With less than three weeks until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Neris up next?
There’s been a run on relief arms throughout the week, with top free agents Josh Hader and Robert Stephenson both landing multi-year deals from the Astros and Angels, respectively. Aroldis Chapman ($10.5MM) and Matt Moore ($9MM) landed respective one-year pacts with the Pirates and Angels. The run on relief arms leaves right-hander Hector Neris as arguably the top reliever left in free agency, though the market also features established veterans like David Robertson, Adam Ottavino, Phil Maton, Wandy Peralta, and Ryne Stanek.
The 34-year-old Neris has gotten plenty of buzz recently. He’s been connected to the Yankees and Mets in recent days but is a sensible addition for any team still hoping to add a leverage reliever. The Cubs, Cardinals, Mariners and Rangers are among those still on the hunt for bullpen arms. Texas has previously been described as a potential “frontrunner” for Neris’ services.
2. What’s next for the Pirates?
The Pirates made a somewhat surprising splash on the free agent market by agreeing with Chapman to that aforementioned one-year, $10.5MM deal earlier in the week. The deal helps to back up recent remarks from owner Bob Nutting, who indicated that the goal for the Pirates this year is to remain in contention “throughout the season.” Even after adding Chapman, however, the Pirates still have a ways to go before they catch up to the other clubs in the division; they finished fourth with an 86-loss season in 2023 and have largely stood pat this winter while their division rivals have made multi-year plays for significant players such as Sonny Gray, Shota Imanaga, Jeimer Candelario, and Rhys Hoskins. It appears that adding a veteran arm to a young and unproven rotation could be the next step Pittsburgh looks to take, and the club has already been connected to the likes of Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen in recent days.
3. Votto’s market:
Veteran first baseman Joey Votto has a secure legacy as one of his generation’s best hitters and a potential Hall of Famer. That hasn’t stopped him from looking to add to that resume by continuing his playing career, however. Previous reporting this winter has indicated that at least three teams (including the Blue Jays) have interest in the 40-year-old’s services for the 2024 season, and a pair of reports helped to further clarify Votto’s market yesterday. It appears that Toronto is joined by the Angels in the hunt for Votto’s services, where he could act as a veteran mentor to up-and-coming first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who made his big league debut last year just weeks after being selected in the first round of the 2023 draft.
Meanwhile, it’s becoming all the more clear that the one place Votto all but certainly is not signing on is with the Reds, the organization he spent more than two decades with after being selected in the second round of the 2002 draft. At the outset of his first foray into free agency, Votto indicated that he would pursue a role with a new team if the Reds did not decide to bring him back for the 2024 campaign. Recent comments from Cincinnati GM Nick Krall made clear that, at least as things stand, the club does not plan on pursuing a reunion with the former face of the franchise.
What can be said that hasn’t already been said?
Well said.
Nuff said
Say What??
que???
You’ve said it all!!
I like potato salad.
there’s a first
I want waffle fries
there’s a second
The pirates have not stood pat. They have added 6 players to their ML roster. They have at least 2 more players left to add
You’re right, wvsteve and if/when they add 2 more players, 3 of the current roster will need to be taken off of the 40 man
Question will be who? They already need to remove one once the Chapman signing becomes official
CSN and Alika Williams seem like slam dunks. The oft-mentioned and seldom executed trade may also clear space if one of the middle infielders go as well.
Bucs will probably remove a pitcher. Replace a pitcher with a pitcher seems the usual way when it’s at 40.
CSN because he hasn’t done anything yet. Looks like he needs fixing. They dfa guys and still no fix. Sanchez because he is making lil more than minimum wage. Can find another catcher. I like him so hope they find someone else. Bae can’t hit and can’t play defense. Defense maybe improves with more practice. Hitting seems like a harder fix. Looked like he could steal some bags but even that didn’t last long. I wouldn’t cry over Palacios but he has proven to hit and looks sustainable. Only slightly above average though. Alika can at least play ss, that’s hard to move on from. Falter I wouldn’t cry over and he is a strong possibility. But he is a lefty hence why he is still here. Ortiz would be surprising. Could be a good reliever. Him and Contreras come down to how hard they can throw. Selby could be nice reliever as well.
Selby first to go for me then Smith-Njigba, Palacios, Williams.
I think they should have been getting Selby ready for work as a starter this off season. He performed best in that capacity.
For some reason Shelton likes Palacios
Probably wishful thinking on my part, but Michael A Taylor or Bae in CF would make Palacios redundant as Suwinski would play RF most days with Olivares platooning.
Palacios has a reverse platoon split – bad against LH pitching and putrid against RH. He’s also way too old to be considered a prospect at 28yo.
He should be cut before CSN!
alika bats right and can’t hit lefties which is unusual but I agree about Bae, especially his defense playing the infield
And no one has mentioned Connor Joe. He was second in the league with called third strikes, second only to Suwinski by the way
Joe will be 32 this year, there has to be a better backup outfielder out there
Suwinski took a different approach against lefties at the end of last season, and hit much better against them. Could he be a power guy against RHP, and a singles-hitter, base-stealer against LHP?
