CONFIRMED DEAL: Following starter Friedl’s wrist injury, the Reds have formally reached an agreement with a prospective replacement in center field.

he sun is shining as I write these words. Birds are chirping, and I hear the neighbor’s dog playfully barking (probably at the squirrel that torments him). Some days, it seems as if spring has already sprung, and I’m ready for it. Spring always brings optimism for the rest of the year, an excitement for the fun we hope to have for the rest of the year. That’s especially true in baseball.

Ordinarily, spring optimism in Cincinnati can tend to be somewhat muted, thanks to a cynicism that’s natural only after three decades of mostly hapless baseball. After last season’s surprising resurgence, fueled by a merry band of budding young stars, things seem a bit different this year. Is it possible that fans can legitimately be excited about Reds baseball again?

This will be my 11th season covering the Reds here at Cincinnati Magazine, and there’s a different vibe around this team, unlike anything I’ve seen in that span. (Here is my very first column in June 2014, lamenting Cincinnati’s putrid offense. It’s been a tough decade-plus.)

There’s definitely more hope this spring. Higher expectations. We aren’t talking about the Big Red Machine here, but Reds fans have good reason to dream about postseason glory. That’s rare in this town, and we should enjoy it while we have it.

At the end of last season, I posed four big questions that would face the franchise over the winter. We now have answers to those questions, and they’re a pretty good lens through which to view the upcoming season.

1. Does Joey Votto have a future in Cincinnati? Answer: Not in 2024, evidently.

Spring training games are largely meaningless, but there’s little I enjoy more than seeing Joey Votto hit a home run on his first swing of spring. Alas, he was wearing a Toronto Blue Jays uniform at the time; after the Reds declined to pick up his contract option, the Reds legend signed a minor league deal with his hometown team.

There’s no question in my mind that the Reds would have been better served by giving Votto an opportunity to return, at least in a part-time role. After the events of the last couple of weeks—when infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended for 80 games for a PED violation and TJ Friedl broke his wrist—the Reds could seemingly use a little lineup depth. Instead, Votto will compete for a roster spot in Toronto.

In June, I’m going to write a column demanding that the Reds trade for Votto and make him player-manager. Just want to warn you now.

2. What to do with Jonathan India? Answer: Nothing. Just hangin’ around.

India was presumed to be a trade chip over the off-season, given the stockpile of talented young infielders on Cincinnati’s roster. That never happened, and the Reds signed the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year to a two-year, $8.8 million contract that avoided the arbitration process. This spring, India has been playing first base and left field to demonstrate some versatility that might provide more chances to see the field now that his regular second base job has been taken by Matt McLain.

With Marte’s suspension—not to mention the fact that McLain was scratched from last night’s lineup with shoulder soreness—India certainly provides valuable depth. It’s hard to see him being one of the key members of the lineup this season, but it’s starting to look like he’ll play a bigger role than previously anticipated. And that’ll be just fine by me, since he still has really good hair.

3. Will the Reds “get the pitching?” Answer: Sorta?

Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall steadfastly refused to sign or trade for any starting pitchers who really moved the needle over the winter. (Probably not his fault. See below.) He acquired a few decent arms—Frankie Montas, Emilio Pagan, Nick Martinez, and Brent Suter, to be specific—and that provided some depth, if not top-shelf talent.

On the other hand, there’s real value in having depth! As my friend Doug Gray put it, “having to choose between Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Brandon Williamson as your #5 starter is hilariously good when you think about what the options have been in the very recent past.” But with Williamson dealing with shoulder soreness and Lodolo’s progress delayed because of his leg injury—not to mention the bullpen injuries to Ian Gibaut and Alex Young—the Reds will need depth. Will it be enough?

Curiously, Montas will be the Opening Day starter. He has talent, but he’s 31 years old and has tossed one and a third inning since 2022. I’m not sure I’m ready to rely on him to be the workhorse at the top of the Reds rotation. Hopefully Hunter Greene will take the Opening Day snub personally and make the leap we’ve been waiting for. If that happens, the Reds could be in very good shape indeed.