2015 MLB Team Previews – Reds
The trend in Cincinnati over the years has been a downward spiral. In 2012, the Reds won an astounding 97 games. It looked as if baseball was becoming relevant once again in Cinci. 2013 followed the same trend as they racked up 90 wins.
MLB Lines & Matchup Insight
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Then, injuries, and struggling players led to 76 wins in 2014. The Reds will try to revive the excitement and try to get back into contention in the NL Central.
2015 MLB Team Previews – Colorado Rockies
NL Central: +1200
National League: +2800
World Series: +5000
Based on the odds, Oddsmakers don’t have too much confidence in Cincinnati this season. Will that be the case?
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Projected Starting Line-Up
1. Billy Hamilton OF
2. Joey Votto 1B
3. Todd Frasier 3B
4. Devin Mesoraco C
5. Marlon Byrd OF
6. Jay Bruce OF
7. Brandon Phillips 2B
8. Zack Cozart SS
The Reds lineup has been completely changed in terms of where players are batting. In 2014, the Reds had Phillips in the 2 spot, Bruce 3, and Votto 4. Now Votto will hit 2nd, Mesoraco will have clean up duties, and Bruce and Phillips will go 6/7. The Reds 2014 lineup didn’t have much success. With the acquisition of Marlon Byrd, the Reds are hoping he can provide some pop in the middle of the order.
Health was a major problem as well in 2014. Joey Votto battled a quad strain for nearly the entire season and it landed him on the DL multiple times. Jay Bruce will look to bounce back from his poor 2014 that saw him hit just .217.
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Byrd is the only new face in this lineup from last season. Cincinnati is hoping Votto and Phillips can stay healthy and Bruce can get back to form.
Projected Starting Rotation:
1. Johnny Cueto
2. Homer Bailey* (Expected to start 2015 season on DL)
3. Mike Leake
4. Anthony DeSclafani
5. Jason Marquis
The Reds will lean on Cueto heavily in 2015. The Cy Young candidate had one of his best season in 2014 after he returned from the DL. Cueto went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA and finished 2nd in the Cy Young race behind Clayton Kershaw. Cueto has had a stellar spring and looks to be on track to repeat his performance.
However, from there, the rotation gets shaky. With Bailey expected to be on the DL at the beginning of the season, nobody else in the rotation is proven. The Reds dealt Mat Latos away and it leaves them with sketchy pitchers in their 3-4-5 roles. In fact, Jason Marquis did not have an MLB appearance in 2014.
The Reds will struggle because of their rotation. If they can hang around in the standings around the all star break, acquiring a starter would be a must. They’ll also have to hope Homer Bailey can get himself healthy quick as he hopes for a somewhat bounce back season.
Closer:
Aroldis Chapman LP
Sean Marshall LP* (Likely to be on the DL)
Tony Cingrani LP
Jumbo Diaz RP
The bullpen is just as questionable as the starting rotation. Chapman is a tough, 100 mph+ fireballer, but the Reds need to find a way to get him the ball in save situations in 2015. With Sean Marshall starting the season on the DL, it is still a question who will get the 8th inning role for Cinci.
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Tony Cingrani was a starter last season for Cincinnati, but the Reds felt he would be more productive out of a bullpen role. In 2014, Cingrani went 2-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts. Like many other Reds, he’ll need a major bounce back season if the Reds hope to succeed in 2015.
The Reds bullpen really has nothing much to offer. With the exception of Chapman, the rest of the bullpen is difficult to trust. Combine that with their starting rotation and this could be a mess for Cincinnati.
2015 Reds Season Prediction:
The Reds aren’t going to be returning to 2012 or 2013 form anytime soon. They have the same lineup that struggled in 2014 and Marlon Byrd is certainly no savior.
With the exception of Johnny Cueto, the starting rotation will yield a lot of runs.
With a questionable lineup and a weak starting pitching core, getting the ball to Chapman will be a tough challenge itself.
All around, this Reds team just doesn’t have nearly enough pitching to compete in the NL Central. 4th or 5th place is a realistic spot to expect to see Cincinnati in 2015.
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