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CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss NNoovveemmbbeerr 2288tthh,, 22001166 Press Clippings November 28, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 2009-Third base coach, Steve Smith and his daughter Allie begin the Amazing Race, Season 16

MLB.COM Reds value time connecting with community By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 24th, 2016 + 1 COMMENT

CINCINNATI -- When a kid meets a Major League player, that player is no longer just a statistic on a website or a picture on a card. And that kid is no longer another face in a crowd of thousands to the player. It becomes more personal.

The Reds Community Fund has raised and utilized millions of dollars for Cincinnati area baseball and softball programs, youth ballfield renovations and community center upgrades. But just as valuable, and perhaps just as long lasting, is the experience for fans -- especially kids -- to have personal contact with the players, coaching staff and ownership. Baseball's Giving Spirit

Michael Lorenzen, Adam Duvall, Joey Votto and Tucker Barnhart are a handful of Reds players that have given back in the community. Players have made unannounced visits to cheer up patients and parents at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, helped out at the MLB Urban Youth Academy, participated in Make-A-Wish kid visits and more.

"We had a phenomenal year in terms of the numbers of community impressions that our players made," said Charley Frank, the executive director of the Reds Community Fund. "Culturally, where we've come from over the last 10 years speaks well for the players, to Bryan Price, to Bob and Phil Castellini and . Culturally right now for our guys, it's really remarkable when understanding where it was 10 years ago."

Even when the Reds endure down years on the field, such as 2016, the players can still make connections with the community in meaningful ways.

Frank noted the Reds made nearly 700 community impressions in the past year.

"Players can obviously make a big impact, whether it's on a day off visiting a hospital or whether they're spending time with fans before a game," Frank said. "That's how we quantify the impression. Our numbers are up exponentially from the time that the Castellinis purchased the team 11 years ago. The things we've been able to accomplish through the Community Fund really begin and end with the culture created by our ownership and leadership. That's never wavered."

Last winter, Lorenzen remained in Cincinnati the week after Redsfest and spent time working in the community. Votto donated $1,500 toward each of Cincinnati Public Schools' varsity baseball and softball teams for equipment. Then, he surprised the teams by visiting the Urban Youth Academy and bringing them additional gear.

"He went to his SUV and kept bringing out bats and balls," Frank said. "He had already underwritten each team to give them equipment, but he kept bringing more of his own supply because the experience of meeting with the kids and coaches resonated so much."

Whenever a child from the Make-A-Wish Foundation visits the field during batting practice at Great American Ball Park, it's not uncommon for several Reds players to do more than say hello.

"Players come over and really spend some time with the person that's there," Frank said. "It's not just smiling for photos. A lot of players will go into the clubhouse and get other items for them, depending on the age of the kid and the background."

Members of the front office also get personally involved and pay close attention to the details. This year, the annual community makeover project came to the Lower Price Hill section of the city and culminated with the opening of the Joe Williams Community Center, a community garden and two upgraded ballfields at Oyler Elementary School.

Following the ribbon-cutting that celebrated the completion of the project in July, Reds chief operating officer Phil Castellini noticed one of the sheds in the garden hadn't been fully completed. Castellini took care of that, along with a handful of volunteers from P&G.

"We're cleaning up about a half-hour after the ribbon-cutting. I was under impression that Phil left," Frank explained. "But in my peripheral view, I see him in his work clothes up on a ladder helping to put the shed together. I did a double take."

Frank has long appreciated the Castellini family's commitment to helping the community.

"In a down year on the field and without all the hype of the All-Star Game, you think 'OK, things might slow down a little bit.' They don't," Frank said. "They're just as motivated, maybe more, to keep momentum going and keep things fresh." The Reds community efforts will continue on "Giving Tuesday" next week. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Cincinnati Reds continuing patient offseason Zach Buchanan , [email protected] 2:40 p.m. EST November 23, 2016

The 2016 won’t be held for more than a week, but there has been some hot stove action in the last week, especially among free-agent . Left-handed reliever Brett Cecil signed a surprisingly large four-year deal worth $31.5 million with the St. Louis Cardinals, and right-handed starter Andrew Cashner took a one-year, $10 million deal with the .