I agree, Suwinski did hit better against lefties during the season but he still struck out 175 times
He had almost twice as many ks as hits
Strikeouts are going to happen but 175 is too many
I think if Suwinski continues with his updated hitting approach that was used in August and September, he estimate 150 strikeouts for the season. Not much of a difference between 175, but slow improvement.
Falter for sure they add a SP. Probably Williams as well
Alika Williams will be the first to be DFAd.. I can’t remember when the players can be put on the 60 day. Is it when pitchers and catchers report or is it when the regular reporting day is?
Probably Falter or Ortiz.
Rowdy Tellez was a sneaky good add. I think Lorenzen is a better option for them than Syndergaard. It’s a shame they couldn’t get Imanaga or Yariel Rodriguez.
Meh, that golf swing of his looks potent when the ball is inner half at the knees. When the ball is anywhere else you will be as frustrated as he and most Brewers fans have been.
Not a Pirates fan. But I think he represents far more upside than they’ve had at the position for a few years now. I’m not saying he’ll be an all star, but you can have some expectations with him in a way you couldn’t with Connor Joe or Michael Chavis, etc.
That signing has grown on me, to the point where I don’t believe 1B is worth any further investment on the MLB roster.
Those other guys are still question marks – and both ended up with what I’d consider risky contracts for teams like the Pirates. I doubt the Pirates are ever really going to be “in” on a guy who insists on an opt-out, it lowers their value if things don’t work out (either with the player or the team’s record).
Lorenzen and Syndergaard are more familiar names, but there are better values in that price range than either of those two: Eric Lauer is at the top of my list, but there are others as well. If you’re going to go big or roll the dice, kick the tires on Brandon Woodruff. My suspicion is they’ll try to add someone in the $6-7 million range at best, while taking a flyer on a minor league contract with someone like Domingo German.
Lauer is a solid reclamation project. I don’t know that I like that move though with Perez and Marco Gonzalez also occupying the same role. There is upside there to be sure.
A move for Woodruff would be very impressive. A 3 year contract with an opt out after year two could be beneficial, especially for spreading costs out.
I had originally thought that Montas or Mahle was ideal for this team and where they are at. Lorenzen and Syndergaard are clear steps back from that level. They clearly need someone else with the potential to produce at a low 2/high 3 clip. A bold trade for Luzardo or Cease would fit the bill. Again though, it seems so remote since they have already noted their attachment to their prospects.
@WagnerCobb. Would love to see a trade for Luzardo or Cease, but since that’s highly unlikely, I would like to see them get Clevinger, Lorenzen, Wood, or Lauer. I think Thor wouldn’t be cost effective and therefore, too risky. It feels like a desperation signing. Several guys on the current 40-man are likely as good.
I’d be fine with any of the 4 you mentioned, unless the contract was outrageous. The first two are probably commanding more at this point than the latter two. Thor is possibly a consolation prize, but I look for him to be overpaid by a team that needs to pander more to their fanbase (ahem, SF Giants – look, we signed a former All-Star, who cares if he’s actually good!)
There are a few guys they could pick up for peanuts (read: MiLB contract) to serve as depth, if they feel that two of Ortiz, Contreras or Priester are going to make a bit of a leap forward or at least be serviceable until June-ish.
I don’t see a problem with 3 lefties in the rotation considering our ballpark. The odds of one of those 3 hitting is reasonably higher than all 3 being duds.
Not holding my breath on Woodruff; I’m probably on the phone the most with the Marlins and Mariners (who are fits for our middle INF glut), not so much with the Sox at this point. My bet is that the Pirates have an offer on the table but the other teams are trying to give us the ugly sister for the same price (Rogers instead of Cabrera; Woo instead of Miller). Too many others in the mix for them to land Gilbert or Luzardo, IMO.
The Blue Jays have added a lot if you count Isiah Kiner Falefa as three.
How many last past the deadline? That team is a joke
What do you know about the current team?
If the Pirates had the depth, I’d trade away Chapman at the deadline even if the team were in first place for the right return. The joke team finished the second half of the season over .500 with two SPs and random bullpen garbage starting games.
The bigger joke teams are the ones who spend $200+ million on their MLB payrolls and finish outside the playoffs with the Pirates or get unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by an 84-win team.
I’m of an age where anyone who calls himself “big balls” is disqualified from being taken seriously.
Go sit at the kids table on X and leave the grown up discussion for grown ups.
If Cruz can stay healthy, that will be like adding a player as well.
@wvsteve – position player roster locks:
Reynolds, Hayes, Suwinski, Cruz, Davis, Delay, Cutch, Joe, Tellez, Triolo, Olivares. That’s 11 of the 13 spots. That leaves Bae and Palacios fighting for last OF spot, and Peguero and Gonzales fighting for last IF spot. If Taylor is signed to play CF, it would be difficult to keep Bae or Palacios. If Frazier is signed to play 2B, that would make it tough to keep Peguero or Gonzales. If they bring back Santana, Tellez will be platoon partner with Cutch at DH, and they would have to decide among Peguero, Gonzales, Bae, and Palacios for the last spot.
Position player group is almost certainly set. Adding to the rotation is really the only thing that makes sense. One more dude pushes Ortiz, Contreras, and Priester into a competition for the 5 spot, which is what you want.
