Letters to Santa from the loaded NL Central
By Trevor Hooth
Activity thy name is Cincinnati Reds. They have already made several moves to improve their standing in the NL Central. If nothing else, they have provided excitement in the off-season.
The most exciting part of it all for the Reds fans is getting rid of Homer Bailey and is monster contract. Though, they did add quite a bit of money in the process.
Ignoring the money issue, they already got excitement in the for of Yasiel Puig. While their pitching is still a little suspect, their lineup looks to be in excellent shape.
This is a wish list for Santa that might not resonate with the fans, but there are two big things to ask for in my mind. The first is a healthy Nick Senzel.
Talk about excitement, Senzel was hitting well in Triple A and was ready to become a Red. Then, the number six prospect in baseball fractured his finger, ending his season.
There is no question that the man can hit. If Senzel can stay healthy, there is no way he does not contribute to that already exciting lineup. The only question is where he will fit.
For me, the second biggest wish is that the new pitching coach is still magical. Derek Johnson did wonders for a Brewers pitching staff that really lacked a ton of big names. That can be very helpful for the Reds.
Under Johnson’s tutelage, I would expect Tanner Roark to have a good year and Luis Castillo to take a huge step forward. Those are only two examples. The truth is that the entire pitching staff can benefit from their new leader.
There is a reason that the Reds scooped Johnson up from Milwaukee, and it is to use his magical powers to make that pitching staff more competitive.