Both players were unlikely fits for the Cincinnati Reds anyway, but baseball’s oldest franchise does have a clear pitching need. For the time being, general Dick Williams is content to let the market come to him. Agents for several pitchers who might fit the bill for the Reds said they’ve had no contact from Cincinnati.

“A lot of times the more expensive guys tend to go off the board first, and the other guys who don’t get those deals then become more receptive to conversations,” Williams said. “We’re engaging and sort of monitoring the market.”

Relief help is probably the more dire need for the Reds. At the end of the season, both Williams and manager Bryan Price added a back-end arm to their offseason wish list, ideally someone who could serve as the third head in a three-headed alongside Michael Lorenzen and Raisel Iglesias. (Actually deploying such a bullpen might be easier now that the creatively used all the way to the .)

Williams won’t strictly hold any offseason relief additions to those standards, but would like a back-end arm of some sort. Several seem to be available – Daniel Hudson, David Hernandez, Greg Holland and Neftali Feliz are some who seem like obvious fits, although the Reds haven’t been connected publicly to any of them.

“Our goal is to find quality pitching that can appear late in the game and essentially provide some experience that we don’t have from within, some stability in innings,” Williams said. “It doesn’t have to be a three-headed closer. It still would be nice to add someone that fits the profile of a that Bryan would feel comfortable using in the late-inning situations.”

There are fewer options among starting pitchers, in part because fewer premium options exist on the market and in part because the Reds are in a bit of a unique situation. Cincinnati has an abundance of young arms on the doorstep of the majors, but won’t head into knowing if any of them can hold down a rotation spot just yet.

That means any rotation addition has to be reliable enough to eat innings if the youngsters aren’t ready but disposable enough to kick to the bullpen if one of them is. That would seem to make Cincinnati a tough sell to a free-agent pitcher, although Williams is confident he can find help there if the team decides it needs it.

“I think there’s always those pitchers over there that are kind of crossover candidates,” Williams said. “They might start in the pen but have the length to spot start. They might be starters that you end up putting in the 'pen. Those guys are usually out there.”

Williams said at the GM meetings earlier in the month that he’d like to add an outfield bat to help beef up his bench, but added in a phone conversation Tuesday that some catching help could be a target as well. He’d prefer a with options to allow for some flexibility if Devin Mesoraco proves he’s fully healthy, but recognizes that such a luxury is hard to come by on the open market.

“It could end up being a veteran on a team-favorable deal,” Williams said.

A.J. Ellis, A.J. Pierzynski, Geovany Soto and Chris Gimenez are some veteran options available in free agency, although many of them are likely seeking situations with firmer playing-time guarantees.

Any addition the Reds make is unlikely to move the needle much. This offseason is not one the Reds will use to build up, instead looking to shore up obvious weaknesses to better get through what’s likely to be an improved but still rebuilding season.

But if a player is available who could be had affordably and who would help the next winning iteration of the club, Williams will be opportunistic.

“I wouldn’t see us doing a deal where a significant amount of money is contributed to a player in the short-term,” Williams said. “If there were a multi-year deal where the player was going to be signed and be able to be contributing into the next window of success, that would make more sense than a larger deal that covers the 2017 season. I think it’s more likely in ’17 you’ll see us spread the money we have around.”

In terms of subtractions, Williams said the team continues to monitor the trade market for Zack Cozart, who is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility. Williams said teams have expressed interest, although it’s been more of a feeling-out process at this point.

“It’s a little early to tell whether the level of interest is appropriate for his value,” Williams said. “We’ve been in discussions. Obviously there hasn’t been anything completed. We still place a pretty high value on Zack and his ability to contribute. The good thing is with his contract and his reasonable cost, there’s no need to complete a trade.” WCPO - Channel 9 Michael Lorenzen, fiancee tie the knot in Southern California WCPO Staff 12:06 PM, Nov 24, 2016

CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen and fiancee Cassi Bullert tied the knot this week.

He shared a photo and video from his wedding day on Instagram.

The ceremony was at San Diego's Rancho Bernardo Inn. Lorenzen, 24, grew up in Southern California.

