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For the rest of the season.. and next.


5 things the Reds should do the rest of this season and the offseason:


As I mentioned before, the Reds are not in a position to win this year. I do believe that if all the Reds players were healthy, then it would be a little different story. The Reds can win in 2015, but they need some things to happen first. And these 5 things would put them in the best position to do so next year and the future.
  1. Let Joey Votto rest the rest of the year. As I have seen throughout many blogs and articles, no one is sure when Joey Votto will come back. We will not win this year, so turn his focus on 2015. More and more people are supporting this idea, and it definitely makes sense.
  2. Get the youngsters in the lineup. Once September rolls around and rosters expand, the Reds cannot afford to keep Ryan Ludwick and Ramon Santiago in the lineup every day. This is the time to get the call ups in the lineups to see what they can do on a Major League club.
  3. Decide what starting pitchers that they can keep and the ones that will move on. With Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto, and Mat Latos all going into the last years of their contracts. It is important the the Reds decide who they afford to keep. Leake will probably be one they keep, but they can probably only afford either Cueto or Latos, if either. With the huge contracts given to Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Homer Bailey, the small market club will struggle extend either Cueto and Latos. Once they decide who they can keep, they need to use the other starting pitchers as trade bait. Doesn’t mean they HAVE to trade him, but they are much more likely to get more out of him if they trade him than if they just get a compensatory pick once he leaves. Oakland gave up Yoenis Cespedes for 3 months of Jon Lester. What could the Reds get for a season or more of Latos or Cueto?
  4. Put Aroldis Chapman on the trade block. A great closer doesn’t do much for a team that doesn’t win a lot of ballgames. Alfredo Simon should be back in the bullpen next year if they bring him back. Broxton has closing experience, and JJ Hoover showed signs of promise before this terrible year.
  5. Find a left fielder whether in free agency or via trade of Chapman and/or Cueto/Latos. If the Reds could get a Mark Trumbo, Carlos Gonzalez, or one of the Dodgers surplus of outfielders (not Matt Kemp because of contract)