The Reds are making a lot of news this winter.
They have signed Nick Castellanos to a 4-year, $64 million contract. The strange thing is it has opt outs after the first and second seasons. I don’t know why a team would give a player that. If a player has a great year, he can leverage it for more. He has a bad year, he continues to get paid.
I wonder if the Reds are backing on the DH coming to the NL. Castellanos seems a natural born DH.
The Reds seem to have an extra player, everyone is saying that Nick Senzel is on the trading block. He would look great in the center of the Blue Jays outfield. I don’t know if the Jay would have the trade pieces the Reds would want, but I’d sure ask about him. Maybe they could offer to take a big contract along with him. But I’d imagine the Reds are going to want pitching, and I don’t think we have extra laying around.
Baseball America has posted it’s top 20 catching prospects and there are two Blue Jays on the list.
Alejandro Kirk is number 11 and Gabreiel Moreno is number 18. About Kirk they say:
The first thing that jumps out is Kirk’s body, like a shorter version of Pablo Sandoval, which is an immediate turnoff for many scouts. But Kirk is also one of the best pure hitters in the minors. He has short arms, a compact swing and outstanding bat control. His tight stroke, bat speed and ability to track pitches helps him let the ball travel deep before deciding to swing. Kirk shows a sharp eye for the strike zone and has drawn more walks than strikeouts at every level. He struck out just 10 percent of the time in 2019, barreling good fastballs and offspeed pitches in all quadrants of the zone. Kirk has a hit-over-power profile, though there’s more impact potential to unlock if he takes a more aggressive approach ahead in the count. Kirk’s skeptics think his body will force him off the plate and question what they believe are below-average defensive skills. Others see a solid blocker who excels at framing, is prepared and works well with pitchers. He has an average, accurate arm, and threw out 38 percent of runners in 2019.
In things I never thought I’d see:
New for the 2020 MLB season: Much like NFL referees have done for years, umpires will be mic’d up and tell fans in attendance and those watching on television and listening on radio if reviewed calls are upheld or overturned. They may also explain rules, if necessary.
— Pedro Gomez (@pedrogomezESPN) January 27, 2020
This is a good idea, but MLB seems resistant to good ideas.
Speaking of things I never thought I’d see:
There is a growing belief amongst NL GM’s that the DH will be instituted for NL as early as 2021. FWIW.
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) January 27, 2020
I’ve always liked that the two leagues did it differently, and I always like that, with pitchers batting NL teams need to have an actual bench. AL teams can get away with a few lousy players on the bench, but in the NL bench players are needed everyday. But it is likely time for them to make the leagues play the same game.