The Cincinnati Reds have had another busy winter...

Coming off the 2018-2019 off-season which saw the club add the likes of Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, and Sonny Gray, General Manager Nick Krall and company went right back to assuring Reds fans that they’re serious about Winning Right Now. And they are certainly doing just that with the additions of infielder Mike Moustakas, outfielder Nick Castellanos, and reliever Pedro Strop. 

Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos are well-known to Cincinnati fans, having played for the Brewers and Cubs, respectively, last season. Being that all three, Reds included,  are in the same division, it surely must make Reds Country happy that they have made their rivals weaker by grabbing players of this caliber. 

Moustakas finally gives Cincinnati an answer at second base. The former third baseman clears up the confusing game of musical chairs the Reds had going on last year with Derek Dietrich, Scooter Gennet, José Peraza, Josh Vanmeter, Pete Rose, Marge Schott’s ghost, an I-75 construction worker, and a can of Rhinegeist Truth. Manager David Bell was desperate to find an answer. So the Reds signed star Brewer Mike Moustakas to a 4 year deal worth $64 million. Among so many other things, this is exciting because it gives Cincinnati at least four years of an infield featuring Moustakas, Joey Votto, and Eugenio Suarez. 

Nick Castellanos, the ex-Cub, gives the Reds a strong bat in the outfield, specifically over in right. With center field presumably claimed by Japanese star Shogo Akiyama and left field occupied by a pack of ravenous wolves, including recently-called-up Scott Shebler, Castellanos has to be a lock in the void left by Puig. 

With an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .863, Castellanos is certainly a move that signals the Reds are looking to improve upon an offense that ranked 25th in the MLB last year. 

"Rightfully so and realistically, our fans are expecting a championship," Bell said. "That's a great challenge, because you can talk about it. We still have a ton of work to do to prepare ourselves and get ready. We still have to go out and do it. To be in a position where the expectations are nothing short of a championship, that's where you want to be as a player, competitor, manager, coach or anyone in the organization. We put ourselves in a position to succeed, and that's all you can ask for. We feel the support within the organization. We feel the support in the city."

Pedro Strop, signed for one year, looks to shore up a bullpen that actually wasn’t that bad for Cincinnati in 2019. Perhaps he is simply another arm to grind out some innings should Bell continue his trend of pulling starters early. Either way you look at it, the Reds pitching was definitely their strength last year. Their starters, as a collective, ranked fifth overall in the NL in 2019. And Strop wasn’t all that effective last year either. As a member of the Cubs, he had a 2-5 win-loss record with a 4.97 ERA. Not exciting numbers. But consider the only other time in his career that Strop has had a 4+ ERA. In 2013, he was 4.55 for the year. Now we have to put an asterisk here because he spent time in Baltimore before heading to Chicago. The next year, however? He trimmed his ERA by more than half at 2.21. So safe to say, last year was an outlier. Still though, Strop is interesting for calling Puig a moron. And certainly, as a fan, the drama would have been significantly better had the Reds retained Yasiel. Who wouldn’t have wanted to see how that would have played out?

The Reds have a lot to be excited about this year. The front office seems to be credibly concerned about winning, several high-profile free-agent splashes have been made, and the result is that there is a general feeling among the fanbase that their voices are being heard. 

Now if only they could get Puig back.

Written By Guest Blogger: Matt Clark