“I don’t see why we can’t go win the division,” closer Emilio Pagán said. “We’re going to have to be more consistent throughout the entire system. Talent wise, we match up with everybody in our division.”
It’s been a busy week in the National League Central. The Chicago Cubs signed All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, and they’ve also recently added a standout starting pitcher in Edward Cabrera.
The St. Louis Cardinals, who traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks this week, are going in the other direction.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have had their busiest offseason in years as they’ve added two standout hitters in Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe.
While the Brewers haven’t made a big move, they won the division last year.
This offseason, the Reds have mostly focused on the bullpen as they re-signed Pagán and added relievers Caleb Ferguson and Pierce Johnson. They also have added outfielders JJ Bleday and Dane Myers, who are bounceback candidates.
Still, there’s a lot of optimism around a team that won 83 games last year.
“We’re excited,” All-Star pitcher Andrew Abbott said. “There’s a lot of energy in the air. We shored up the bullpen and we’ve got the young guys coming back who are trying to prove themselves or build up on seasons past. I’m truly excited.”
Adding Ferguson and Johnson gives the Reds the most established middle relief core that the team has had since 2020. Instead of adding a bat, the Reds spent over $10 million to sign these two veteran relievers who have pitched in a lot of big games as well as in a variety of roles.
“It’s a lot of trust that we have in the veteran guys,” Abbott said. “Being that I’m still getting my feet wet in the league, we learn from the guys who have been there. It’s really important to have. They’re also an anchor. They’ve been there, done that. You know what you’re getting out of those guys. They’ve always been reliable.”
Pagán feels similar optimism about the bullpen and sees it as a group that’s going to be “really good” this season. He’s excited about the new veteran options, and he said that he’s also looking forward to seeing a talented group of rookie relievers take the next step.
“Connor Phillips, Lyon Richardson, (Zach) Maxwell, (Luis) Mey, they got good experience for us last year at the big league level and at times they were all throwing high-leverage innings,” Pagán said.
A deeper bullpen can bolster a starting rotation that’s the strength of the team. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Abbott, Brady Singer and Chase Burns all return. Also after missing all of last season, Rhett Lowder is back in the mix.
After posting an All-Star season last year, the next step for Abbott is pitching a completely healthy season and making all 32 starts. Last spring, he opened the year on the IL after managing an old shoulder injury and going through a slower build up process during spring training.
This year entering spring training, Abbott is full-go.
“We’re slowly picking it up,” Abbott said. “No injuries. No hiccups. It’s been great so far.”
About the Author