Cincinnati Reds Rumors: Pros and Cons of Top Offseason Moves

The Cincinnati Reds are staying busy this winter and have made one of the first major moves in free agency this offseason. The Reds signed backup catcher Brayan Pena to a two-year contract, according to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas, that already has many scratching their heads (via MLBTradeRumors.com).

Of all the Reds’ needs this offseason, catcher surely wasn’t one of them. However, this move is making it appear that the Reds are willing to move third-year arbitration-eligible catcher Ryan Hanigan, as reported by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal on Twitter.

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Source: #Reds sign free-agent C Brayan Pena to two-year contract, likely to move Hanigan. First reported by ESPN @Enrique_Rojas1.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 8, 2013"

Walt Jocketty has a knack for keeping his mouth shut during the offseason and trade deadline. While Hanigan would be the obvious catcher to get traded, Jocketty might have something big planned for moving Devin Mesoraco.

The Reds aren’t swimming in offseason rumors, and the club appears to be on a strict budget for the 2014 season. The amount of trade news is limited right now, but it could pick up before the new season starts.

Let’s take a look at the rumors surrounding the club along with the pros and cons of the Reds' top offseason moves.

Are the Reds Still in on Shin-Soo Choo?

The New York Post's Joel Sherman believes the Reds might not be out of the bidding war for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Although his contract might exceed $126 million, as reported by ESPN's Jerry Crasnick on Twitter, the Reds could still shoot for the Korean star.

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MLB teams say Scott Boras seeking a Shin-Soo Choo contract worth more than Jayson Werth's $126M deal with #nationals.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 9, 2013"

Pros

Shin-Soo Choo was a fantastic answer to the Reds’ woes at the leadoff spot. His ridiculous .423 OBP was exactly what the Reds were looking for in the lineup (per Baseball-Reference.com).

Bringing back Choo to the Reds would solidify their lineup even more. The organization has to be careful with their young prospect Billy Hamilton. If they give him the Opening Day spot in center field and Hamilton falters through April, his confidence might be tough to gain back for the rest of the season.

Hamilton is still very young, and if the Reds kept Choo, they would be able to ease him into the majors. If Hamilton pans out, a lineup starting Hamilton, Choo and Joey Votto would be a force in the National League. Adding Choo would also give flexibility to Ryan Ludwick as the 35-year-old is still recovering from major shoulder surgery.

Cons

The biggest negative of signing Choo would be his contract. Choo and Carlos Beltran have been named the New York Yankees' 1 and 1A targets this offseason by John Heyman of CBS. It’s going to be almost impossible to compete with the money the Yankees are willing to dish out.

Choo will be 32 years old next season and will likely want at least five years on his contract. Even if the Reds ultimately won the bidding contest for Choo, the years would constrain their outfield for future seasons. The Reds would have an aging player with a giant contract, and those two things never go well for smaller-market teams.

Baseball America just named the Reds’ top 10 prospects entering 2014 (per Cincinnati.com). Four of the top 10 players are outfield prospects, and that’s not including RHP Michael Lorenzen, who was drafted this year as a reliever but could’ve easily been picked as a center fielder.

While the Reds' youthful outfield looks promising, it’s obviously not ready for 2014. However, signing Choo long-term would only help the Reds for the first couple years. After that, his contract could prevent some of the prospects in the Reds’ pipeline from seeing action with the big club.

Are the Reds Going to Trade Brandon Phillips?

This is the question everyone is asking in Redleg Nation. It seems the Reds are at least listening to offers for their Gold Glove second baseman but have not made it their No. 1 priority.

Pros

Brandon Phillips' contract is exactly why the Reds are hesitant to bid on Choo. Phillips still has four years and $50 million owed to him at the age of 32. These types of deals can pin down clubs for years and restrain them from going after top free agents.

There’s several arbitration-eligible Reds this year, and the club is going to start trying to lock up players to longer contracts. Freeing $50 million would make the process easier on the Reds.

If Phillips is dealt, it gives the Reds a much better chance to retain Choo. However, even if the club skipped on Choo, it would certainly change their outlook on the free-agent market for 2014.

With the signing of Pena, the Reds are surely going to deal one of their catchers. Hanigan could attract teams looking for a solid defensive backup, and Mesoraco could tempt teams looking for a possible middle-of-the-lineup hitter.

A deal including Mesoraco and Phillips could be an enormous trade this offseason. The Reds are also fortunate that the Yankees are looking for catching and second base help—especially if Robinson Cano doesn’t re-sign.

Cons

The truth behind shipping Phillips is that the Reds would lose a major defensive player. While Phillips isn’t really a clubhouse leader, his superb defense wears off on other players.

The issue with trading Phillips' contract is that hardly any team will be able to afford an aging second baseman who hit .261 this season. The Reds, in all likelihood, will have to eat some of Phillips’ contact.

If the Yankees are inquiring about Phillips, it could mean that second base is running thin in free agency this offseason. This would make it harder for the Reds to find a solid replacement.

While the organization has shown fans that 2013 is unacceptable, Phillips is still a fan-favorite. The Reds have hired new coaches (minus the fact Bryan Price moved from pitching coach to manager) and appear to be moving in a whole new direction.

It might make sense for the club to only keep one enormous contract (Votto), but losing Phillips would hurt the team. This season, Phillips was asked to be the No. 2 hitter and a cleanup hitter and still reached 100 RBI. His average wasn’t great, but Phillips might’ve played differently if he was in the two-hole all season.

A major question with Phillips is whether he can take orders from a different coach. The Reds should at minimum see how he plays under a new manager in 2014.