Cincinnati Reds: 3 Second Half Predictions and 3 Major Expectations

The All-Star Game has come and gone and now comes the time to get down to business. The second half of the 2012 baseball season is underway, and with it will come many expectations and predictions.

The Reds ended the first half of the season at 47-38, nine games above the .500 mark. But they find themselves in second place, one game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs may have been a first-half surprise, but the reality is that they shouldn't be looked at as a surprise anymore and will be hanging around all season.

To get the second half started, let's make a few predictions and while we're at it we can toss in a few expectations as well.

Expectation 1: The Reds Must Address Roster and Lineup Issues by Trades

The Reds' July should be themed, "let's make a deal." They have issues in their lineup that need to be fixed. The team sits just one game back in the Central and nine above .500 while suffering from the worst 1-2 hitting combination in baseball.

Correct this for MVP-to-be (more on that soon) Joey Votto, and this team becomes unstoppable. 

Pay very close attention to this next statement: The Cincinnati Reds are 4th in all of baseball in team ERA.

Holy Cow, did you really just read that?

A team that plays in one of the most hitter-friendly parks has one of the best pitching staffs on the circuit. This doesn't happen very often, and is a reason why it is imperative that management takes advantage of it and solidifies the lineup.

Let's also not forget that they need to bolster the bullpen. In-house options, Donnie Joseph and J.J. Hoover, could fill in admirably in the pen, but a solid veteran closer would be nice to add to the mix.

Prediction 1: The Reds Will Make a Splash in Free Agency

I feel that the Reds are going to be making some sort of splash in the coming weeks. If they can't get the big power bat that they desperately need, then it looks as though they may go the route of a lead-off guy.

The overrated Juan Pierre should be overlooked, but Shane Victorino enters the picture as a very interesting option. The veteran would be a great pick-up and addition to the top of the lineup. The more I think about it, the more I feel he could really make a splash with this club.

He is coming off arguably his best season ever. He is a three-time Gold Glove winner, an excellent base runner and he knows how to score runs.

Though it is hard to say what, who, and when, it is almost certain that Castellini and crew are ready to wheel-and-deal. After all, they didn't invest $300 million at the beginning of the season just to play it safe.

Expectation 2: Dusty Baker Must Make Lineup Changes

Allowing Drew Stubbs' .214 BA and .286 OBP to continually be placed in the No. 2 and leadoff slots in the order is downright criminal. 

Is Dusty Baker betting on his team to lose? What kind of money is he making on the side? Is this 1919 all over again? The Black Sox are looking like saints compared to this blatant throwing of games by Baker.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit here, but come on, am I really?

Plain and simple, Dusty has to make a change. Period. If he doesn't, then MLB should ban him from baseball for negligence.

This is just one person's opinion anyway.

Prediction 2: Joey Votto Wins the Batting Title and His Second MVP

I predicted in my article, Cincinnati Reds: 10 Bold Predictions, that Joey Votto would go on a tear that would see him lead the world in OBP. At the time, Votto was hitting .293 with only two home runs.

My prediction was right then and I look for it to be right now and here is why - Votto has mini-slumps throughout the year and a key sign that he is in one of these slumps is to look at his strikeouts to hits ratio's during these stretches.

Going back to June 20th (when his current "slump" began), Votto has 14 hits to 11 strikeouts. Drew Stubbs may take that any day of the week, but not Joey Votto. Joey's previous 20-day stretch saw him collect 31 hits to only 12 strikeouts, and that, my friends, is where he is about to head again.

Some of you may say, "but he hit .392 for the month of June." That he did, but he was hitting around .490 for the month on June 20th.

You see, Joey Votto has proven time and time again throughout his career that he can avoid a prolonged slump. He is about to emerge from this one. It's scary to think that he has been in a slump for nearly 20 days and still maintains a .348 BA and paces all of baseball with 35 doubles.

This is why Votto's stats will continue to grow this season and he will be the 2012 National League MVP.

Stats Prediction: .357/.481/.656 with 65 doubles—just short of the double's record.

Expectation 3: The Reds Must Win the N.L. Central

This is the expectation that Bob Castellini has and that all Reds fans should have. The N.L. Central title is theirs to lose. A Wild Card birth is unacceptable. 

This team has the talent to do it now, with only the players on the current roster. But their manager has to comply—see expectation No. 2.

But, if they really want to secure the title, they need to follow through on expectation No. 1 and address the roster issues through trades. This team is one bat away from running away with the division.

Prediction 3: The Reds Will Win the N.L. Central

The Reds will be celebrating a division title in September, a the question remains: Will they be celebrating anything during October play?

This is hard to predict.

Pittsburgh is going to be in the thick of things the entire season this year—do not expect another melt down like last year. St. Louis has shown the ability to make a late season charge (see last year) and should not be overlooked. The Reds kick off the second half with a chance to make a statement against the Cardinals and I think they will.

If the Reds make the necessary trades to secure a big bat and bolster the bullpen with another quality arm then my answer is a definitive, yes. If they do not, well, we know how 2010 played out.

The Reds' window is here and open. As fans, let's hope that they make the most of it and bring home some postseason hardware. The Red's are an extremely talented team with more talent on it's way.

Enjoy the ride and the rest of the season as the Redlegs march towards October.