He also shared photos from their honeymoon in Maui.

It's been an emotional year for Lorenzen, personally: He and Bullert announced their engagement in May, and then his father died in August. Lorenzen hit a three-run homer in his first game back after his father's death -- the first of his major league career.

ESPN.COM Are the Astros all-in? A status check for all 30 teams Nov 21, 2016 ESPN Senior Writer

With an offseason of trades, signings and re-signings already underway, it behooves us to lay out where each MLB team stands and what its current big-picture objective is as we head toward the winter meetings in Washington, D.C., set for early December. Here is the current landscape, division by division and team by team:

AL East

Baltimore Orioles Holding steady Status: Contenders

The O's are not expected to have a free-spending offseason like they did a year ago, but they are trying to retain free agent Mark Trumbo following the AL champ's 47-homer season. The Orioles are hoping starting pitchers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman continue to develop into top-of-the-rotation starters to go with Chris Tillman; their progress as pitchers will have a lot to do with the Orioles' chances of winning their division next year. You can expect GM Dan Duquette to be more active in January than he will be between now and then because that's when he goes after his signature pickups: undervalued free agents who are left standing.

Boston Red Sox Trending upward Status: Favorites

The Red Sox begin their journey of life after . They're looking for a left-handed hitter to replace him, with Carlos Beltran one of their top free-agent targets. The Sox would also like to improve their pitching staff, especially in the bullpen setting up closer Craig Kimbrel. President has stayed in contact with the White Sox regarding both Chris Sale and Jose Quintana and is believed to have interest in Justin Verlander of the Tigers as well. The Red Sox have a strong farm system to work with, and a blockbuster for another top-of-the-rotation starter is not out of the question.

New York Yankees Trending upward Status: Rebuilding/contenders

The Yankees have done the best job of any team in baseball in rebuilding their farm system into one of the top three in the game, thanks to the deadline deals that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs and Andrew Miller to the Indians, two trades that were key to rejuvenating their minor-league system. The Yankees want to try to keep most of their prospects, rather than using them as trade pieces. They would like to add an impact bat to the middle of their lineup to help their young players develop faster, so don't be surprised if they sign one of the three best free-agent bats: Edwin Encarnacion, Yoenis Cespedes or Carlos Beltran.

Tampa Bay Rays Trending downward Status: Rebuilding

The Rays continue to trend downward and away from the rest of the pack. To reverse this trend, they are hoping to improve both their lineup and defense this offseason. To accomplish this, the Rays are listening on most of their starting pitchers and could make a huge splash at the winter meetings, especially if they decide to move their ace, Chris Archer, or one of their other top starters, Jake Odorizzi or Drew Smyly. They've been stockpiling power bats the past couple years, with their acquisitions of Steven Souza, Matt Duffy and Corey Dickerson. However, they need to concentrate on hitters who get on base and have above-average defensive skills.

Toronto Blue Jays Holding steady Status: Contenders

The Blue Jays are doing their best to deal with a difficult offseason that could see them lose a bevy of their own free agents, including Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Joaquin Benoit and Michael Saunders. They've already lost free-agent reliever Brett Cecil, who signed with the Cardinals over the weekend. They've tried to soften the blow with the signing of designated hitter Kendrys Morales to a three-year, $33 million dollar contract. They are now in talks with several midlevel free agents and with numerous GMs about trades. If Encarnacion and Bautista depart, the Jays will look to replace them with platoon-type players for both first base and right field to go with and Melvin Upton Jr. Rebuilding the bullpen will be a must if they want to remain contenders.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox Trending downward Status: Rebuilding

They are the most interesting team in baseball this offseason because they're in rebuilding mode and have the most talent to trade in a year when the free-agent market is the weakest it has been in more than a decade. In Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, the White Sox have two elite starting pitchers they can move. They also have two middle-of-the-order bats they can trade in Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier and complementary outfielders such as and Melky Cabrera. Teams with strong farm systems have White Sox GM on speed dial, and his trips to the podium in Washington, D.C. could be this offseason's most interesting moments.

