Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Cincinnati Reds Fantasy Outlook

Mar 23, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) waits on deck against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

2015 Cincinnati Reds Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Devin Mesoraco (.273, 25HR, 80RBI, 1SB in 114 games)
1B: Joey Votto (.255, 6HR, 23RBI, 1SB in 62 games)
2B: Brandon Phillips (.266, 8HR, 51RBI, 2SB)
SS: Zack Cozart (.221, 4HR, 38RBI, 7 SB)
3B: Todd Frazier (.273, 29HR, 80RBI, 20SB)
LF: Marlon Byrd (.264, 25HR, 85RBI, 3SB with Philadelphia)
CF: Billy Hamilton (.250, 6HR, 48RBI, 56SB)
RF: Jay Bruce (.217, 18HR, 66RBI, 12SB)

Mesoraco was a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners that jumped on during his hot April. His 25 homers in just 114 games have us thinking a 30-100 season is a possibility with a good average. The rigors of the position could slow him down, but if you go in expecting numbers similar to last year, you shouldn’t be disappointed. He is going as the third catcher off the board right now, which could be a bargain. I could argue that you should take him over Jonathan Lucroy. No one else can provide you with that kind of power at catcher besides maybe Evan Gattis.

Votto had a miserable year last year. There is reason to expect some kind of rebound, but his years of hitting 30 homers with a .300 average are probably behind him. 20 homers is not unreasonable, and I would expect his average closer to .290 than the .255 of last year. 100 RBI is a real possibility as long as the injury issues are behind him. Votto is being underdrafted in many leagues. He is what I like in a bounce-back candidate: he has a proven track record, and only one season (last year) with injury issues. If he is around in the 11th or 12th round, he is worth taking.

Phillips is not the 20/20 threat that he was for much of his career. What he will give you is a decent average with a little bit of power. That makes him a good option late in standard leagues. Just remember that there is really no upside left.

Cozart’s inconsistency is maddening for the Reds, and maybe even more so for fantasy owners. He will have a short leash with Kris Negron (.271, 6HR, 17RBI, 5SB in 53 games) lurking. Cozart is the better defender, but he has had an average spring at best, and Negron is hitting .405. Cozart is only worth monitoring in deep leagues. Negron is worth a spot in deep leagues, and I would definitely keep an eye on him in all other leagues. He has decent power an decent speed, and hits for a decent average. I tend to think that Cozart will lose the job for good this year. Negron is the only one with fantasy value.

Frazier is a good candidate for a 30/20 season. That has him going in the late second to early third round. I can’t argue with that. The average is a little bit low, but 3B is not a deep position, and Frazier looks good enough to duplicate last year’s numbers. He is still in his prime at 29 years old.

Marlon Byrd is a stop-gap until Jesse Winker is ready. Most in the organization think he will be ready by next year to take the starting job permanently in left. He may get a September call-up, but only if he has success in the minors this year. In redraft leagues, Winker isn’t much of a prize. In dynasty formats, he is going to be a name to remember.

Hamilton flashed some of what he is capable of last year. The speed is legit, and his average kept gaining last year after a slow start. He likely wont hit .280, but I would expect him closer to that than the .250 average of last year. At any rate, his speed makes him a hot commodity. He could steal 75 bags if he chooses his times to run more wisely. He was thrown out 23 times last year. Hamilton is a good fourth round pick if he is still around.

Jay Bruce had a break out 2013 season, but regressed last year. Part of the reason was the repeated absence and ineffectiveness of Joey Votto. With a healthy Votto and Marlon Byrd hitting around him, you could see him back in the high 20’s for home runs. His average is likely to rebound as well. He is a career .251 hitter, which is not great, but it is much better than the .217 he hit last year. Bruce could be a sneaky mid round power pick, and could steal double digit bases again.

