Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 28, 2017
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Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings November 28, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 2009-Third base coach, Steve Smith and his daughter Allie begin the Amazing Race, Season 16 MLB.COM Winker's arrival poses good problem for Reds By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 27th, 2017 + 36 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- During his extended second-half stint in his rookie season for the Reds, corner outfielder Jesse Winker demonstrated he belongs in a Major League lineup. Meanwhile, Cincinnati's established corner outfielders -- Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler -- don't really deserve to lose their spots to make way for Winker. The task for Reds general manager Dick Williams and manager Bryan Price will be to somehow find a way to make it work in 2018. One solution would be for Williams to pull off a trade for either Duvall or Schebler. Both hitters offer power, as Duvall slugged 31 homers in 2017 after hitting 33 in '16, while Schebler hit 30 homers for the first time last season. Duvall has also been a National League Gold Glove finalist in each of the last two seasons and was a 2016 NL All-Star. Both hitters struggled mightily in the second half last season. Duvall batted .249/.301/.480 in 157 games, but slumped to just .212 with 11 homers after the All-Star break. He finished the season with no homers hit over his final 29 games. His 2016 production also saw a big drop off following the break. In 141 games last season, Schebler batted .233/.307/.484, but dropped to .197 with eight homers in the second half. That came while trying to play through a left shoulder injury initially suffered in early June. He spent Aug. 1-17 on the disabled list, allowing space for Winker to emerge. In his 47 games, Winker hit .298/.375/.529 with seven homers and 15 RBIs. The ability for the organization's No. 5 prospect to work counts and get on base was as advertised. The line drive hitter also accessed some power by hitting more than the five homers he had combined at Triple-A Louisville in 2016-17. So far this offseason, there have been no rumors of any clubs having interest in acquiring Duvall or Schebler. At the same time, Williams doesn't feel compelled to make a trade, because the other solution is to have Price divide up playing time. It could be a tandem system where Duvall, Schebler and Winker all get significant playing time. If the three outfielders each played around 120 games, it could allow them all to contribute meaningful numbers. Whoever doesn't play would immediately become the best offensive option for Price off the bench in the late innings. For Duvall, perhaps playing fewer games in the first half could keep him fresher in the second half. For Winker, it would mean a more gradual assumption of responsibility in the lineup. Both Schebler and Winker are lefty hitters that could be stacked against a right-handed pitcher. But Schebler was actually stronger vs. lefties (.276) than righties (.215) last year, although he was much better vs. right-handers in 2016. But going with an outfield tandem would create a domino situation elsewhere if Duvall, Schebler and Winker all play at the same time. Duvall can also play the two corner infield spots, meaning he could spell third baseman Eugenio Suarez or first baseman Joey Votto. Of course, Votto started all 162 games in 2017 and doesn't like taking breaks. Suarez could also play shortstop, if needed. Schebler can play center field on days Billy Hamilton needs to be off. Put it all together and Williams, Price and the corner outfielders certainly have a challenge in front of them ahead of next season. But it's not necessarily a bad one for the Reds to have. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds claim lefty reliever Crockett off waivers By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | November 27th, 2017 + 7 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- For the third time this month, the Reds added a reliever to compete for a spot in their bullpen in 2018. Left-hander Kyle Crockett was claimed off of waivers from the Indians on Monday. Crockett, who will turn 26 on Dec. 15, was designated for assignment on Nov. 20 when Cleveland set its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. His addition to Cincinnati gives the club a full 40-man roster. A fourth-round Draft pick by the Indians in 2013, Crockett has spent parts of the last four seasons in the big leagues and had a 3.44 ERA in 107 appearances. His ability to avoid the long ball should benefit him at Great American Ball Park, as he's allowed only three home runs over 65 1/3 career innings. Crockett had a 10.80 ERA in four big league appearances this season, with three coming in June. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Columbus while going 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA in 51 games. So far this month, the Reds signed right-handed reliever Kevin Quackenbush and left-hander Joe Mantiply to Minor League deals and invited them to Spring Training as non-roster players. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER How the Reds could land Japanese star Shohei Ohtani C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 3:21 p.m. ET Nov. 27, 2017 | Updated 3:49 p.m. ET Nov. 27, 2017 Dick Williams can see Shohei Ohtani in a Reds uniform, even if others scoff at the idea. The Reds general manager says the team has “serious interest” in signing Ohtani, even if it’s a long shot for many reasons. But, he notes, it’s not impossible. Ohtani is the most sought-after free agent on the market this year. He’s 23 and is both an elite starting pitcher and power hitter. All 30 teams are expected to at least make some pitch for Ohtani’s services, in part, because he’ll come at a $197 million-or-so discount. The No. 1 thing for the Reds to land Ohtani, according to insiders, is that Ohtani has to want to come to Cincinnati. That’s up to the Reds, led by Williams, to make that case. “Clearly, for him, now is the time he wants to come over. I really can’t speak to what’s going in his head, but that indicates to me that he wants to get here and he wants to embark on accomplishing the goals he’s set for himself,” Williams said Monday. “That gives us some optimism we can make a case for why we would present a good opportunity. We've put ourselves in a good position for the next couple of years. He might find it an attractive fit for what he's looking for. But you’re really guessing as to what it is that motivates him.” What makes the Ohtani recruitment different than any other free-agent signing is that Ohtani’s actions already show that this decision is about more than just the team that can offer him the most money. If Ohtani were searching for the most money in any deal, he would wait two years before coming to the United States. According to the collective bargaining agreement, no team can offer more than its international signing bonus pool. For now, the Texas Rangers can offer the most money to Ohtani ($3,535,000), followed by the Yankees ($3.5 million). Some teams can still add to their bonus pool by trading for bonus pool money. On the other hand, 12 teams, including the Reds, can offer only a $300,000 bonus to Ohtani to entice him to sign with their teams after exceeding their bonus pool in previous years. The other teams unable to spend more than $300,000 on any player are the Royals, Cardinals, Padres, Athletics, Braves, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, White Sox, Giants and Nationals. Six other teams can offer even less. Major League Baseball is expected to agree to a new posting system agreement between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball on Friday. Ohtani is expected to be posted by his team shortly afterward. Each team can offer the $20 million posting fee and Ohtani will be free to pick his future team. After signing, teams can offer only a standard minor-league contract. Ohtani would then earn either the league-minimum or close to it for the first three years of his MLB career, like any other young player. He would then have three years of arbitration eligibility becoming eligible for free agency following the 2023 season. “It’s a different set of circumstances than we’re used to,” Williams said. “Usually the money is such an important part of the process. This time around, there’s more of the communicating and the sales points. That’s unique, that’s different than a typical free-agent negotiation.” Ohtani’s background, though, gives teams hope. Ohtani is from a small town and his team, the Nippon Ham Fighters, are based in Sapporo, a city of comparable size to Cincinnati.