Frank Victores – USA Today Sports
The Toddfather is playing on the Southside of Chicago, where the nickname may have more cache, and Anthony DeSclafani is the only starting pitcher set in the Cincinnati Reds‘ starting rotation. This time last year, the Reds had just traded Mat Latos to for DeSclafani. The Reds had fallen out of the playoff race at the All-Star break when injuries to Jay Bruce and others stopped a surging team.
The 2015 All-Star Game was coming to Cincinnati, and the Reds had hopefuls in Joey Votto, Aroldis Chapman, Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, and maybe even Todd Frazier. The team had added some pieces to contend for the Wild Card and was ready for the 2015 season — or so fans thought.
Skip ahead to the start of 2016. The team is coming off its worst season in Votto’s career. The team was decimated by injuries to Homer Bailey, Devin Mesoraco and Zack Cozart. The team traded Cueto, fellow starter Mike Leake and left fielder Marlon Byrd for some starting pitching prospects and a career minor leaguer.
Within the last month, both Frazier and Chapman have been dumped for prospects. The Frazier deal netted Jose Peraza, but the Chapman deal netted only second and third-tier prospects.
All is not lost. 2015 was the first time in eight years that the Reds didn’t open the season with a promoted player from the minors in the Opening Day lineup, so there are players in the pipeline. Leake proved in 2015 that the Reds can produce solid starting pitching. With the added prospects, there is hope for the future. The Reds should be loaded, in 2018, though fans still have to get through 2016 and 2017.
Welcome to 2016. There will be no joy in Mudville this year.
Nick Vorholt is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Cincinnati Reds.
