It’s officially spring, which means baseball season is on the rise. The Cincinnati Reds have a revamped team with a new manager, new players, and intriguing minor-league prospects. With this new team will they be able to make a playoff push to the World Series?
Starting with the hiring of a new manager and World Series champion, Terry Francona. Francona had a lengthy playing career, playing for various major league teams. After his playing career ended he entered a career in coaching. He was Michael Jordan’s manager in his lone year in professional baseball for the Chicago White Sox. In 2004, he won his first managerial World Series with the Boston Red Sox as their manager. He won again in 2007 before taking over for the Cleveland Indians. In 2016, he won the American League Pennant in Cleveland. He stepped down from the Indians due to health-related issues and was out of baseball. In October of 2024, the Cincinnati Reds hired Francona as their manager and signed him to a 3-year contract. This hiring gave fans a lot of hope and optimism, hopefully returning the Cincinnati Reds to their World Series dynasty. However, the fans aren’t the only ones with a sense of optimism. The players are determined to succeed this year. Leading most of them to show up for spring training weeks before they were scheduled to be there. Player Jeimer Candelario said when asked about the hiring, “I think he’s a Hall of Famer. He’s done this for a long time. When he was named manager, he came to the Dominican Republic to see the guys. That was different. The way I see him is with a lot of respect because we know he’s a leader.”
The Reds have also brought in some new players with old players returning from injuries. Some of the new players are former Royals pitcher Brady Singer who was acquired for infielder and former rookie of the year Jonathan India. They acquired former Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, whom they traded for pitcher Fernando Cruz. Another great player the Reds have traded for is Los Angeles Dodgers utility player, Gavin Lux. Last but not least, they signed outfielder Austin Hays who recently played for the Baltimore Orioles. The new players are sure to bring some more wins to the team and improve their overall record from past seasons.
The Reds also have some intriguing players in their minor league system who are destined to be called up and contribute for the season. Starting with outfielder Rece Hinds, who was named National League Player of the Week in his first week in the big leagues. He made history after he hit homerun after homerun. He looks likely to start the year in AAA Louisville. Former 2023 1st-round draft pick Rhett Lowder’s role is up for debate as some are unsure where he will start the season. He was a contributor posting an ERA of 1.17 in 6 starts, with opposing batters only getting a hit off him just a bit over 20% of the time. Some of the other prospects with major potential are Cam Collier, Edwin Arroyo, and Sal Stewart, who was just recently praised by future hall of fame 3rd baseman Manny Machado. Machado called Stewart a “Beast.” These players gave fans hope for the future.
In conclusion, this upcoming season is sure to be nothing short of a spectacle. With a new manager, new major league players, and minor league players looking forward to being called up and contributing.
