Reds general manager Nick Krall recently spoke to reporters at the club’s end-of-season press conference, including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com And Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The presser covered a wide range of topics from the club’s offseason plans and budget, to a look back at Cincinnati’s inaction at this year’s trade deadline, to the club’s impending decision regarding option of the future Hall of Famer. Joey Votto.
Regarding the trade deadline, Krall remained firm on his decision to largely stay put this summer, adding only one left-handed reliever. Sam Moll to a club that was in first place in the NL Central on deadline day, but found itself with a record of just 82-80 this season after going just 23-31 after the schedule moved to August. Starting pitching was by far the club’s biggest unmet need, as they posted an MLB-worst turnover ERA of 5.91 after the trade deadline.
Asked about the club’s inaction, Krall noted that rival teams had set exorbitant prices for players who contributed to the major league rosters this season. As relayed by Sheldon, Krall indicated that the right-hander Connor Phillipsinfielders Matt McLain And Spencer Bouvillonfirst baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand and left-handed Andrew Abbott were all checked out by rival clubs last summer, with Abbott in particular being the requested return for a rental player.
Heading into the offseason, the Reds have a glut of position players they’ll have to sort through, not to mention potential external additions or the impending decision on Votto. On the infield, the club sports McLain, Steer, Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte, Elly De La CruzAnd Jonathan India all need regular bats. Meanwhile, the outfield picture presents Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, Stuart FairchildAnd Will Benson. Nick Senzel is another piece of the puzzle with experience on both the inside and outfield, but he appears to be a candidate for a trade or no-tender after another weak offensive season where he only cut back than .236/.297/.399 in 330 trips. to the plate.
Krall made it clear that the club had not considered moving India or De La Cruz to the outfield as a potential way to break the infield logjam. He noted, however, that Steer has played well in the corners of the outfield in 38 starts at those positions this season, leaving the door open for more time on the turf in 2024. Of course, installing Steer as a regular outfielder would reduce the playing time available for Friedl, Fraley, Fairchild and Benson. This is especially true for Fraley and Benson, who were both largely limited to outside corners and DH this season with little to no reps at center. However, the club ends up adjusting playing time based on its wealth of young players, with Krall making it clear that the manager David Bell will return in 2024 – this is hardly a surprise after the club extended it earlier this year- and that he will also retain his entire coaching staff for next season.
Regarding Votto, Krall indicated that the club has not yet discussed whether or not to pick up his $20 million club option for 2024. The option is actually a $13 million decision given the buyout of 7 million dollars. Votto should be paid if the option is declined. . The decision on Votto is expected five days after the World Series. In discussing Votto’s option, Krall revealed that the organization has yet to determine the club’s baseball operations budget for 2024, with meetings on the subject planned for next week. That said, the club’s unstable budgetary situation hasn’t stopped the Reds from broaching the subject of extensions with some of their younger players, with Krall noting more pre-arbitration extensions in the right-hander’s vein Hunter Greene ink earlier this year were a “possibility.”
Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds that a major stumbling block for teams is how much playing time Votto will get next year. Even moving Steer to the outfield full-time, the Reds would have five infielders needing regular playing time next season, in addition to the crowded outfield mix. Offseason trades could of course help resolve the position logjam, but the type of trades available to the Reds this offseason, much like their impending move on Votto, would be impacted by the club’s budget for next season. Wittenmeyer adds that Brandon Belt‘s impending departure for the Blue Jays, Votto’s hometown, could add another difficulty to the teams, as he describes Toronto as “the only franchise, besides the Reds, that would benefit from significant marquee value from Votto au- beyond baseball performance.”
