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Last season the Cincinnati Reds starting five made 161 of 162 regular season starts. The only exception being the back end of a doubleheader that saw Todd Redmond take the mound for 3.1 innings. This remarkable stretch of health is far-and-away the exception to the rule in baseball—a task that will most likely not be duplicated by them again.Four of the five starters racked up over 200 innings-pitched and 12 wins apiece. Mike Leake was the only exception, though he did still make 30 starts and accumulate 179 innings pitched from the fifth starting spot.With Johnny Cueto recovering from his postseason oblique strain, Reds starters have a daunting task ahead—staying healthy, yet again. They may not go 161 of 162 again, but 150 of 162 is well within range.Lets take a look at five keys to the 2013 staff remaining healthy throughout the entire seasonBegin Slideshow

The Cincinnati Reds have made strides this offseason to ensure their chances for yet another NL Central title. Though those strides may have filled some holes, such as that at leadoff, some of them have also weakened the team in other areas. These may not be considered major deficiencies in the Reds' lineup, but they will still create challenges that the team must overcome during the 2013 season. Let's take a look at some of these newly developed "weaknesses" as well as some that may hang around from the 2012 season.Begin Slideshow

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Reds have officially acquired Shin-Soo Choo. The deal looks to have involved the Reds, Diamondbacks and Indians: choo goes to #reds. done deal.— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012 It seems as though the Diamondbacks really liked Reds prospect Didi Gregorius, as opposed to the Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera: #dbacks like didi gregorius, who'd be under their control for 6 yrs (as opposed to 2 for asdrubal). #3way— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012 The trade seems to make complete sense for the Reds, who have been in search of a leadoff hitter since the last pitch of their season was thrown. Leadoff was an obvious issue for the Reds during their 2012 NL Central title run.Despite a team .254 on-base percentage, the Reds were able to produce enough runs to win 97 games. They can thank their team ERA of 3.34 for that. Choo brings a career .289 ...

If the rumors hold any truth to them, the Cincinnati Reds seem to be on the verge of acquiring Shin-Soo Choo from the Cleveland Indians. Such an acquisition would finally fill the major void that has been the leadoff spot in Cincinnati's lineup.Danny Knobler of CBS Sports sent out this tweet earlier today referencing an article that he wrote regarding the trade details:Reds deep in talks on deal to acquire Shin-soo Choo from Indians for Stubbs and Gregorius. cbsprt.co/UfMpzf— DKnobler (@DKnobler) December 11, 2012 The proposition includes Cincinnati sending outfielder Drew Stubbs and shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius to Cleveland in exchange for Choo and a to-be-determined player. Gregorius seems to be a key player in the trade as Knobler references possible trade talks between Cleveland and Arizona that would include the Indians sending a shortstop to the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching.The Twitter universe has been blowing up around the Reds ...

Even the breaking news of Ryan Ludwick reportedly signing a two-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds can't slow down the trade rumors (via the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay). Ludwick still doesn't fix the void at leadoff, but CBS Sports senior baseball writer Danny Knobler seems to think that the Reds have a plan brewing that can solve that very issue.Check out this tweet from Knobler: Rays, not surprisingly, still poking around for a catcher. Asked at least one team about trying to do a 3-way deal to get Mesoraco from Reds— DKnobler (@DKnobler) December 7, 2012  Wow. According to this, it seems as though Cincinnati would be willing to part with catching prospect Devin Mesoraco if the deal could eventually net the Reds a leadoff man.According to a report by Jason A. Churchill on ESPN.com, the third team involved could be the Colorado Rockies. As Churchill explains in his report, the Reds need ...

The recent signing of Jonathan Broxton seems to have shed some light on the Reds' intentions for the 2013 season. Not only does it look as though Broxton will be taking over the closer's role, but all signs point to Aroldis Chapman joining the starting rotation.With Chapman assuming a new role outside of the bullpen, Cincinnati is left with a gaping hole in its relief corps. It's a hole that the Reds must fill before next season.So why should the Reds trade for a reliever rather than sign one from the field of free agents?Simple. Why overpay when you have the assets to acquire the help you need via trade. The best free-agent reliever still available is Rafael Soriano, who already opted out of a huge payday with the Yankees in order to test the market.Kyuji Fujikawa will be testing the U.S. market after a long career in Japan. The ...

The offseason is still young, but the available options to fill the Cincinnati Reds' outfield, leadoff hitter and relief pitching needs have dwindled quickly. The question remains as to how, and even if, Walt Jocketty will address these needs. News and NotesThe Reds have previously been rumored as a potential suitor for Denard Span. But, as Keith Law of ESPN reports, it's the Washington Nationals that put the talent on the board that tickled the fancy of the Minnesota Twins.Mark Sheldon of MLB.com seems to think that Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan and Shane Victorino will all be out of Cincy's price range. You have to agree, though, there is no need for the Reds to lock themselves into an overpriced long-term contract. These players could be worth an over-priced one to two year contract though.Many Reds fans felt that Drew Stubbs clone, B.J. Upton, could be a fit in Cincy—luckily the ...

The Cincinnati Reds are full of youth and homegrown talent. Many may forget that budding stars Jay Bruce and Homer Bailey are but 25 and 26 years old (respectively), though it seems as though they have been around since the turn of the century.Then there is Johnny Cueto—yep, he is only 26. Aroldis Chapman is only 24 years old. Mat Latos is but 24 as well. We also shouldn't forget MVP Joey Votto. He may not be as young as the others, but as you will see, he is still progressing with age.Not only do the Cincinnati Reds have talent, but if development trends continue, they may be overflowing with flat-out scary talent in the next couple of years.Lets take a look at these trends, starting with Jay Bruce.The 25-year-old Bruce just completed his fifth year in the big leagues (2008-12). Throughout this time his home-run totals have increased each ...

The title of this article says it all—Could David Wright pack his bags and take over third base for the Cincinnati Reds? Well, it just may be possible. Assuming that the New York Mets are unable to re-sign (or just decide not to re-sign) David Wright, a trade could be in the foreseeable future. A recent article by Mark Simon on ESPN.com suggests that the Cincinnati Reds could be one of five possible suitors for Wright if such a circumstance arises. Not only does the article suggest a possible trade, but it also suggests that Cincy may have the means to sign Wright to an extended contract. If you still don't believe the Cincinnati Reds are suddenly into the money, you need to think again.Cincinnati committed $250 million to Joey Votto and also gave Brandon Phillips (aka @DatDudeBP) a six-year, $72.5 million contract before the start of the 2012 season. Not only are the Reds convinced they ...

The 2012 Major League Baseball season came, and has now gone. Gone with it is another disappointing Cincinnati Reds postseason appearance. But remember Reds fans, dwelling on the past is what losers do. Winners move forward. Though it may not yet feel like it yet, the 2013 season looks very bright for the Cincinnati Reds. Why is that you may ask? Let's review a few key facts about the season past. The Cincinnati Reds had the second best record in baseball this season. They finished 2012 with a 97-65 record. It takes a culmination of things going right for any team to win 97 games. It flat out takes talent to win 97 games despite a few major things going very wrong wrong. In order to find out what went right, let's take look at what went wrong. The leadoff position was well, horrid to say the least. Reds leadoff hitters compiled a measly ...