Matt’s Take: The Cincinnati Reds will win the NL Central this season

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

FanDuel currently has Cincinnati at +450 to win the division this season, behind the Brewers and Cubs.  

With the additions of Francona, Martinez (returning), Singer, Rogers, Lux, Trevino, Hays and Miley, I am truly in belief that this team has the ability to win the division.  

The return of McLain, a healthy Friedl, and the return of Encarnacion-Strand has me hopeful this time, far different from years past.  

If this team stays healthy, they can truly compete with the young Pirates team, the Brewers who have lost a lot of talent, and the Cubs who appear to still be adding to their roster.  

Time will tell and Spring Training will be a good indicator of the roles for each player, as there is competition throughout the entire roster.  

While a power bat is missing, I think Candelario, Elly, CES, and Hays can provide enough power to put enough runs up on the board for this roster.  

Concerns with the roster

As with any team, there are certainly concerns. A few concerns I have prior to Spring Training include:

• A true power bat is not on this roster.  

• Can Lodolo stay healthy?

• If Hunter Greene would get hurt, the rotation could crumble.

• Can Andrew Abbott pitch well after the All-Star break?

• If there are outfield injuries, Cincinnati might require Will Benson, Blake Dunn, Rece Hinds, or Jacob Hurtubise to play more innings than one would like, barring any improvements.

• If Candelario struggles and Marte continues to struggle, will moving roster spots too much with Steer, CES, McLain, and Lux turn into players not getting truly comfortable rather than having defined positions? 

Bullpen preview

In today’s game, having a stellar bullpen with depth is much needed in order to provide quality innings.  With eight spots to fill, I can only imagine that the bullpen will include the following:

• Graham Ashcraft (Unless he earns a starting role)
• Alexis Diaz
• Emilio Pagan
• Taylor Rogers
• Sam Moll
• Brent Suter
• Up for grabs
• Up for grabs.

For the “up for grabs spots,” Tony Santillan, Carson Spiers, Connor Phillips, Zach Maxwell, Ian Gibaut, Alex Young, and Luis Mey come to mind on potential arms to bolster the pen. I am intrigued about the thought of Ashcraft pitching out of the pen and being able to throw 98-99 mph fastballs and letting loose for a couple innings. He’s a high-energy guy that I believe would be well suited for a bullpen role.