Agree completely on the pitching side. Must get one more starter. Even with no further position player signings, and I agree they’re fine now, there are 4 guys battling for last two roster spots. I like Peguero and Palacios to win those battles. Bae’s only strength is speed, and the league figured him out in the second half and started throwing him out more often than not.
Bae’s been an on-base machine throughout his minor league career, and has shown he can play acceptable CF def in MLB.
Add to that his threat on the bases and I’d take him every day over Palacios who flashed a bit of ‘clutch’ and power last year, but ended the season with a sub .300 OBP.
It will certainly be a tough call for the Bucs. I hope both guys are improved and make the call even more difficult. Both were on-base machines in the minors. Hopefully, one of them can show it in the bigs.
Unlike most teams, the Pirates didn’t lose any significant players to free agency. Those teams that were adding had to fill a hole because someone left. They will also be “adding” Oneil Cruz back to the lineup after missing last year. They are not in the dire position being described. They aren’t likely to win the division, but are not a guarantee to finish last, either.
The Pirates just need a few more things to go right than a team like the Brewers to be in the mix at the top of the division. Cruz returning to even 80% of 2022 (with a better K%) would be a huge boost. To borrow from Moneyball, a Tellez/Triolo/Joe group is a decent player in the aggregate at 1B if Tellez can get back some of his 2022 magic.
Had they not lost Oviedo and Endy for the next season. I still believe they would have added either Perez or Gonzalez and probably Tellez. They still figure to be better than they’re getting credit for, but Oviedo + Endy + one of the SPs + Tellez + Cruz could have easily gotten them to 84 wins (where the NL Champs finished last year).
I understand votto is Canadian and that’s what appeals to the blue jays, more so as a role model I guess, but the fact of the matter is, Brandon belt had a way better season, even as a strict platoon option, and id rather the jays get him back, or get another dh like soler, Martinez, or turner. The jays offense was not all that great last year and adding votto over the other options just because he’s Canadian is stupid. They have a real chance to add to that lineup and make it so much better than it was, and somehow I feel they’ll add votto, which will not help them at all.
Votto stinks and also talked vad about Canada we don’t need his terrible bat
I think jays get soler and call it an offseason. A good one for them.
If votto ends up w tor it will be on a minor league deal w a club invite. Votto will get that bat workin at some point this season. Be a good player to have stashed around
Signing Votto to platoon at 1b and DH with Vlad kind of puzzles me. Vlad’s offensive numbers have been very consistent in his major league career
No they haven’t lol
Vlad is 25 and shouldn’t be DH
Votto should be healed from his injury, and while not what he was in his prime, should still be able to contribute as a LH power bat.
Nah he’s old and washed and doesn’t want to play in Canada as he said when Toronto wanted to trade for him when he was still good. His ego is huge and his desire to win is minimal
The Reds are paying Joey Votto $7 million to play elsewhere and wasted $15 million more on a player they didn’t need in Candelario. Meanwhile, their biggest need remains unfulfilled.
Brilliant.
Why do you think the Candelario signing was a waste?
Would you have preferred to pay $20million to keep Votto?
He’s saying Cincinnati is flush with INFers. And they should have spent the money on pitching, probably.
there is money spent for ballplayers to win games, and there is money spent on ballplayers to keep fans happy.
Any money going to votto the last few years is to keep fans happy. He is 40, and likely can still hit just enough to legit be on a big legue roster, but not much more. a 1b only player with no speed is a dime a dozen. If you have room for him, he is worth maybe 3m to the right team, but do you risk insulting him making that offer?
The Os have struggled with this the last few years- and the cure is winning. They did not resign Adam Jones- he gets 10m to be a glorified 4th OF with the D-backs for a year and has played in Japan since (So at that point they knew he was a fringe player). They did not resign Mancini- he gets 14m over 2 years from the Cubs and does not even make it half a season on their roster- and just signed a minor league deal (why this is the team on the top of my head).
Fans were outraged at each of those moves….. winning solves that problem (no one brings up Mancini at all, and Jones is basically a ring of honor type player to the fans now, and no one brings up how he left)
D-Nice: I find the Candelario signing kind of odd, too. He wasn’t very good with the Tigers, did better with the Nats, good enough for the cubs to be suckered into trading for him, then faltered at the end of last season. I don’t understand what the Reds see in him. They obviously don’t need a mediocre infielder. Be interesting to see how the Reds use him.
Candelario was a two time Tiger of the Year ( best on team award) before he, and everyone else on the Tigers, had a forgettable Year at the plate in ’22. In ’21 he led the majors in 2B hits. He’s a solid bat for the middle of the lineup.
I’m going to assume both sides will have to swallow some pride in the negotiation, but as a non-Cincy baseball fan, why not just let the guy finish out his career as a Red?
Joey needs to take a small paycheck (he’s already got his buyout); Reds need to find a roster spot. Get it done boys. He’s too important to that clubhouse and franchise to wear another uniform. These single-team guys are very rare in sports today.
…and by the way, I think the single-team aspect helped both Mauer and Helton’s candidacies for the HOF. It certainly added to their portfolio/careers.
I think it would do the same for Votto. Not that staying with Cincy would make him a slam dunk for the HOF, but I think it would add to his story for sure.
