Top Offseason Options for the Cincinnati Reds to Finish off Winter Plans

With a left fielder finally secured, the attention shifts directly back to a rotation just 60 percent whole.

The Cincinnati Reds have a lineup that's seemingly better on paper than last year, but it was the team owning the third-best starting pitcher ERA that really gave it any shot at competing in a year marred by significant injuries. And now, it's down two key contributes in Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon.

It's possible that the Reds feel they may have internal solutions. But names like David Holmberg and Dylan Axelrod surely don't inspire much confidence. Even for the back of a rotation, the Reds would still be replacing ERAs of 3.25 (Latos) and 3.44 (Simon) with a 5.08 (Holmberg) and a career 5.16 (Axelrod).

Axelrod did post a respectable 2.95 ERA last season, but that was in just four starts and 18.1 total innings. He's had an ERA above five in the two seasons he's pitched over 50 innings.

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Anthony DeSclafani seems like a popular choice. But that would mean investing in a guy with a 6.27 ERA in five MLB starts. That by no means defines this pitcher, who by every evaluation seemingly has a lot of upside. But he's largely unproven. And his minuscule sample size of MLB experience was poor. So it would be a little unreasonable to place much faith in that prospect just yet, at least immediately.

It would make a lot sense for the Reds to consider adding just another starting pitcher. The rotation's No. 5 spot can be had to the better among the aforementioned talent. But to leave two variables in the rotation would be a dangerous gamble.

I thought Aaron Harang would have made the most sense as just a one-year rental. But he's off the market after signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, so the Reds have to look elsewhere. I've already written how Ryan Vogelsong would make for a great back-of-the-rotation plug. But according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, he's nearing a deal with the Houston Astros.

Either Vogelsong or Harang would have been an ideal insert near the back end. But if Vogelsong signs with Houston, the market's starting pitching is essentially tapped out. There really is no one left worth signing who's better than the options the Reds currently have.

So as it stands, the Reds are going to go forward using just three MLB-proven pitchers. That's an enormous uncertainty and liability, far greater than who's batting fourth and playing in left field.

The bullpen is the other area in need of some tuning. It's pretty evident that between Aroldis Chapman, Jumbo Diaz and a healthy Sean Marshall, the back end of the bullpen seems solid. It's the middle relief corps that doesn't inspire confidence. J.J. Hoover, Sam LeCure, Manny Parra—all could use an improvement from last year's disastrous campaigns.

Raisel Iglesias is perhaps the wild card that will address one of the Reds' needs. I don't think they need two starting pitchers—the No. 5 can surely go to any of the aforementioned candidates. But the idea of using two stopgap pitchers in one season is a risky one.

If Iglesias can make the rotation, in theory, he completes the rotation regardless of who is going at No. 5. Or Iglesias joins a bullpen that is in real need of mid- to late-inning reliable relief.

There are a couple of decent bullpen options still out there. Carlos Villanueva is an interesting name floating around. He hasn't finished with an ERA under four since 2007, but he averaged a decent 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he's versatile enough to either start or pitch from the pen.

Otherwise, as I have written numerous times, I really like Phil Coke. Coke turned in a really good year with the Detroit Tigers last season, going 5-2 with a 3.88 ERA. Obviously for a reliever, that doesn't mean much, but he did finish with a 0.4 WAR, his best since 2010.

And according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Coke is in his best shape yet:

"

Yes, it’s almost spring training. As I said on @MLBNetwork, Phil Coke has lost about 15 pounds and is in…yes…THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE!

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 20, 2015"

Coke made just under $2 million last year. Make no mistake, this is a left-handed, one-out guy (LOOGY) in every sense of the word, but his effectiveness against left-handed hitters is tangible. Lefties are batting a cumulative .243 against Coke compared to a .303 average from righties.

That's really it. The bench could always use beef, especially for the demographic who shockingly don't acknowledge significant injuries as reasonable reasons for struggles. But beyond that, Iglesias is going to fill a major hole. Hopefully, it's in the starting rotation; there are simply no more viable starting pitching options on the market for the Reds.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.