Apparently sick and tired of finishing in the bottom half of their division every year, the Cincinnati Reds went out and did their best Seattle Mariners impression this offseason, trying to make as much noise as possible through the trade market.

In their headlining deal, they matched up with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a salary swap of sorts, as the Reds acquired enigmatic outfielder Yasiel Puig, former MVP outfielder Matt Kemp, utilityman Kyle Farmer and left-handed starter Alex Wood while sending a bloated deal of starting pitcher Homer Bailey back, as well as two of their farm’s top prospects.

While this deal may seem more one-sided, it truly does even out in a sense that the Dodgers were looking to shed salary and acquire future assets, while the Reds were alright with taking on money due to the level of talent that was associated with the large contracts. Outside of franchise cornerstone Joey Votto, the team does not truly have another recognizable name or a big contract, so both of those areas can be crossed off from this deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xn0xN9Jpao

Showing that the team is truly ready to start to make some noise in the National League Central division, the Reds have completely reshaped their roster in an attempt to shape itself into a team that resembles a playoff team. However, they are not quite there, unless certain pieces fall into place.

Scooter Gennett will hit 35 home runs

A big help in the middle of the lineup to help protect Votto, Scooter Gennett has been a revelation for the Reds ever since he was released by the Milwaukee Brewers. In a move that at the time made sense as the team went with Jonathan Villar at second base, the Reds reaped massive benefits and were gifted an All-Star second baseman out of the blue.

His power stroke has really come on as of late, and his prowess from the left side of the plate makes him even more dangerous, as he has seemed to finally have figured out how to effectively hit off lefties. Not known for his offensive numbers before coming to Great American Ballpark, Gennett has developed a rapport throughout the league as one of the team’s most feared hitters, a phrase not expected to be heard ever involving Gennett.

His defense has greatly improved since his days on the Brewers, and he is easily an above-average defender at a middle infielder position. The only knock on him is that he is limited in positional flexibility, as he strictly can be rolled out as a second baseman.

Although there were small rumors of him being included in trade proposals at the deadline and over the winter, Gennett has demonstrated his willingness to want to resign and stay in Cincinnati, a huge plus for the Reds.

Alex Wood turns in a career season

One of the more consistent arms in the Dodgers starting rotation, Wood was thrown into the mix heading to the Reds and he will look to become the Reds best pitcher in 2019. He will be a great addition to the rotation that has relied on rookies Brandon Finnegan and Cody Reed to fill innings, and his left-handed prowess will help balance the rotation too.

Wood only has one more season on his current deal, but could easily become a candidate for an extension after an impressive start to the season. He would not necessarily require a big sum of money, and could probably be had on a four-year contract starting at $6 million per season, increasing up to $10 million by the time the deal is over.

Wood is a great option for new pitching coach Derek Johnson, who was poached from the Milwaukee Brewers, and he could work wonders with Wood and new addition Sonny Gray.

Matt Kemp will play himself into a deadline deal to the AL

When it is mentioned that players play themselves into being traded, normally it is due to their lack of interest in playing on their current team. Here though, Kemp’s situation is a bit different.

With the acquisitions of both Kemp and Puig, the team now has five outfielders that project mainly as corner outfielders, creating a logjam out by the fences. With this in mind, Kemp would play himself into a great season reminiscent of his MVP days, garnering enough interest from prospective teams and eventually get traded to the American League.

Teams like the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers could all want his services come mid-July, and he would help restock some of the farm system for the Reds if shipped out, recouping some value after sending two top-20 prospects to the Dodgers.

The Reds, who finished behind the likes of NL Central divisional winner Milwaukee Brewers, the Wild Card berth Chicago Cubs and the upstart St. Louis Cardinals, will need to put together a hot few months to open the season to be in contention. But with how the roster is currently built, this team is for sure one to be watching for at the All-Star Break and beyond.