Reds' offseason could ramp up at Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It has been a relatively quiet offseason in terms of transactions thus far not just for the Reds, but also for much of Major League Baseball. That could change quickly this week.
General manager Dick Williams and the Reds' baseball operations department landed in Florida on Sunday to attend the 2017 Winter Meetings. Set to officially begin on Monday, the Meetings bring together executives from all 30 clubs and a cadre of player agents under one roof that can often spark intrigue, maneuvering and deals.
The Reds have occasionally made deals at the Winter Meetings, but more often, they use it as an opportunity to negotiate deals, commence in-person conversations with other teams and advance their offseason agenda.
"We'll go there with the same goals in mind and be ready to react," Williams said.
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The Winter Meetings conclude Thursday morning with the Rule 5 Draft. From start to finish, MLB.com and Reds.com will provide complete coverage of each day's activity and breaking news. Inside the Reds' suite at the hotel, Williams will have a daily briefing with Reds beat writers about developments.
Manager Bryan Price is also scheduled to meet with reporters at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The Reds currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster, leaving two open spots for Rule 5 Draft selections.
Cincinnati would like to upgrade its depth in both the rotation and bullpen during the offseason and find a bench player capable of playing shortstop. The club likes its young roster, however, and doesn't feel overly compelled to make a big splash.
"We had the youngest roster in baseball Opening Day last year. We'll be even younger this year, depending on the offseason activity," Williams said. "But right now, pro forma, we'd be a pretty young team. We like that. We have a lot of guys with options. We have a lot of guys looking to make an impact in the big leagues."