Offseason report: Cincinnati Reds

*Photo from BetChicago*

   Moving to Southern Ohio, it's time for the Cincinnati Reds offseason to be looked at.

2019 recap

It was a season full of promise for the Reds, until it wasn't. Joey Votto had his worst year as a professional in 2019 and the Reds sputtered out, finishing 75-87, far out of a playoff spot in the NL.

What you need to know

The Reds came into the offseason looking to spend, as they are looking to get over the hump and into the playoffs. They started off the winter by getting a solid bat in Mike Moustakas, who had a fantastic 2019 and should build off of his success in 2020. They signed Wade Miley for the back end of the rotation, as he was coming off a resurgent 2019 with the Houston Astros. They started the new year by heading to Japan to sign CF Shogo Akiyama to further bolster the lineup and outfield. Then, they started to crowd up their outfield by bringing in a power bat in Nick Castellanos, signing him away from the rival Cubs. They later brought in Pedro Strop for some bullpen reinforcement, and that was it for their offseason.

Moves I like

Moustakas is a very good signing for them, and he can play multiple infield positions to go with his big bat, which gives manager David Bell some versatility and more power. Miley is a good buy low candidate in the hopes he can replicate his 2019 success in Houston. Strop is a quality bullpen arm, and Akiyama and Castellanos are both good power outfield bats.

Moves I don't like

Don't get me wrong, Akiyama and Castellanos are good adds. The only problem is that they crowded up an already crowded outfield. It's a mix of Castellanos, Akiyama, Aristedes Aquino, Nick Senzel, Scott Schebler, Jesse Winker, and more. It will be a problem for Bell as he'll try to shuffle the playing time all season. 

2020 outlook

The Reds definitely improved this offseason, which moves the NL Central into a 4 team race for the division, much like the NL East. The Reds should make strides, but in the division that they're in, it might not be enough to make it into the playoffs.