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Reds 2022-23 OiR Chat
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Anthony Franco
3:01
Hey everyone, hope you're all enjoying your afternoon!
Always fun to do the team-specific chats. Let's talk Reds!
Adam
3:01
T or F. Greene and Lodolo will be the best duo in the NL Central going into 24
Anthony Franco
3:02
This assumes one of Woodruff or Burnes is traded before then, which feels likely. I think I'd still take one of that duo plus Freddy Peralta over Lodolo/Greene, so unless Milwaukee trades both guys, I'd go with false
Eh?
3:03
Will Benson has had a great spring and had an amazing AAA season last year. Should I get my hopes up?
Anthony Franco
3:05
I'm cautiously optimistic, I'd say. The power/plate discipline is a great starting point. Even with a strikeout rate around 30%, he could be an above-average hitter. I wouldn't have thought that possible 12 months ago but last year's dramatic improvement in that department in Triple-A plus his history of improving the second time he plays at essentially every minor league level gives some reason for hope
3:06
Guys like Benson (and Nick Solak to a lesser extent) are the types of players the Reds should take fliers on while they're at this stage in the competitive cycle. Those trades were probably my favorite of their moves this offseason
Eman
3:06
What's the over/under on Elly's MLB plate appearances in 2023?
Anthony Franco
3:08
De La Cruz will start in Louisville. I think they'd want a good 2-3 months there to give opposing pitchers a chance to adjust and see how he responds from a contact perspective. Could see him up around the All-Star Break if everything goes well
I'd probably peg the O/U on MLB plate appearances around 220
T Stanley
3:08
Longtime Reds fan.

What hope is there for Reds fans this season?  Certainly no free agent signings that offer the hope of improvement.
Have you seen an ownership group that blatantly doesn't want to be competitive?

Thanks
Anthony Franco
3:09
Yeah I don't think there's much reason for optimism from a team perspective this season. Even in a rebuilding season, there are individual players you're hoping to see strides from for '24 and beyond (the top three starters, Stephenson, Spencer Steer, India, at least one of the outfielders) but the team is not going to be good
3:11
I don't think they'll lose 100 games again. They had some brutal injury luck last year that contributed to that. But the bullpen is terrible, there are questions at the back of the rotation, and the outfield as a whole will probably be below-average. It feels like a 70-ish win team to me
3:12
As far as ownership goes, we've talked about that a lot. I'm ambivalent on this offseason -- they weren't going to fix the team in one winter so they didn't try, whatever -- but the team's direction during and immediately after the '21 season was disappointing
Nick
3:12
Is this a make or break season for Jose Berrero?
Adam
3:13
How long will Barreros leash be to start the year assuming he gets the nod over Newman?
Is Senzels time on this roster coming to an end?
Anthony Franco
3:14
Lumping Barrero and Senzel together here because I think they're in the same spot essentially. Feels like this is the last shot for both
3:15
Barrero's no longer the shortstop of the future and guys like De La Cruz, Steer, Encarnacion-Strand, Marte and Arroyo are all going to factor into the left side of the infield at some point soon. If he doesn't take a huge step forward from a contact perspective, it's probably time to move on
3:16
Senzel doesn't have as much immediate pressure in center field, assuming Mike Siani's more of a fourth outfield type. But he's into his arbitration window now and hasn't performed. If he has another 90 wRC+ type season with below-average defensive marks in center field, feels like he's getting non-tendered
Nate
3:16
I have read/heard a lot of talk about most if not all of the young SS  eventually moving positions once in the majors.  So do you think the SS of the future is in the organization currently or no?
Anthony Franco
3:17
Yeah they've got enough possibilities one of those guys should seize it. Even if De La Cruz and Marte eventually outgrow the position, there doesn't seem to be any concern about Arroyo defensively
tip of the top
3:17
Disappointed the club didn't pick up a bullpen arm late in the off-season when the prices dropped do you think there is a chance this bullpen could be average?
Anthony Franco
3:18
A little surprised they didn't throw like $3MM at a veteran middle reliever they could trade this summer. Maybe they tried and the late-offseason signees all wanted a clearer chance to compete
3:19
They've got a bunch of non-roster invitees who should get a look at some point though. Alex Young, Hunter Strickland, Silvino Bracho, etc. could pitch their way onto the roster and get a lottery ticket back at the deadline. Seems like they preferred the bulk approach on minor league deals to one MLB addition
baseball gods laugh and laugh
3:19
When does Tyler Stephenson get moved off C permanently?
Anthony Franco
3:20
That feels like a waste to me. He's a fine defensive catcher and the chance to have a hitter of his caliber behind the plate is a pretty big differentiator with catcher offense down around the league
3:22
I'm not even a huge fan of their plan to go with like 65 games at catcher and 80 at DH/first base. I know he got hurt a bunch last year but it was a series of fluke injuries that don't tend to happen in rapid succession to catchers like that
MostlyToasty1
3:22
I know the fan poll on the Cincy article was highly critical of their offseason, but it feels to me they're simply at the stage of the rebuild where they need to evaluate the talent they have and give opportunities to their young players. Since they were never going to land splashy free agents, the alternative would have meant signing cheaper players that would block a minor league flush with higher level talent. Would you consider this a good or bad offseason for them? Or maybe just what they *should* be doing, even if it doesn't impress fans?
Anthony Franco
3:24
I think this offseason was bland but fine. Not exciting but it was never going to be once they committed to this direction. They're just biding time until the Votto/Moustakas money comes off the books and some more of the upper minors hitters get to the majors
Future FA signings
3:24
If the expectation is to compete in '25, would the reds be spending next year to try to make sure there are some pieces/veterans in place?
Anthony Franco
3:25
Yeah, next winter has to be a different story. They can't do a handful of one-year deals for role players worth a combined $13MM and call it an offseason again. They should have a clearer idea of how their long-term position player core is shaking out and they'll have almost no commitments on the books. That's the time to start bringing in legitimate complementary pieces who could be a part of the next playoff team
Reds Fan
3:26
Votto has a club option for 2024. If he has a good season do you think the Reds exercise the option or is this the end of the road?
Anthony Franco
3:27
It's a $13MM decision when you factor in the buyout for what'll be his age-40 season. He'd need to have a great year
3:28
If he hits 36 homers with a 139 wRC+ like he did in 2021, then yeah, they'd have to think about bringing him back. But if he's an above-average but not elite hitter, he's getting bought out
Tmadd04
3:28
Fraley going to be that staple in the outfield ?
Anthony Franco
3:30
Fraley feels more like a strong-side platoon option. Not really a center fielder, doesn't hit the ball hard. He hasn't hit lefties in a limited big league look
The approach is good and he's got a solid floor from an on-base perspective because of the walks, but I think he's a Ben Gamel type of role player
3:31
But again, this is a year where they can afford to give him regular run to see if he's better than that
ragweed
3:31
Will Diaz be on the roster after the trade deadline?
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