So Votto can retire now and he’ll be remembered as a single-team player.
And you all wanted trout to be traded.
The money for Votto this year is part of a long term deal. That’s not that big of a deal.
Cardinals are going to sign Ottavino as they continue to collect aging former Redbirds.
He’s still pretty good, so I wouldn’t mind that.
Young and unproven Pirates rotation of Marco Gonzalez, Martin Perez, Mitch Keller, and a veteran. Lol
Yeah Keller and his 209 strikeouts last year are unproven
but the ERA is unproven. He can strike people out, but can he be an effictive pitcher. As is, he is a high K guy who is 4th in a rotation on a good team.
The pirates should know they are wasting him now. Trade him for a whole crop. I would love (as a pirates and Os fan) to see Keller traded for that whole group of blocked prospects on the Os (Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, ect)
They intend to begin extension negotiations with Keller and Bednar next month so it’s unlikely they’ll be trading him anywhere
Keller is a #4 on a team like the Dodgers. He’s more of a #2 on the majority of teams. A #1 on a select few.
This isn’t the Dodgers, and despite the millions they spend on payroll it didn’t help them win the World Series last year
It’s a good thing era is irrelevant.
@greatwhiteangus
actually Keller performed better as a whole on the season than anyone of the dodgers starters that pitched 150+ innings. hahah.
Note: none of the dodgers starters pitched 150 innings. 🙂
Kellers first half, he was near ace level. second half he had some real booger of games
I’d listen if that’s what the O’s would offer, but I don’t think they’re offering that. Even on the O’s last season, a good team by all accounts, Keller would have been a #2.
Neither Gibson nor Kremer were exceptionally good (despite their W-L records) in much the same way that Keller’s record didn’t reflect how good he actually was. Keller would have ended with a record similar or better on the O’s as Gibson with better peripherals.
I get the idea of underselling a guy when your team wants to trade for him, but there were very few teams last year that would have Keller slotted as a #4, including the O’s.
BTW, he blew the doors off the O’s last year – not bad for a supposed #4 guy.
You mean the team that started washed up Kershaw and Lynn in the playoffs last year?
I think those games in the second half were important to Keller’s development. The game against the Reds in August (the front end of a doubleheader), he didn’t have his best stuff but battled through 6 innings, limiting Cincy to 2 runs and giving the Pirates a chance to win, which they did.
That game started a pretty decent run for him the rest of the year. I won’t fault him for the game against the Braves, it was pretty clear that Sheltie was prioritizing getting innings over winning. His only other bad outing past that point was the Cubs game (the Pirates swatted Justin Steele out the game and ultimately won), and really that outing doesn’t look quite as bad when again Sheltie was letting him try to work through the trouble and he ended up giving up a granny to Happ.
Those games where your curveball isn’t breaking or your fastball seems a little flat – Keller had more than a few of those down the stretch and still turned in some pretty solid performances. A great pitcher can throw the game plan out the window and just wing it a couple of times through the order, and Keller showed he was capable of doing exactly that.
Jackalopal: It’s obvious that the Pirates are only signing pitchers whose first names begin with M. Seriously, I like what the Pirates are doing. They keep adding proven major leaguers to build up the team, and they’re getting O’Neil Cruz back. The Brewers are doing the same thing and the Cards have taken steps to rebuild their pitching staff. The NLC should be very competitive this season.
The Pirates are currently behind the Cubs for last place in the division IMO. I would go: Brewers-Reds-Cards-Cubs-Pirates. Cubs bullpen is going to lose a lot of games again. And for a team that missed the playoffs by one game, they need to re-sign Belli just to get back to where they were last year. They are about a .500 team as it stands.
I swap the Cards and Cubs.
Yeah I admit I put St Louis ahead of my Cubs due to their history more than anything. I mean, they did do what they said they would do – they added 3 starting pitchers – but only one is any good. So sure, I can see that.
Reds-Cards-Brewers-Pirates-cubs. I only put the Brewers third because they lost Woodruff and I’m not sure they can replace one of their top two pitchers.
Brewers in 3rd is absolutely insane to me. I’m one of the few who doesn’t buy the bounceback from the Cards. They added 3 okay pitchers, but they absolutely stunk last year. The Brewers are good and added a nice bat in Hoskins. Woodruff hurts, but I think they’ll be fine.
Time will tell. Should be fun.
Cards missing Yadi calling games for umps has hit them harder than they care to admit. They’re just another team now.
Agree, Reds still behind the Brewers as they have the best pitching. Reds still think they can outhit their pitching problems so the bullpen will be running on fumes by August and they will fall short again.
The brewers line up is really not that great. 2 really starting pitchers and the other 3 are question marks
If I were the Brewers, I’d keep Burnes in bubble wrap on the days he’s not pitching to keep him healthy. The Pirates probably need to do the same with their guys until June at least.
Well, the industry seems to think that the Cubs are the team to watch for the remainder of the off-season. And that they’re the favorite for Bellinger.
Right. Cubs ain’t done yet !
