Seriously, what are the Cincinnati Reds doing this offseason?
Sure, it’s early in the offseason, but the Cincinnati Reds already have their fans wondering exactly what is happening and where this team is heading.
What exactly is the plan for the Cincinnati Reds this offseason?
Within the span of just over 24 hours earlier in the week, the Reds made a couple of head-scratching moves. First, on Thursday, the Reds made a lopsided trade, sending Gold Glove-winning catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a minor league outfielder who has never advanced above Class A. They followed that on Friday by declining to pick up the $10 million option on pitcher Wade Miley, then watched as the division rival Chicago Cubs swooped in to add a pitcher who tallied 13 wins in 2021, including a no-hitter in May.
Why the Reds didn’t keep Miley and then trade him after a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was in place or even into the 2022 season remains a mystery with only one answer: The Reds wanted to cut payroll and cut it now.
Add in the fact that Nick Castellanos opted out of his contract with two years and $34 million remaining on it and it’s clear to see that the face of the Reds is changing considerably heading into 2022.
While the Reds did offer Castellanos a qualifying offer on Saturday morning, the offer will be rejected by the All-Star outfielder, assuring at least Cincinnati will get a draft pick out of his departure.
Count up all of the moves within the span of 72 hours and one thing is clear: Cincinnati is in cost-savings mode.
“Like I said the other day, we’re aligning our payroll with our resources,” Cincinnati general manager Nick Krall said after the Miley move. “That’s where making this move today made sense for us.”
After going 83-79 last season and not being eliminated from postseason contention until the final week of the campaign, Cincinnati appeared to be poised to challenge the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central in 2022. However, with three key pieces of the team moving on, slashing payroll amidst uncertainty about what is to come with the CBA and potential work stoppage appears to be the overriding factor in Cincinnati’s offseason plans.
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So what is Cincinnati’s plan this offseason? It has more to do with budget than wins and losses.