2019 Pre-Season Profile: Cincinnati Reds

#19

The Cincinnati Reds have been building up a strong farm system over the last couple years, but their on-field production has been lacking.  Will bringing in some veteran leadership finally bring about the change in the Reds' fortunes they have been waiting for?

2018 Predictions

5th in NL Central

This will be Bryan Price's last season as the Reds' manager.

2018 Results

67-95, 5th in NL Central

Last season was Bryan Price's fifth season as the Reds manager, and only lasted 18 games.  Apparently, losing over 90 games every season finally wasn't good enough.  The Reds, and especially their pitching staff, have been underwhelming all throughout his tenure.  It was long past time to move on.  There were some breakout performances from players like Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez.

Additions / Subtractions

Rarely do you see a team with a streak of losing like this become buyers in the offseason.  However, that is exactly what happened with the Reds and their new manager David Bell.  They made several blockbuster trades to make them interesting.  They acquired Tanner Roark from the Nationals and Sonny Gray from the Yankees.  Then, in what might be the biggest surprise of the offseason, the Reds sent Homer Bailey (who was quickly released) to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, and Alex Wood.  The only other notable subtractions were speedster Billy Hamilton and starter Matt Harvey.

Most Important Hitter

Yasiel Puig

The Reds made some big moves in the offseason to help change their culture.  So they picked up one of the most polarizing players in the big leagues over the last decade.  When Yasiel Puig is on, he is one of the best in the league.  When Puig is off, he is bad and a distraction.  If nothing else, Puig is exciting.  He is instantly the most interesting player on the Reds and might be able to anchor their lineup with Joey Votto,  It all depends on what Puig shows up.  Maybe the change of scenery will be good for him.

Most Important Pitcher

Sonny Gray

For a struggling pitching staff, a proven commodity is exactly what they need.  Sonny Gray has had a bit of a rocky road over the last year or so.  He started 2017 in Oakland before being traded mid-season to the Yankees.  In 2018, he struggled greatly in the Bronx with one of his worst seasons as a professional.  The Reds acquired him with the idea that a change of scenery, and a reunion with his college pitching coach, will bring him back to his All Star level.  If he does, he may stabilize this entire pitching staff.

Prospect to Watch

Nick Senzel

The second overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Nick Senzel is the 6th best prospect in the league and about ready to break out when given the opportunity.  He tore up AAA in 2018 with a .310 average.  The only problem is his two positions, second and third base, currently have two of the Reds best hitters in Gennett and Suarez.  This season, either one of them will be moved or Senzel will be sen t off to bring back more veterans that can help now.

2019 Prediction

4th in NL Central

All the moves the Reds made this offseason definitely have them moving in the right direction for the first time in awhile.  The problem is their division might have two or three playoff teams in it with possibly every team finishing above .500.  They will compete, which is more than could be said of them for the last five years.  However, their division will keep them away from the playoffs.  They will still be a fun team to watch all season though.

Fearless Prediction

Scooter Gennett will be traded mid-season.

This team is headed in the right direction for sure, but it doesn't mean they can't continue to seel off some pieces and rebuild.  With Nick Senzel waiting in the wings, Scooter has a chance to be expendable and bring back an impressive haul.  Look for him to be available and possibly moved by the Deadline.

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers were somewhat of a surprise team last year.  Will they be able to continue their success into 2015?

Last Season

82-80, 3rd in NL Central

No one was really expecting much out of the Brewers last year.  Then they went out and had a winning season, finishing behind only the playoff-bound Cardinals and Pirates.  It was definitely an overachieving effort in 2014.

2015 Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers were almost disturbingly quiet this offseason.  For a team that seemed to be close in 2014, seeking out a few pieces to put them over the edge would have made sense.  The only acquisition made on any front was bringing in slugger Adam Lind to play first base.  On the other hand, they traded ace Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers for prospects.  It almost feels like the Brewers are not quite sure what they want to be; a team of the future or a team of the present.  So instead of deciding, they have stayed in limbo not really committing to either.

Most Important Hitter

Ryan Braun

This is an easy one.  Ryan Braun has been a shell of his former self since his suspension for PEDs.  What was once a perennial MVP candidate has become just another face on his own team.  The emergence of hitters like Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, Jonathan Lucroy, and Jean Segura, they have established a solid core to the lineup, but they need their leader.  They need their backbone to really be a force to be reckoned with in the NL Central.  That means Braun has to become the feared hitter he once was and earn back some credibility and respectability to his career.

Most Important Pitcher

Matt Garza

In his first year in Milwaukee last year, Matt Garza showed why he has bounced around so much from team to team.  He shows flashes of dominance, but is primarily inconsistent.  The Brewers brought in Garza to be help lead their rotation, but he was out performed by several others on his staff.  If the Brewers are going to have a successful season, Matt Garza needs to be the pitcher he is being paid to be.

Player to Watch

Scooter Gennett

The Brewers have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, with only one prospect cracking MLB.com's Top 100 and none of their top prospects projected to help out the big club for several years still.  This leads to a roster that has no hope of a wild card coming out of nowhere to breathe new life into the club.  With that said, I am focusing here on possibly one of the best young players in the game you haven't heard of.  Scooter Gennett burst onto the scene when he took over as the Brewers' second baseman down the stretch in 2013.  In his first full season last year, he continued to show that he is a top ten player at his position in the league.  Last year, he was second in NL batting average in my ASG-to-ASG rankings, which calculates the end of one year and the start of the next as a complete season's worth of stats.  He struggled a little down the stretch, but look for him to possibly be a surprise All Star selection this year.

Prediction

4th in NL Central

Overall, it appears the Brewers seem to be trending in the wrong direction.  After the surprise start to 2014, something needed to be done to solidify and validate their spot near the top of the division.  Instead, they stayed put and even went backward.  When Adam Lind and a backup shortstop are your only acquisitions, you lose your ace and pitching staff leader, and you don't have any help coming up through the farm system, they might be in for a long season.  I don't see Ryan Braun bouncing back they way they need him to, and I don't see Matt Garza having a dominant season.  They have some great talent, but it is far from coming all together.  They might prove me wrong like they proved everyone wrong last year, but I doubt it.