Reds
Cubs
Brewers
Pirates
Cards
Pirates get to 80 wins
People can predict until they are blue in the face but they can’t predict injuries and that happens to every team
And that’s why krall went and got 7 infielders and 9 starting pitchers
D-Nice: That’s because the cubs, for whatever reason, are the media’s darlings. Take their predictions with a grain of salt.
The Cubs are always paper champions when Spring Training starts. I used to actually enjoy them in the 80s and 90s – heck, I even rooted for guys like Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Mark Grace.
I thought their pitching was suspect from Day 1 last year, they would have been a borderline train wreck if Justin Steele hadn’t come out of nowhere last season. They had one good month (August) last year that essentially put them into contention before fizzling back out. I don’t expect anything different this year — their offense is pretty suspect, Steele might struggle to repeat his success from last year, and they’ve filled their rotation with hopes, prayers and gambles. (For the life of me, I can’t understand how teams struggle against Hendricks.)
The Phillies should absolutely bring Neris back.
Votto is a laughable hall of famer. The guy is supposed to be a power hitter. I respect his ability to walk. It’s a tremendous skill. But Votto is Juan Soto’s older brother. They rather walk and let the next guy try and win the game. 1144 rbi in 17 years is not good enough from my franchise player. Freddie Freeman has 1143 rbi in 14 seasons. A Superior player to Joey Votto in every facet. That guy is a hall of famer
If you want to have this argument with people, don’t rely on RBI to make your case. Probably the worse statistic you could hang your hat on.
What do you expect from an Asstros fan?
Heh.
And im absolutely using rbi as a major point. The notion that harvard educated gms have proven rbi as a overrated stat is garbage. Its baseball. Its the same sport in 2024 as it was in 1893. Guys get on base. Guys hit men on base in. If you wanna put Votto in because he’s a great on base guy. Then good for you. But he’s the most overrated player ive ever seen. 1100 runs. 356 hrs. 1100 rbi. “But his .420 obp makes him great”. No, it makes him really good. But he’s been paid like he’s Yordan Alvarez and he’s really just Juan Soto in disguise.
Joey Votto:
8746 plate appearances, 145 WRC+, 58.3 WAR
Freddie Freeman:
8098 plate appearances, 142 WRC+, 58.3 WAR
Sure looks to me like they’re both hall-worthy or they’re both not.
You do realize Freddie Freeman is still playing baseball right? And he’s still elite. Votto has been utter trash for years
Astros. Votto’s WAR in 2021 was 3.7. How is that utter trash? Me thinks maybe you have trash cans on your mind?
Canuckle, not sure where you got those career WAR numbers. Here’s an update:
Votto WAR: 64.4
Freeman: 55.7
Yours are Baseball Reference WAR. I was looking at Fangraphs to get the WRC+ and use their WAR
They aren’t outdated. Just a different formula.
Do you happen to know how the two formulas vary?
No clue. I just know they are often referred to by the writers here as BWAR and FWAR to distinguish them
I normally would go with BWAR since BR is the site that is used for all player links here.. I rarely go to fangraphs.
I often use OPS+/BWAR as a barometer of a players value, but some prefer WRC+ and for whatever reason I decided to go with that
Thanks Canuckle. I look at them all too, but have always been curious how fWAR and bWAR are calculated – in the case of Votto vs Freeman, the difference is fairly substantial.
Looking at their numbers, the two things that stand out are Votto has a much better walk rate than Freeman and Votto has 54 Defensive Runs Saved over his career while Freeman has exactly zero DRS.
BWAR might value defense, and possibly walk rate more than FWAR
Fangraphs war is pretty much offense only. Baseball reference war uses a lot of defensive metrics.
Hard for Votto to knock guys in where there weren’t any guys to knock in. Look how long they had Billy Hamilton in front of him. Egads.
Joey Votto 1 Yr $5M > Jeimer Candelario 3 Yr $45M
They said they weren’t bringing Votto back because they wouldn’t have enough AB’s and then sign someone who brings the same problem to the table. They should have kept the Reds legend and gave him a farewell season. F the Reds for this.
I think they shudda spent the Candelario money on pitching. Their INF is set.I assume they’ll rotate the DH spot unless they get/have one. I’m a Tigers fan, but try to keep my eye on all teams.
While acknowledging that Candelario wasn’t a top priority, he clearly offers more positional versatility and offensive output than Votto. Even if the rotation doesn’t progress, and I believe it will, they now have the firepower to slug their way to a wildcard berth.
It remains to be seen what else they might do. As many have said, they need pitching.
They may not be able to entice the better free agent pitchers to sign there, which leaves a trade as the only option, in that case.
The Candy move makes sense if they trade away one or several of their infielders for the pitcher they need. Then Candy takes a starting role at 3rd and provides a solid floor of performance while Votto is 1b/DH only and is more easily replaced
I get the fans wanting to keep a fan favourite, and if they don’t make a trade for a pitcher, then this is a bad off-season. But if they make that trade, this could end up being a great off-season for the Reds.
The Reds signed three potential starters so it’s not as if they neglected pitching. With Montas, Martinez and Suter they now have 9 rotation options on the 40 man, which is above average depth.
Suter is strictly viewed as a bullpen piece. Nick Krall said that. Maybe he goes 2 innings occasionally. Nick Martinez is probably a spot starter or will start if injuries (or innings limits) require him to start.