Cleveland Indians Trending upward Status: Favorites

The champions will be even better next year, with the return of Michael Brantley from shoulder surgery and a healthy Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar rejoining the rotation. The Tribe will have to deal with the free-agent losses of outfielder Rajai Davis and Coco Crisp, but that should be easy considering the team's track record. The most important personnel move this offseason will be trying to re-sign first baseman Mike Napoli, not just because of his 34 home runs and 101 RBIs, but more importantly because of his leadership and presence in the clubhouse. Expect a quiet offseason from the Indians, but they'll be getting better just by getting healthier.

Detroit Tigers Trending downward Status: Contenders

The Tigers are listening to every team that calls and inquires about their star players, and they are open to trading any of them for the right prospect package. They are concerned about getting too old too quickly and want to bring the payroll down to a more reasonable level. Outfielder J.D. Martinez is the most likely to be traded this winter, but the Tigers are a fascinating team to watch because they could shock the baseball world and trade any one of their superstars, including and not limited to Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Victor Martinez.

Kansas City Royals Holding steady Status: Contenders

The Royals were disappointed to not make it to the postseason in 2016, but they point to several key injuries to players such as third baseman Michael Moustakas, left fielder Alex Gordon and closer Wade Davis as some of the reason for that. The Royals already have lost free-agent DH Kendrys Morales to the Blue Jays and are expected to lose starting pitcher Edinson Volquez as well. Their main emphasis this offseason is to try to improve their bullpen depth, make an upgrade at second base if possible and replace Morales' bat in the lineup. The Royals are hoping to make one more run at a World Series and are going to try to keep the team intact at least until the July trade deadline, then reassess based on the standings. However, they have to be realistic because Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar, Moustakas, and Wade Davis are all free agents after next year. If the Royals don't tie them up this offseason, they can't risk losing all of them next year, even if they get back to the postseason. Therefore, I'm looking for either major contract extensions for a few of these players or industry-surprising trades even if they deny it. Going for it all next year and then losing most of their nucleus would mean the Royals wouldn't be contenders again for a long time, and that would just be bad baseball business.

Minnesota Twins Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Twins rebuilt their front office this offseason, with the dual hirings of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine to run the baseball operations department. Both were great hires and immediately put the Twins in the right direction. They are going to need a few years to get back into contention, but both men know how to get there with their experiences in Cleveland and Texas, respectively. They are listening to everyone and have no untouchables. The one big-name player they could be dealing is Brian Dozier, who hit 42 home runs the past season. Dozier has the most trade value of any veteran on the roster. Most of the progress the Twins make this offseason will be the reshaping of player development and scouting and their organizational infrastructure. However, with new, young, strong leadership in place, the Twins have already had a successful offseason.

AL West

Houston Astros Trending upward Status: Contenders

The Astros have been wheeling and dealing already this offseason, landing catcher Brian McCann from the Yankees in a deal for two pitching prospects and signing free-agent outfielder Josh Reddick to a four-year contract and right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton to a two-year deal. They aren't finished, either. They are still looking for another bat and more ways to improve their pitching staff. Their best under-the-radar move was the hiring of bench coach . He's one of the brightest young managerial candidates in baseball and will provide a strong sounding board for manager A.J. Hinch, and he'll be a huge factor in the continued development of their young core, including shortstop Carlos Correa.

Los Angeles Angels Trending downward Status: Rebuilding

The Angels started their offseason by solving their void in left field when they landed outfielder Cameron Maybin in a trade with the Tigers. The Angels are hoping their team will be much healthier next season, after a disastrous year filled with injuries. However, they are in a difficult position, with very little to trade at any level and facing this winter's weak free-agent market. GM Billy Eppler will have to be creative with some under-value signings of free agents, either to help the team win now or to trade in July.

Oakland Athletics Trending downward Status: Rebuilding

The Athletics are an all-out rebuilding program and are not expected to be a contending team in 2017, but they should pick in the top five in the draft. The A's have already improved their farm system dramatically after a couple solid drafts and significant trades to replenish their system over the past year. They're listening on Sonny Gray, but with his trade value at rock bottom, it's more likely they'll trade him next July after giving him time to rebuild his value.

