It’s hard to believe, but the last time the Cincinnati Reds won a playoff series was in 1995. They have had some tough luck since, losing twice in the Divisional Series and once in the Wild Card game. Perhaps the biggest bruise to their ego came in 1999 when they went 96-67 and failed to make the postseason after losing a one game playoff to the New York Mets for the Wild Card. Luck has not been a word associated with the Reds in the last 20 seasons.
For the Reds in 2014, things were pretty rough at times even with the surprising individual performances they enjoyed. The biggest problem, aside from Jay Bruce’s .217 batting average, was the amount of injuries they had to their most important players. First baseman Joey Votto played in only 62 games all season while second baseman Brandon Phillips nearly doubled it with 121 games played. Even when they were in the lineup, neither played particularly well. Votto hit .255 while failing to hit a home run in his last 27 games spanning from May 11th to July 5th. Phillips missed the bulk of the summer, finishing the season with a .266 batting average.
While catcher Devin Mesoraco and third baseman Todd Frazier were enjoying career years, the loss of Votto and Phillips made everything those two did far less valuable.
The starting rotation also had their share of injuries. Things weren’t worse only because Johnny Cueto went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA.
The very steady Homer Bailey pitched in 23 games and Mat Latos only pitched in 16. Had they been healthy, the Reds would have possibly had the best starting rotation in all of baseball. Five guys would have won double-digit games and each had a realistic opportunity at finishing with an ERA under 4.00.
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Not much has changed for the Reds this offseason in terms of the roster. Other than replacing Ryan Ludwick in the outfield with Marlon Byrd, the position players will remain the same.
The starting rotation is a bit more ambiguous. They traded Latos to the Miami Marlins and Alfredo Simon to the Detroit Tigers, leaving two holes to fill. Tony Cingrani may fit, but after the growing pains from the 2014 season it may not be an automatic solution. Cingrani was only 2-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 2014. His strikeouts per 9 were also down while his walks went up to a ridiculous 5 per 9 innings.
If they stay healthy, the Reds remain in a good position to get back to winning baseball. Among the starting position players, only Votto, Phillips, and the newly acquired Byrd have reached their 30th birthday.
Based on the trades they made this offseason, which has dismantled the starting rotation, contending may not be on the menu for the Reds in 2015. Health will still be of the outmost importance as Cueto enters the final year of his contract. Even if the season is a disaster, a healthy Cueto could become the most coveted pitcher at the trade deadline and yield a nice return. The Reds will have to hope Cueto does not have a repeat performance of the 2013 season when he only pitched in 11 games whether he returns in 2016 or not.
Good, bad, or ugly the Reds cannot get by on another season of Brayan Pena at first base. When healthy, their team is still capable of contending with the rest of the National League Central.