Despite once again underperforming relative to the hopes and dreams of fans throughout the region in 2024, the Cincinnati Reds did not hit the personnel panic button this offseason.
Yes, they canned David Bell and hired a bona fide Hall of Fame manager in Terry Francona. What they didn’t do, though, was blow up a roster that they had built conscientiously over the last half-decade in pursuit of quick, possibly non-sustainable glory.
They did not sign Anthony Santander to possibly add established thump into the lineup. Rather than aiming high at the likes of Alex Bregman to address potential infield concerns, they swapped international bonus pool funds for Gavin Lux.