MLB Winter Meetings Recap | Latest Cincinnati Reds Trade Rumors | Chatterbox Reds

MLB Winter Meetings Recap | Latest Cincinnati Reds Trade Rumors | Chatterbox Reds

Nick Kirby and Craig Sandlin will recap MLB Winter Meetings and discuss all of the latest Cincinnati Reds Hot Stove rumors. They will also talk about Reds Rule 5 Draft pick Cooper Bowman.

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The Cincinnati Reds quickly added one veteran starting pitcher in a big trade and nabbed a $20 million free agent in another early offseason deal — and now look who’s coming to the annual winter meetings for the Reds to pursue this week in Dallas.

Not that the Reds are anybody’s favorites to land young Japanese pitching star Roki Sasaki. In fact, they’re just one of 30 teams in line to make a pitch to the right-hander during the allotted 45-day window once he gets posted by his Japanese team, which was expected to happen this week.

But like Shohei Ohtani when he first came to the U.S., Sasaki’s free agency falls under the amateur acquisition rules because he’s under 25, and that means bidding is limited to whatever teams have in their international bonus pool for 2025.

Japanese star Roki Sasaki pitching during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He is subject to the amateur acquisition rules because he is under 25 and the Reds have one of the eight largest pools of money to acquire him.
Again, the point isn’t that the Reds have enough perks to offer Sasaki to wrest him away from the Dodgers or anyone else from his allegedly desired West Coast.

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So where does he go from here to fill the roster needs after quick strikes to solidify the rotation by bringing Reds pitcher of the year Nick Martinez back from free agency for the $21.05 million qualifying offer and landing Brady Singer from the Royals in the Jonathan India trade?

Aren’t they done with the rotation after the Nick Martinez and Brady Singer moves?
Yes, with an asterisk named Roki Sasaki. Because the Japanese right-hander gets signed as an amateur, he’ll make the big-league minimum in salary with six years club control for whoever lands him for that international pool bonus.

Also: Don’t believe the way every trade rumor is presented. Like that one last week about the Reds being one of the teams talking to the White Sox about Garrett Crochet. The Reds checked in on Crochet before they got Singer; the talks went nowhere; and there’s no reason to think they’ll re-engage at this point.

The ideal fit would be in the outfield, which is in much more flux than an infield group that includes young All-Star Elly De La Cruz and two key players returning from injury: Candelario and Matt McLain.

“It’s probably safe to say that,” Krall said. “At the same time we still need to fill backup catcher. We signed (catcher/outfielder) Alex Jackson to a minor-league deal. But can we continue to improve that?

“We’re just looking to get the best possible upgrade position-player wise.”

The Reds are in the market for a power bat, preferably in the outfield, and the Guardians’ Lane Thomas and first baseman Josh Naylor (above) appear to be on the market.
The Guardians are said to be shopping arbitration-eligible center fielder Lane Thomas and first baseman Josh Naylor, both of whom come with significant projected salaries for the Reds’ budget — along with the player capital cost of a trade. Francona’s relationship with the Guardians and Naylor in particular might make it seem like a natural conversation. And the Reds have kicked the tires on those guys. But without a clear path for making either fit at this point.