Seattle Mariners Trending upward Status: Contenders

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has been wheeling and dealing ever since he arrived in Seattle. He's off to a fast start this offseason as well, already landing catcher Carlos Ruiz and infielder/outfielder Danny Valencia in two separate trades while giving up very little in either move. The Mariners continue to have trade talks with the Reds regarding shortstop Zack Cozart and are looking for another power right-handed hitter such as free agent Mike Napoli. Dipoto is searching for ways to improve the pitching staff and corner outfield positions as well.

Texas Rangers Trending upward Status: Favorites

The Rangers' first big offseason move was the signing of veteran starting pitcher Andrew Cashner to a one-year, $10 million pact. They are trying to re-sign some of their own free agents, including outfielder Ian Desmond. The Rangers have moved top power prospect Joey Gallo to first base, so he should be a solid replacement for the departed Mitch Moreland. They could make a splash with a run at Edwin Encarnacion to replace Carlos Beltran at DH if they don't re-sign Beltran, or they could try to reunite with Mike Napoli, who would give them protection at first base. The Rangers are continuing to talk with both the White Sox and Rays about starting pitching. One thing is for sure: As long as Jon Daniels is running the Rangers' baseball operations, they're going to be proactive and always trying to improve.

NL East

Atlanta Braves Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Braves' rebuilding program is way ahead of schedule after an impressive year of wheeling and dealing that netted them one of the best farm systems in baseball. Between trades, the draft, foreign signings and trades for foreign signing pool money, they have added 20 of their top 25 prospects. In the process, they freed up significant money and are now big players for major trades and signing major free agents. They have already landed two veteran starters, Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey, who will both help the development of younger starters. They're also chasing some of the game's biggest names in trade, such as Chris Sale of the White Sox. Catching is another need; they've been connected with Matt Wieters, Jason Castro and Wilson Ramos and are expected to land one of them this winter.

Miami Marlins Trending upward Status: Contenders

The Marlins have the position players right now to be a postseason team, but they have a lot of work to do in their starting rotation and bullpen this winter if they want to reach the postseason in October. They have been pursuing several big-name free agents, such as closer Kenley Jansen and almost every pitcher presently on the free-agent market, including left-hander Travis Wood and right- handers Ivan Nova and Jason Hammel. That isn't the only place they're searching for pitching; the Marlins have also been connected with the Rays and White Sox in trade talks with their available starting pitchers.

New York Mets Holding steady Status: Contenders

The Mets are hoping to get their starting pitchers all healthy for next season after a year when Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz all went down and Zach Wheeler never made it back. The Mets already lost Bartolo Colon in free agency, after he signed with the Braves, but they're optimistic that they have enough after Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman emerged at the end of the past season. The Mets were pleased that second baseman Neil Walker accepted his qualifying offer and now have their full attention on free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, whom they must re-sign if they want to go back to the playoffs. If Cespedes doesn't return, the Mets will be active in replacing him, with Dexter Fowler and Bautista both possibilities.

Philadelphia Phillies Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Phillies made great progress last year, as they built a strong, young starting rotation led by Aaron Nola, Jared Eickhoff, Zach Eflin and Jake Thompson. Veteran Jeremy Hellickson accepted their qualifying offer to anchor the young staff. The Phillies are now waiting for all their young position players to arrive so they can go from rebuilding to contending, which should happen by 2018. In the meantime, expect the Phillies to stay the course and not go out and sign expensive free agents. However, they'll probably pursue some midlevel free agents who can help prospects develop and give them players to trade for even more prospects come July.

Washington Nationals Trending upward Status: Favorites

The Nationals are the favorites to repeat as division champs heading into the offseason, but they have several decisions to make. First, they must get a closer; whether that means re-signing Mark Melancon or making a bigger splash with Kenley Jansen or Aroldis Chapman, this team needs an impact reliever in the back end of the pen. They must decide what to do at shortstop, where they could move Trea Turner or try bringing back free agent Ian Desmond. The Nats could pursue Fowler or Cespedes to play center field if Turner moves to short. They pursued Cespedes last offseason before he inked with the Mets. However, Cespedes prefers to play left, so if they sign him, they might have to move Harper to center and Werth to right. Then comes the most interesting name: The Nationals have talked to the White Sox about Chris Sale. How about a potential rotation of Max Scherzer, Chris Sale and Stephen Strasburg? One thing is for sure: The Nationals will do what they always do and make some huge move to grab headlines.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs Trending upward Status: Favorites