@Cincyfan85 if I could give out a gold medal for comments I would give it to you. Thank you.
I think Schanuel has a high ceiling, and could learn a lot from Votto.
Scouts did see much of a ceiling before the draft and after. He has high floor, though.
Votto to the A’s. Guide those young guys
Vottooooooooo Las Vegas
Salt Lake City A’s if the angels allow them to play their AAA ball park.
Neris Texas Ranger
Are you kidding me? Votto had 4 shortened seasons and played 25 games his rookie year. His 294 career average which fell a bit last 2 seasons shouldn’t hurt him. A 64 WAR helps his case. Joey is a HOF. Just wish he retired a Red at the end of last season.
But why should he have retired last season? The man wants to still play and, if you believe the reports, other teams are interested in him. He has fulfilled his obligations with the Reds, he owes them nothing.
As a first baseman he might need more War. That is probably why he wants to play.
Pirates have 2024 upside with Cruz, Reynolds, Peguero and Davis easily being capable of contributing more than they did last season. The combination of Bednar/Chapman is a fine late/leverage set – and if the season does go all wrong the Pirates could trade one, or both, assuming they’re healthy and productive…The rotation, now that is a different story 😉
Hayes improved every offensive category last year including home runs
And he’s the reigning Gold Glove at 3rd base
Mccutchen has been resigned for one year and provides veteran leadership and don’t forget the power of Jack Suwinski
They also have a few young infielders who showed promise last year including raw power
Their bullpen is arguably the best in baseball
But they are still in need of a starting pitcher which according to most reports, BC is working diligently to sign
I also predict they will sign Carlos Santana to a one year deal
One of the better backends, IMHO.
Agree. One more starter and hope that Skenes, Jones, and a healthy Brubaker can replenish the rotation after mid season.
There’s not one stand out team in the Central this year. Anyone can finish first or finish last.
If joe mauer got into the Hall of Fame (laughable) then it will be an outrage if Pujols, Triut, and Cabrera are rejected from the Hall of Fame. You heard it here first
Is this like a gimmick?
Ask Jason Werth if it’s a “gimmick”
Those 3 will definitely get in. They’ll all have well over 500 jacks and 1000+ RBI by the time Trout’s done.
I used to not believe in Mauer’s case but 3 batting titles as a catcher is otherworldly. And the fact that the catcher position has gotten so weak I believe it helped him immensely. I mean there’s Yadier, Buster Posey, and Mauer as the elite catchers of this generation.
I still wouldn’t mind seeing Hector Scareus back with the Phils.
He would look good in a Pirates uniform
The last place team in the NL Central is going to be the team bitten hardest by the injury bug – none of them are very deep, each could reasonably lay claim to having the best aspect of a team in the division.
The Pirates, as it stands now, probably have the best bullpen, while being last in starting rotation and an offense that compares to pretty much every other NL Central team.
The Reds have the potential to have the best offense, a fair to good rotation and bullpen that is closer to dumpster fire than good.
The Cards probably will have better starting pitching, but have lost ground on offense (especially if Goldie and Arenado continue to age) and don’t have a great bullpen either.
The Brewers probably have the best rounded team, but their offense has a lot of high risk/reward types and their bullpen could be shaky outside of Williams.
The Cubs are precariously thin on offense and their pitching could let them down. If Dansby or Happ go down for any length of time, runs could be hard for them to come by.
Point being – I don’t think any team in NL Central has done enough to put themselves into World Series contention, but any of one them could win the division. The Cards and Pirates need a few more things to go right than the others, but they’re still within striking distance as opposed to having zero chance.
Bold take here. Goldie and Arenado continue to age. Heard it here first.
Cubs may have gotten Imanaga, but they lost Stroman. If they lose Bellinger how have they gotten better?
Cardinals added old pitching but it could work out.
Reds young players will probably regress. Adding Montas???
Brewers added Hoskins, lost Woodruff.
Pirates didn’t lose anyone really.
The only improvements I’m seeing right now are the Cardinals and the Pirates, but neither one really jumping up. I think the division is up for grabs for all 5 teams.
No one heard you, The Black Van 3.0
I read a ridiculous prediction of something unlikely to happen
He posts that chit in other articles.
Based on current roster projected WAR for the players and bench/bullpen, the Pirates are expected to have a 75-87 record in 2024. Sadly, even based on Fangraphs projections for Bauer & Urias, their record would only increase by about 2 wins to 77-85 so probably not worth the extra baggage.
HEY USELESS ATKINS, We don’t WANT VOTTO !!!
Votto should sign with Seattle as his first choice! They have the best chance to make a run in the playoffs, then Toronto, Angel’s and San Diego in that order. Angels have a chance to be good if they add some hitting. Their starters are solid and bullpen improved! If they added Snell or Monty and Beli I would mark them as a playoff team. As a reds fan I was hoping he would retire as a Red but there simply isn’t room for him on their roster.
LMAO!
The number of unsigned players as it is like 3 weeks until pitchers/catchers report remains crazy. It is obviously unusual, I wonder what the explanation is. Collusion by owners? Players? Are there going to be a bunch of guys who have nowhere to go in Feb? Super weird.
