5 Reasons the Cincinnati Reds Won’t Win in 2015, Either

Walt Jocketty is the General Manager

Aug 1, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty walks around the batting cage prior to a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This is not meant as a dig at Walt Jocketty, who has had a great deal of success as a GM over the last few decades.   This is more a direct corollary to the Votto situation and a nod to the fact that Jocketty has created the very inflexibility in the payroll that will make it hard for the Reds to turn things around in the short term.

All summer long, Jocketty told us (fans) that it would be hard for the team to make significant moves at the trade deadline since the finances were essentially tapped out, and he was good to his word.  The Reds stood pat in July and August, which helped sink them in the standings.

While there is some grumbling that the Reds will thin their pitching herd during the off-season, it’s hard to imagine Jocketty doing anything drastic to improve the current squad.   He seems to be firmly in the stay-the-course crowd who believes that the Reds just need to stay healthy to contend again, so he will likely just mind the shop with his current players rather than shaking up the roster.