The world champion Cubs. Doesn't that still sound great, after all those years of waiting? This team's offseason has already included a parade, a red-carpet ceremony and, soon, a trip to the White House. The Cubs have already said goodbye to closer Aroldis Chapman and thanked him for being a huge part of their winning it all. They're trying to hold on to center fielder Dexter Fowler, but it looks like he'll follow Chapman out the door, and reliever Travis Wood will do the same. The rest of the team will stay intact, and despite their free-agent losses, the Cubs will get better as all their young players continue to develop and improve. Expect a quiet offseason from the Cubs in terms of player movement as they prepare to defend their title with baseball's best team.

Cincinnati Reds Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Reds are making progress after two years of rebuilding by trading veteran players for prospects. They plan to continue down that path this winter, hoping to find landing spots for second baseman Brandon Phillips (who might waive his no-trade clause this time) and shortstop Zack Cozart. The Reds are downplaying the possibility of dealing Joey Votto, but if they get a chance to get out of that long-term exposure and get significant prospects in return, they'd be foolish to not consider it. Don't expect the Reds to be big spenders on free agents, but in Dick Williams' first year with complete power as GM, expect him to leave his mark with some type of blockbuster.

Milwaukee Brewers Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Brewers started their hot-stove season with a bang, when they extended their deal with manager Craig Counsell. The three-year extension for Counsell buys him and enough time to complete their rebuild of the Brewers into a contending team by 2019 or 2020. They have made great strides since Stearns arrived a year ago; expect more of the same this winter. They will listen on everyone, and the biggest name they've been shopping recently is outfielder , who would be a difference-maker for either the Giants or Dodgers. The Brewers can also offer right-handed starter Junior Guerra, who had a successful rookie season, as shown by his 2.81 ERA and 1.13 whip in 20 games started. He's the Brewer most likely to be traded.

Pittsburgh Pirates Trending downward Status: Contenders

The Pirates might be trading the face of their franchise, Andrew McCutchen, as rumors are swirling that they've already talked to several teams, including the Nationals and Dodgers. The Pirates have a long-term replacement in Austin Meadows, who could be ready sometime next year; they could also have Josh Bell play right if they moved Gregory Polanco to left and Starling Marte to center. But to trade McCutchen, the Pirates would be looking for a significant prospect package, one that would have to start with elite pitching. The Pirates are not expected to be big players in free agency outside of some undervalued pitcher signings, like they always do. However, they are being very active on the trade front, and that's where I expect them to do most of their offseason damage.

St. Louis Cardinals Holding steady Status: Contenders

The Cardinals started their offseason with the signing of reliever Brett Cecil, whom they gave a four-year, $30.5 million pact with a complete no-trade clause. The Cardinals felt they'd have to overpay by giving Cecil the extra year because of their strong need after lefty Zach Duke went down with Tommy John surgery. The Cardinals will get Lance Lynn back from Tommy John surgery, and they'll have to hope Adam Wainwright, and Mike Leake have bounce-back seasons. The Cardinals need to improve their center-field position, and Dexter Fowler is their top target. They also want to improve their overall defense and will look for opportunities to do that on the trade market.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks Trending upward Status: Retooling

The Diamondbacks have already had a successful offseason, with the hirings of GM , manager and bench coach . The D-backs' new front office has an open mind and is gauging interest on all players. They have a lot of work to do to and are concentrating on adding a starting pitcher, setup reliever and closer. They have an underrated nucleus of position players to build around. In the rotation, Arizona will need to find a way to get Shelby Miller back on track and will have to hope Archie Bradley and Braden Shipley can take giant steps forward in their development and be more effective next year.

