So far this offseason the Reds has accomplished two of their goals--sign a closer and re-sign left fielder Ryan Ludwick. While the latter move has yet to become official, general manager Walt Jocketty classified the negotiations as "close," meaning all we're waiting on is for Ludwick to pass his physical and the ink to dry on his signature.
However right now the 2013 Reds look very much like the 2012 squad. And while there's not much to quarrel about a team that won 97 games a season ago, it's still a team with flaws. The same flaws that led to its ouster at the hands of the World Champion Giants in the National League Division Series.
Jocketty has tried to find a solution at the leadoff position (I add parenthetically--replace Drew Stubbs) in the batting order for two years running now and has yet to come up with one. He certainly has tried but complicating matters are top minor league prospect -- speedster Billy Hamilton -- and the organization's reluctance to part with top pitching prospects.
Last winter Jocketty used much of his minor league surplus to land pitchers Mat Latos and Sean Marshall. It left the Reds without much depth at starting pitcher, which is why for the second-straight spring Aroldis Chapman is prepping as a starter. The performances of minor league starters Tony Cingrani and Daniel Corcino has helped add to some of that depth, but neither are ready for the big leagues yet.
Still it's puzzling that the Reds couldn't have done what the Washington Nationals did, which is trade for Twins center fielder and leadoff man Denard Span and sign free agent pitcher Dan Haren. The Nats sent one of its top minor league pitching prospects in Alex Meyer in exchange for Span and then signed Haren for 1-year at $13 million to be the fifth man in the rotation.
I'm sure the Reds revisited trading for Span whom they considered at last year's trading deadline. Without knowing the details (because believe it or not I'm not on Jocketty's speed dial) my guess is the Twins wanted too much or the Reds were unwilling to part with a top prospect like Hamilton or pitchers Robert Stephenson or Nick Travieso--both of whom were the team's top picks in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Not going after Haren I'm sure was mostly an economic move.
But not making those moves may just be the difference in this team repeating as National League Central Division Champs and actually advancing to a World Series. Span would give the team not only a speedster at the top of the lineup, but a left-handed hitter to help balance out the right-handed heavy lineup. Plus he's under contract for a couple more years. Haren would have fit nicely in the number 4 or 5 spot in the rotation, allowing Chapman to stay as the closer with Broxton and Marshall setting up.
I understand why Jocketty and the Reds would have been reluctant to part with either Stephenson or Traviseo for Span. Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos are likely to become too expensive and a small market team must continue to draft and develop in order to stay competitive long term. Plus Hamilton is waiting in the wings as the team's leadoff/center fielder. In addition I get why they felt Haren was too rich for their blood.
But this window of opportunity won't last forever. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips are only going to get older and consume much the team's budget going forward. All the while the front office sat on their hands and guarded its future at perhaps the expense of its present. How quickly a shot at a World Series Championship can slip through your fingers.
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