Winker is coming around, like I said don't give up on him. .299 career hitter coming into the year.
Need to be playing Matt Kemp more now if you realistically expect to get anything for him at the deadline otherwise teams will low ball the Reds on offers for him. On an expiring contract and at his age there isn't much benefit to keeping him around. Flip him for a dependable reliever or to fill any apparent holes this team may have as the season goes on. He wore down in the 2nd Half last season after being named to the All-Star Team. Even lost his role as a full time starter and batted .174 in the Postseason.
I'd prefer to deal Schebler while he has some degree of potential left in him. Scott has shown flashes of success in small doses. He's proven mostly to be inconsistent and injured a lot. Trade him before the book is out that he is damaged goods and can still be a contributor for some OF depleted team.
No one should get in Nick Senzel's way in the OF when he is called up. Development isn't going to happen by riding the bench. Not a proponent of delaying the future and by the time he returns the Reds would have secured an extra year of team control. He's more than paid his dues in the minors.
Ervin and Dietrich are more the capable reserve outfielders behind Puig, Winker and Senzel. Derek Dietrich deserves to keep his roster spot when Scooter returns and when Nick Senzel gets called up. He's a proven Major Leaguer and it baffles me why a garbage team like Miami cut him. Knows his role and produces in it. He filled in remarkably a couple seasons ago for Dee Gordon at 2B when Dee received an 80-game PED suspension.
Not worried at all about Schebler and Kemp being moved. Would like to have Puig for a couple seasons until Taylor Trammell develops enough to make his MLB debut. If the Reds have proven anything in the past, they are very conservative when it comes to calling up prospects later than many teams do. Can go on and on of past examples of this. If Puig walks at the end of the year, I'm confident with a future outfield of Senzel, Winker and Trammell.
Curt Casali never gets mentioned. He is a solid hitter off the bench and has came up already in some key pinch hit situations. No qualms with Tucker Barnhart yet. Barnhart is a top defensive catcher and has been competent so far with the bat. Anything offensively with him is a bonus
Luis Castillo is turning into a legit Ace for Cincinnati. All of these young stars are getting extensions, Cincinnati better consider this before losing him. Should Sonny Gray pitch like his last 2 outings whenever he faces quality opponents, there's a potent 1-2 punch that could lead Cincy to at least one of the 2 Wild Card Spots. Getting his Vandy pitching coach Derek Johnson has been a great addition to the coaching staff.
Tyler Mahle will regress, he's been dominant so far. So long as he is anywhere close to that, keep him in the rotation and don't mess with success when Alex Wood returns.
Between DeSclafani and Sonny Gray expect an IL stint at some point. Wood is already there. Should we get lucky with no more injuries to the starters going forward, I'd lean more towards putting Roark in the bullpen as a long reliever. His previous starts are more indicative of him as a pitcher than tonight's game vs STL. Not worried about Raisel's shakiness so far. He started last year off the same way and always comes around.
The Marlins have been kind to the Reds the last few years. Disco & Castillo in trades, cut Dietrich and he comes to the Reds.
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