If Byrd struggles, we could see Yorman Rodriguez get a call in early summer. He hit .222 in 27 September at-bats last year, but has shown decent power and speed in the minors. He is worth a later round pick in dynasty leagues. He doesn’t have great upside, but he could hit 12-15 homers and steal 20 bases if given regular at bats.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Sep 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Cincinnati Reds Projected Pitching Rotation:

Johnny Cueto (20-9, 2.25 ERA, 242K)
Homer Bailey (9-5, 3.71 ERA, 124K)
Mike Leake (11-13, 3.70 ERA, 164K)
Anthony DeSclafani (2-2, 6.27 ERA, 26K in 5 starts)
Raisel Iglesias 0-2, 2.53 ERA, 10K in 10.2 spring innings)
Jason Marquis (9-5, 4.05 ERA, 72K in 2013)
Aroldis Chapman (0-3, 2.00 ERA, 106K in 54 innings, 36/38 saves)

Live Feed

3 MLB teams that could improve World Series odds at trade deadline /

Betsided

Pitching prospect Lyon Richardson is rewarding the Reds faith and patienceBlog Red Machine

Reds vs. Brewers prediction and odds for Wednesday, July 26 (Back Cincy as dog)Betsided

Does Reds manager David Bell have the guts to reduce Joey Votto's role even more?Blog Red Machine

MLB Ohio Promo Codes: Win $450 Bonus at DraftKings, Bet365 and FanDuel! Blog Red Machine

3 pitchers the Reds should target at the trade deadline to relieve their overworked bullpenBlog Red Machine

Outiside of Cueto, there are a lot of question marks in the rotation. That said, the Reds have a lot of good pitching talent in the minors that could make it to Cincinnati later in the year.

Cueto is a worthy fantasy ace. He has posted a sub-3 ERA every year since 2010, but he finally realized his full strikeout potential last year. Some regression may be in order, but I would still bet he keeps his ERA in the high 2’s, and gets around 200 strikeouts. That makes him worth a fourth or fifth round pick.

Homer Bailey will likely start the season on the DL, but should return before the end of April. He will never have a great ERA because he does live up to his nickname, but he is a good streaming option in standard leagues. He is a good addition to the back of your rotation in leagues of 12 teams or more.

Leake is also not a flashy pitcher, but he is solid. He should get you a decent number of strikeouts with an average ERA. That makes him more appealing in deeper leagues, but I wouldn’t be opposed to streaming him in good matchups.

DeSclafani has already been traded for Mark Buehrle and Mat Latos, so you know that teams think highly of him. He was not great in five starts last year, but he has had a nice spring, and has locked down a rotation spot. He is not a high strikeout guy, but he has proven that he can limit damage, and could keep his ERA in the low 3’s. He is worth taking a chance on at the back of your standard league rotation, and should be owned in all leagues of 12 or more teams.

The Reds still have not decided what they are going to do with Cuban import Raisel Iglesias. He has been decent in spring, and has struck out an average of a batter per inning. He has stuff that borders on electric, but sometimes struggles with command. That leaves some to think that he is better suited for the bullpen, but for now, he will likely get a chance to start. At least until Bailey comes back.

For the third straight year, the Reds have considered moving Chapman to the rotation, but I don’t see how they can. He will be the first closer chosen in a lot of leagues because he struck out nearly two batters per inning last year. He is a dynamic closer, and has jumped Craig Kimbrel in my rankings.

Marquis is a crafty veteran who has never had good stuff, but he can still get hitters out. He low strikeout totals and somewhat high ERA only make him worth owning in deeper leagues.

If Marquis struggles, it will likely be David Holmberg that gets the chance to be the fifth starter, not top prospect Robert Stephenson. We may see Stephenson in September, but the organization has no plans of expediting his trip to the majors. Holmberg is not a top prospect. He relies more on command and a great changeup than power pitches, but if he proves he can handle AAA, he could stick in the majors later in the year. If he does, he might be worth a look in deep leagues.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for the rest of our team-by-team previews! Up next, the Milwaukee Brewers!

Next: Top Five Baseball Sleepers For 2015

More from FanSided

Home/Fantasy Baseball