Colorado Rockies Trending upward Status: Contenders

The Rockies began their winter with the hiring of as manager, a tremendous hire by GM Jeff Bridich. The Rockies have the position players both offensively and defensively to get to the postseason, but as usual, they need to find a way to get enough pitching to get there. Black will definitely help develop both the young and veteran pitchers. Jon Gray emerged last year as a potential ace and will be the focal point to build the staff around. Don't expect the Rockies to spend a lot of money this offseason, but do expect them to put emphasis on building depth and quality to their pitching staff.

Los Angeles Dodgers Trending upward Status: Favorites

The Dodgers are expected to be headline-grabbers again this offseason, and they have a lot of work to do in trying to re-sign several of their free agents, including closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman and left-handed starter Rich Hill. They've already been connected with several big-name free agents, including Aroldis Chapman, as well as the biggest names on the trade market, such as Chris Sale and Jose Quintana of the White Sox. They have the checkbook to spend, the farm system to trade and the front office to get it done. Expect big things from the Dodgers' front office once again this winter as they look to defend their NL West title yet again.

San Diego Padres Trending upward Status: Rebuilding

The Padres are making significant progress in both their rebuilding and keeping medical records, thanks to a whirlwind season of trading veterans for prospects and keeping separate books of medicals on players they've traded. The Padres have done a great job in the draft, with their international signings and when trading for top young talent the past two years, all of which should start to show at the big-league level by September of next year. In the meantime, look for the Padres to sign first baseman Wil Myers to a long- term contract extension this offseason or at the start of spring training; that will probably be their biggest offseason move.

San Francisco Giants Holding steady Status: Contenders

The Giants have some work to do. Their biggest priorities will be finding a closer, setup reliever and left fielder. They've been in pursuit of several closers, starting with free agents Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, Mark Melancon and Greg Holland, as well as exploring trading with the Royals for Wade Davis. They are talking with setup relievers, including their own Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla, both of whom are free agents. The Giants are going to say goodbye to left fielder Angel Pagan and could replace him by trading for the Tigers' J.D. Martinez or Braun. They might surprise us in free agency by making a move on Fowler or Cespedes. One thing is for sure: They're going to solve their need at closer, and their bullpen will be much better by spring training.

Chris Sale for Yasiel Puig? The best trades for all 30 teams Nov 19, 2016 David Schoenfield SweetSpot blogger

The order from the bosses: Make one trade for every team. Done. I had to rewrite this whole thing, though, because I had the Yankees trading Brian McCann to the Astros, and then it really happened. You should have seen some of the deals I had in the original piece.

Cincinnati Reds trade RHP Dan Straily to the for 3B Austin Riley and RHP Chris Ellis.

The Reds should cash in on Straily’s solid 2016 -- 14-8, 3.76 ERA, 191 innings -- and acquire more prospect depth as they look deep into the future. Riley is a young power-hitting prospect who hit 20 home runs at age 19 in the South Atlantic League, but he needs to rein in the . Ellis, part of the Andrelton Simmons trade, has struggled as a starter despite a good arm, but he could settle in as a fastball/slider guy out of the bullpen. The Braves' rotation would now look like this as they seek to be surprise contenders after a strong final two months of 2016:

SP Julio Teheran

SP Bartolo Colon

SP Dan Straily

SP R.A. Dickey

SP Matt Wisler / Mike Foltynewicz

TRANSACTIONS 11/23/16

Seattle Mariners designated SHP Pat Venditte for assignment. Seattle Mariners traded SS Ketel Marte and RHP Taijuan Walker to for 2B Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger and LHP Zac Curtis. Arizona Diamondbacks released 1B Kyle Jensen. released LHP Joe Mantiply. New York Yankees released RHP Nick Rumbelow. New York Yankees released RHP Nathan Eovaldi. Cleveland Indians signed free agent LF Daniel Robertson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Cleveland Indians sent Michael Martinez outright to Columbus Clippers. sent Jose Valdez outright to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent Abel De Los Santos outright to Salt Lake Bees. designated RHP David Goforth for assignment. Milwaukee Brewers claimed Blake Parker off waivers from Los Angeles Angels. Kansas City Royals released C Tony Cruz. signed free agent RF Josh Reddick. Philadelphia Phillies traded RHP Jimmy Cordero to for Player To Be Named Later. Philadelphia Phillies released RHP David Buchanan.