliber. Finding another bullpen arm to pair with Chapman, and then finding a TRUE lefty, could make 2015 successful.
  
  How is this done? Well, a decision has to be made on a few of the starters. Cueto, Latos, Leake and Simon are all free agents after 2015. How do Cingrani, Stephenson and Lorenzen fit into your future? 2015? 2016? This is the spot where the Reds have a significant advantage over other teams. Major league ready arms. Everywhere else, they are behind the eight ball and will need to be creative with a trade or 2 to upgrade the team.
  
  For as doom and gloom as I was this season, I'm still confident in 2015. Look at Boston in 2012? They win it all in 2013. They suck in 2014, after some big moves. I wouldn't be shocked if they are a major contender in 2015. Baseball isn't as difficult as it once was to build a contender for a year, and the Reds, barring some luck on their side in 2015, can still contend for a title.
  
  C Mesoraco
  1B Votto
  2B Phillips
  SS Cozart
  3B Frazier
  LF ???
  CF Hamilton
  RF Bruce
  
  Schumaker
  Pena
  Heisey (arb eligible)
  Negron (did he earn a spot?)
  ???
  
  Cueto
  Latos
  Bailey
  Simon/Leake
  Cingrani
  
  Chapman
  Diaz
  Marshall (healthy?)
  Parra
  LeCure
  ???
  
  Ludwick and Hannahan's options won't be picked up. Hoover, Ondrusek and Santiago will be non-tendered. One of Leake or Simon should be traded, likely Leake given he has more value.

  I have to agree for the most part.
  
  You need your best players to be your best players. Votto and Bruce need to have very good years and Meso and Frazier to continue to get better. BH did better than expected and he can take another step. LF is an issue big time. Phillips needs to produce as well. If all of that happens they can still use Cozarts glove.
  Pitching is good. For some reason...I am confident but the guys getting paid to put up big numbers have to do their jobs'
• mhs95_06

  I wouldn't be so sure Ludwick will be gone. Don't they still have to pay him like 4-5 million if they don't keep him?
• Azubuike24

  

  4.5 million to buy out Ludwick or pay him 9M in salary.
  2 million to buy out Hannahan or pay him 4M in salary.
  
  Both have been so bad, they will likely buy them out and figure they have 6.5M to spend. They can fill the Hannahan bench spot with Negron anyway, who makes the minimum. The PR alone by keeping Ludwick in LF, when that's an easy position to upgrade, will be too much.
• wildcats20

  

  Heisey is likely gone as well, right?
• Azubuike24

  

  He'd have to be non-tendered. IMO, they paid Hannahan, Santiago, Schumaker, etc...and others before them between 2-4M. He'd probably cost in that range.
  
  Reality, you wouldn't pay him that if you can upgrade in LF. Otherwise, if you plan is just to sign another backup, he might be worth it at 2-3M.
• Ironman92

  

  Steve Smith won't be back....had a rough year
• mhs95_06

  Reds spend $10M on Cueto for 2015, and realize the waste of $6.5M they had committed to Ludwick and Hannahan for 2015.
• TedSheckler

  

  mhs95_06;1668735 wrote:$6.5M they had committed to Ludwick and Hannahan for 2015.

  The best $6.5M they'll spend.
• thavoice

  In looking at the WS.....I put the reds SP up with both of those teams. I wouldnt mind having Cueto, Bailey, Latos or Cingrani starting for the reds in the WS wherease the Giants...shit they roll out some old dudes and 3 of them couldnt make it outta the 3rd innning.
  
  Middle of the lineup guys have to produce.
  
  I dont want to rail on votto, but look at sandoval. He had 3 hits I think that all were out of the zone. The zone isnt that big. I know..>Votto does the basic rule of baseball as good as anyone and that is....dont make an out. BUt I think for the best hitters to be the best hitters they need to be able to get hits with balls slightly out of the zone.
• sportswizuhrd

  Bruce to Toronto or San Diego for pitching, Cueto to Miami for offense? Money saved would go to a FA hitter?
  
  http://redlegnation.com/2014/11/25/making-sense-of-the-new-trade-rumors/
• Ironman92

  

  sportswizuhrd;1679033 wrote:Bruce to Toronto or San Diego for pitching, Cueto to Miami for offense? Money saved would go to a FA hitter?
  
  http://redlegnation.com/2014/11/25/making-sense-of-the-new-trade-rumors/

  Cueto for Miami offense? The only Marlins guy I could see helping our offense would be Marcel Ozuna. Jay Bruce for Tyson Ross...jump on that
• thavoice

  Ironman92;1679035 wrote:Cueto for Miami offense? The only Marlins guy I could see helping our offense would be Marcel Ozuna. Jay Bruce for Tyson Ross...jump on that

  How about Stanton? HA!
• Ironman92

  

  Reds trade Chris Heisey to the Dodgers for 23 year old 6'3 righty pitcher Matt Magill. Only 6 career starts.
  
  Clearing a bit of money to use elsewhere
• Azubuike24

  

  Logan Ondrusek DFA'ed! Most exciting news of the off-season, by far!
• TedSheckler

  

  Ironman92;1681366 wrote:Reds trade Chris Heisey to the Dodgers for 23 year old 6'3 righty pitcher Matt Magill. Only 6 career starts.

  Brilliant move. Who needs a bat anyway? I'd rather have a pitcher who gets rocked in the minors. World Series, here we come!
• SportsAndLady

  

  TedSheckler;1681503 wrote:Brilliant move. Who needs a bat anyway? I'd rather have a pitcher who gets rocked in the minors. World Series, here we come!

  Chris Heisey is considered a bat?
• Ironman92

  

  SportsAndLady;1681515 wrote:Chris Heisey is considered a bat?

  I think he means we need to get a bat.
  
  Looks like we have our new Ondrusek though.