Or collusion single-handedly by Scott Boras?
He’s not helping his clients by holding out, at this point. The market is whatever a team is willing to pay a player, not what Boras asks for. He’s not in the driver’s seat if his player has no place to play in March.
Let’s give Boras a smidge more credit. He wouldn’t be doing this if it didn’t work.
Not to mention, the closer you get to Spring Training the more stories of “I was riding my scooter, fell off, got bit by a shark, lost my visa, and slipped on a banana peel and blew my ACL”.
I think it safe to say Boras is good at his job.
Ian Desmond says hello, in reference to agents giving out bad advice. Boras has hotels on the green properties and Boardwalk and Park Place, while the teams keep on rolling their way through without landing on them.
Boras might know what he’s doing, but I think most fans (including myself) would love to see things blow up in his face.
It is Ohtani shock.
If the Pirates were to do a spend on position players, I would like to see a one year, incentive led, minor league deal with Tim Anderson with an invite to Spring Training to fight for the second base job. Secondly, Votto, would be a good add for the roster as well if the shoulder is good. To clear up some space on the roster, one of the upcoming middle infielders in a trade with the Marlins for a pitcher. Will help out the Marlins so they have someone at short under 65.
I’m hoping the twins wake up and give Votto a cheap one year deal to platoon at first base.
Platoon with whom? Kirilloff is the only other First Baseman and he’s also a LH hitter. Unless they keep Royce Lewis at 3B and slide Miranda back to 1B but the you have a situation where Kirilloff and Votto on the roster is redundant
The NL Central is totally up for grabs this season. Basically, someone could make a valid argument for why every team could win the division, but also a valid argument for why every team could finish last.
The best/worst at each position:
Bullpen – Pirates/Reds
Starting Pitching – Reds/Pirates
C – Brewers/Cubs
1B – Cardinals/Cubs
2B – Cubs or Cardinals/Brewers
SS – Brewers (Pirates could have a say)/Cardinals
3B – Pirates or Cardinals/Brewers
LF – Probably Pirates (but Cards/Brewers/Cubs all good)/Reds
CF – Pirates or Cardinals/Brewers or Cubs
RF – Cubs/Reds
DH – Every team has a decent guy, but nobody elite.(every team will probably use for “days off”).
If I were to put money on standings based on current rosters I’d go:
1. Brewers (Well rounded roster, but short on bats)
2. Pirates (I trust their young SP prospects more than Reds RP’s)
3. Reds
(Both Pirates and Reds have exciting young rosters, but a glaring weakness at SP and RP, so whoever adds prior to the season gets the nod for second)
4. Cardinals (don’t trust the age of their star position players and SP)
5. Cubs (roster looks pretty bad on paper, but money to spend to make it a ton better by Spring Training)
Now having said all that, the standings will probably be inverted in reality lol. A lot can also change in the next month with signings and trades.
Come on Cubs. Make Joey an offer. It makes TOO much sense!
Pirates should sign Adam Frazier for 2B and Brandon Belt for 1B & DH.
No on Adam Frazier, but for sure on Belt (but, kind of redundant with Rowdy).
I think Triolo is definitely better than Frazier right now, and Bae and Peguero probably are as well.
Agree to disagree, Belt is superior to Tellez and Frazier is superior to anyone we have at 2B both defense and batting.
Agree on Belt like I said, but what has Frazier done the last two years to show he’s superior at either?
Frazier graded out as average/below average defensively at Second Base each of the last two years (but decent in the outfield) and was bad at the plate.both years. At the very least you can acknowledge that Triolo is far better defensively, and all three of the young players have a far higher upside.
Frazier:
2022 – .238/.301/.311 (OPS+ of 80, so terrible)
2023 – .240/.300/.396 (OPS+ of 94, so below average)
Triolo:
2023 – .298/.388/.398 (OPS+ of 116, well above average)
So Triolo performed better at the plate, is a MUCH better defender, and also is the faster/better baserunner.
I won’t even get to Bae and Peguero’s upside, Triolo alone is enough to stay away from Frazier (unless Frazier is a bench guy and Triolo is starting).
I would include Nick Gonzales in that equation. He was quite good in Indianapolis last year. He might ultimately be a AAAA player, but the couple of homers he hit in MLB last season were CRUSHED.
Someone will have to explain the love affair with Belt to me someday. He’s a platoon player at this stage of his career, has had trouble staying on the field for several years running, including a concussion history. He’s no spring chicken, and isn’t going to hit 20 HRs. He fields the position at an average level (look up his defensive metrics).
His best season was 2.7 WAR, while making $17.2 million – which actually is a negative return, since 1 WAR for a free agent is worth around $5.7 million.
I’m not saying he’s not a solid ballplayer, just an expensive one for what he’s actually going to bring to the table.
As for Frazier — we all have nice memories of him — but that player is long gone. If he wants a minor league contract to come back, ok. To pencil him into a starting spot based largely on nostalgia and little in reality would be a horrible waste of money.
I think Belt is a better platoon option with Connor Joe than Rowdy Tellez. Much better actually. If you’re using bWAR his best season was also 4.1 WAR (three times), and fWAR it was 4.2, but you might mean since he’s hit free-agency. If that’s the case, then yes, it’s 2.7 bWAR and 3.5 fWAR (which is way better than Tellez has ever done and makes him an elite platoon hitter).
