Cincinnati Reds: Have the Reds done enough to contend in NL Central?

The Cincinnati Reds have made a flurry of moves this off season to improve their club, but with arguably the most competitive division in baseball, can the Reds be a contender?

The Cincinnati Reds have not made the playoffs in five years, their last appearance coming when they fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2013 National League Wild Card Game.

The attendance is always at the bottom of the National League, in fact 2018 was the Reds’ worst season of attendance 2009, when the team failed to attract 1.8 million fans.

Of course, the attendance is a major part of the fact that the Reds have not had a competitive ball club since that 2013 season, and to be frank have not had a quality starting pitcher since Johnny Cueto.

More from Call to the Pen

Well, the Reds have began their race to contention on the right step. Just this off season they have traded for Alex Wood and Sonny Gray, in addition to signing Tanner Roark to bolster a rotation that has not had success for five years.

Alex Wood and Tanner Roark are very solid starting pitchers, but the key is Sonny Gray. As we all know Gray was arguably one of the best pitchers in the league when he was with the Oakland Athletics, but struggles with the New York Yankees, especially at home seemed to make people look at him differently.

But it just seems like Gray is just one of those pitchers that prefers to pitch in smaller cities. A move to Cincinnati will improve Gray’s numbers, and if he gets back to his form back with the A’s, the NL Central will not look forward to facing him.

The Reds also acquired outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig to improve their outfield and provide more right handed power in a lineup that is led by Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett.

The confusing part of the additions were that both Puig and Kemp are in their contract year and will be eligible for free agency after this season. It is not very hard to look forward to next off season and see that both outfielders would rather play in a larger market than Cincinnati.

So why did the Reds make this deal other than to ship off Homer Bailey?

The Reds have undoubtedly made themselves better… for this season. The Reds did sign Gray to a three year extension, but trading for players that are going to leave after this year is not the most ordinary thing to do.

The only way I see the Reds being able to contend is if Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark, and Alex Wood all have an ERA of under four, the bullpen is stable in front of Raisel Iglesias, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig have great power years, and top prospect Nick Senzel works out in center field.

That is a lot of ifs. It seems like Senzel will be playing center field full time going into Spring Training. Senzel will be moving from shortstop and third base to center field. “We have Nick coming in as a bit of a wild card,” Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams confidently stated. “But he will be given every opportunity to focus on center field, play center field, learn center field, improve in center field to see where he stacks up against our other options.”

The only other options are Scott Schebler and Yasiel Puig, who is not a center fielder.

The center field situation will be a key to either the Reds being able to contend this year or it being another year of missing the playoffs.

Now we also have to look at the other teams in the NL Central. This is arguably the best division in baseball coming into this season. The Brewers are coming off of a NL Championship Series berth, the Cubs will have a full season of Cole Hamels and a healthy Kris Bryant, and the Cardinals now have an All-Star first basemen going into a contract year in Paul Goldschmidt.

dark. Next. Frank Robinson's legacy

If all of the things I mentioned have to go right actually go right, then expect the Cincinnati Reds to hang with the Brewers, Cubs, and Cardinals, but if one of those keys falters, the Reds are not going to contend.

Home / Cincinnati Reds