[Old School Hound]

What do you think of the Cincinnati Reds in 2024? They surprised a lot of people last season by increasing their win total by 20 games from 2022. Will they continue to trend upward or will all the young talent fall victim to the "sophomore slump" in their second full seasons?  The Reds have shored up their bullpen with Pagan, Martinez, and Suter and have added Candelario to add some pop and be a leader for the young Latin-American players. The most recent acquisition, starting pitcher, Frankie Montas, could be a key. He played very little last season due to being injured. If his arm can return to the form of a few years ago when he was with the A's, , he could be a valuable addition.

With Elly Dela Cruz , Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, and Spencer Steer, the Reds have a core of young, talented players who could have them on the cusp of a postseason appearance. The starting staff has potential with Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Montas, and Brandon Williamson. Williamson might be transitioned to the bullpen if the other five are healthy and effective. 

Can Jonathon India and Tyler Stephenson bounce back from subpar seasons in '23? Will the youngsters referenced above continue their ascent to stardom or will they regress, now that opposing teams have a book on them?

One thing is a given. David Bell is still here. He is a bottom tier manager, in my opinion, who will lose you a few games every season just by his own bizarre maneuverings.

This team has the talent to win 88-90 games and vie for the division title if everything falls into place. It could also fall to 75-78 wins and finish fourth in the division if the pitching falters, the defense doesn't improve, and the sophomores hit their slumps in '24 .

What do you all think of the prospects for the 2024 Redlegs? Will they be around a .500 team again or will they regress to a 70-win team or improve to a 90-win team?