Agree 100% on Frazier. He’s coming back to compete for a bench spot with Bae or not at all, and even then Bae would have the upper hand because he can play CF.
Would love to see Votto go to the Cubs so he could absolutely tear up the Reds for 12 games this year.
My wife said that is petty and mean.
You do realize that Votto will be 40 this year, and hit barely .200 the last two season with a negative WAR in each? A great idea a few years too late.
I think revenge is a great motivator and for 12 games out of the season he would crush the ball. He might fall back into the .200 hitter the rest of the season while hitting .360 against the Reds and I would be perfectly ok with that.
I wouldn’t call Chapman a ‘Splash’ Now he is just a decent relief arm who had a high ceiling but likely on his way down. The splash part is the overspending the pirates did to get him. Even if he does awesome and ends up being a top saves/holds guy in the league.. still over priced.
Pirates Still need a good starter. not a possible okay starter. Pirates also need offense. They have done somethings but nothing that I would call exciting.
Team needs an actual splash signing. Bauer would be the most realistic in terms of contract. Bellinger would likely be the best option if he can do first base decently(?) Contract and his willingness to play for Pittsburgh likely takes that option off the table. someone may over payhim.
As a pirate fan I would like to see Cody and would give him a 8year 225m at 28m AAV. with a couple opt outs and ‘cheap’ options at the end. IMO the ‘perks’ of the contract would be what would sell it. Pirates won’t do it, but thats what i would look for.
Add in a 100m/5y deal for Bauer and I think the pirates become instant contenders for the division rather than being an off chance of a wild card.
No one will sign Bauer to a major league contract, he’s trouble no matter where he goes. He got kicked out of Cleveland, if you can’t play for Tito Francona he can’t play for anyone.
Firstly, what makes you think Bauer would get a $100MM MLB deal?
Lastly, no one is signing Bauer until at least midseason, if not 2025. And it will be super cheap too.
likely no one will sign Bauer this year or maybe even ever. But a team like the pirates who want a legitimate ace should strongly consider offering him a contract. even if it is a 10m guaranteed for 20 years deferred until 2098.
of course any contract regardless of term or salary would need to have clauses to protect the team
The Angels need him but I doubt Arte allows Perry to sign him.
Lead league in saves and 10m is over priced lol
signing someone as a probably setup man at 10m is over priced. If he happens to get 40 saves, signing him the off season before is still over priced.
Now if he was still a top end closer and you planned on using him that way then 10m wouldn’t be bad.
…. maybe they are considering a bednar trade …. I doubt it but would make the signing make more sense to me.
1 year 10 million is nothing. Or as they say in Pittsburgh Nutting. No idea why everyone is obsessed with Bob Nuttings $. Teams spend that all the time on none closers.
My point of view doesn’t have much to do with Bobs position in the decision making. Setup men are not all that expensive, Granted only a handful of them will throw 100mph consistently.
So many Pirates fans on here trashing the Reds’ bullpen. They were 4th in WAR in the NL last year and just added Nick Martinez (1.4 WAR), Brent Suter (1.3 WAR), & Emilio Pagan (1.1 WAR) to it.
I get what you’re saying, but the people that come up with projections don’t like any of those three to repeat their performance. I disagree with them about Martinez because he’s now a reliever and the projection includes his bad years as a SP. I think he’s a good reliever.
Suter is consistently between 0.5-1.0 WAR, so with him you know what you’re going to get. It’s solid, but probably won’t be as good as last year. Pagan will probably go back to stinking. Maybe he doesn’t, but that’s what the track record shows. He’s only had two good years out of seven.
If you put the Reds bullpen side by side with every bullpen in the NL Central, just about everyone would take the Reds last. That might not end up being true, but that’s just the reality right now. I might take the Cubs last, but it would be close. I’d definitely take the Pirates first with the addition of Chapman to set up Bednar with Holderman and Mlodzinski.
So many? Did you count them? I seen 1 maybe 2 and only 1 might be considered trashing and can’t remember if they were Pirates fans or not.
With a guy like Votto, you’d like to see some way where team and player could stay together, but it won’t work if team needs are something the player can no longer meet. Sometimes, there needs to be a bit of ruthlessness.
I hope Votto signs a deal with the rays. They can find enough AB’s at 1st and DH to give them some hitting and veteran leadership to teach them how to win. Plus, he’s a bulldog for keeping a fire lit and demonstrating toughness, especially for a young team trying to learn how to take the next step. And they will be competitive for a ring this season. which should appeal to Votto.
I don’t understand how or why Maton is still unsigned. The guy’s been nothing but a solid BP arm with CLE and HOU. Can’t imagine he’s asking for too much, but there’s apparently something there we don’t see that’s making bullpen needy teams take a pass.
Compare Belt stats with Tellez and Frazier with any one we have at 2B in 2023, both are better than what we currently
have. We missed out on Hoskins..
The Nuttings have gutted scores of American newspapers for their own gain. They seldom add value. Why would the Pirates be any different?
I thought that was a picture of Fernando Rodney when I first glanced at it.