The bullpen is going to sort itself out, with Kyle Boddy working to keep them throwing complete fire. Rest assured, it’s still dumb to aim for this kind of precision and these will almost certainly look dumb again in a few months, but that, folks, is what the internet is for.That breaks down to roughly 1.89 dongs per game. The opening of the 2020 season for Cincinnati isn’t until March 26, when the Reds host the Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. We’re using an Elo-based system that also accounts for starting pitchers, travel distance and rest, with an average team rating of about 1500. I think the Reds will threaten that this year, as will almost all decent teams in baseball, but with karma on their side, the Reds will end up on top with their 109. My bold prediction was that Tyler Stephenson would become the back-up catcher by late spring/early summer and possibly eat into Tucker Barnhart’s playing time by late summer/early fall. However, one significant addition could provide a boost.Left-back Kostas Tsimikas is the only player to be added to the set up so far this summer, signing for £11.7m from Olympiakos, but reports suggest Bayern Munich ace Thiago Alcantara could also be on his way to Anfield.Thiago's arrival would certainly send out a message to Liverpool’s rivals and, with just a year left to run on his deal with the European champions, he will likely be available for a fee in the region of £25m.The Spaniard is a classy midfielder who developed at Barcelona's famous La Masia academy and would certainly challenge for a starting spot if he made the move.His acquisition would add some serious competition to the midfield and help Klopp remind his title winners that they can't afford to rest on their laurels.With a raft of big-name arrivals looking unlikely, Klopp has suggested he will offer up more opportunities to some of the younger fringe players.Indeed, he has swelled his squad with several teenagers over the past couple of seasons, while the club's academy continues to produce some exciting talent.Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg were signed last summer from Fulham and PEC Zwolle respectively, while the likes of Neco Williams and Curtis Jones earned first team appearances after graduating from the academy.Rhian Brewster and Harry Wilson caught the eye during loan spells away from Anfield last term and could also force their way into Klopp's plans in 2020-21.Commercial content notice: Taking up one of these offers may result in a payment to The Telegraph.
Keep in mind that those Twins and Yankees had DHs at their disposal last year, and this year the Reds will have that, too, with a roster perhaps best equipped for the change among all NL clubs.Point is, Winker already has the tools to be a very potent offensive player, but in this year, with these modified rules and a proactive manager to exploit them, Winker might just put up the kind of numbers offensive players can only dream of.He won’t be an everyday guy, but that might be good! To learn more or opt-out, read our Five Dumb Predictions, if I remember correctly, was a concept largely conceived during the early days of the Those Reds were going to stink, but you simply had to root for them in a Here in 2020, despite all the obstacles and hurdles and roadblocks and idiocy standing in the way of actual Major League Baseball playing, the Reds look poised to be...well, to be good.
Five Dumb Predictions, if I remember correctly, was a concept largely conceived during the early days of the Cincinnati Reds rebuild. Leeds, however, look to be better-placed to cause problems.The defending champions then face a trip to Chelsea and a home clash against Arsenal before the end of September, while they head to Merseyside rivals Everton on October 17.Last season, Liverpool won their opening eight league games and they will be targeting a similar run this time around to set the ball rolling for another title challenge.Klopp has played down Liverpool's chances of spending big money this summer and that is an understandable stance when considering they were in a league of their own last term. If you’re worried about your gambling or a friend’s please visit BeGambleAware.orgWe rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.Liverpool are 15/8 to retain the Premier League title