Kuzul

The Cincinnati Reds have been extremely busy this offseason. An unorthodox amount of spending by general manager Walt Jocketty and a depletion of the farm system through trades now has the Reds in "win now" mode.While the Reds have broken the bank to compete for a championship now, the team has to be concerned about the future. Arguably the best second baseman in the league, Brandon Phillips, will be a free agent once the season is over. First baseman Joey Votto, the 2012 National League Most Valuable Player, will hit free agency in two years after earning $9.5 million in 2012 and $17 million in 2013 along with $3.5 million of his signing bonus. Jocketty appears to be well aware of the upcoming issues, but realizes that fans need to temper expectations when it comes to extending Phillips and Votto: Both he and [Joey] Votto are guys that we want ...

The Cincinnati Reds have suddenly been very busy upgrading the club. General manager Walt Jocketty swore to upgrade the club’s pitching, and he has done just that with the acquisitions of Mat Latos and Sean Marshall. One lingering question about the pitching staff is the closer position. The Reds appear to have a solid starting rotation and a solidified bullpen. Francisco Cordero was the Reds closer for the past four years, and performed admirably for the most part. Cordero notched 150 saves as a member of the Reds, but at the cost of a $46 million contract. The problem with Cordero is he is beginning to lose his appeal. Cordero turns 37 years old in May, and last season he regressed noticeably. His K/9 rate has dropped consistently, and he doesn’t have the best save percentage when compared to the elite of his position. There is also the issue of ...

The Cincinnati Reds just announced that the club has acquired right-hander Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres.In the deal, the Reds sent first baseman Yonder Alonso, pitchers Edison Volquez and Brad Boxberger along with catching prospect Yasmani Grandal.The deal has also been confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.Latos was a prime target for the Reds this offseason, and his arrival vastly improves the Reds pitching staff.The loss of Yonder Alonso hurts, but he was stuck behind Joey Votto at first base. Alonso failed to capitalize on his opportunity in left field last season.Volquez struggled heavily last season as well, mostly in the first inning. He was a weak link in what was an under-perfoming unit last year, and his consistent struggles in the first inning wore out the bullpen.General manager Walt Jocketty promised to deliver a better pitching staff in 2012, and here it is.Read more MLB news ...