J.J. Hoover

J.J. Hoover will open 2016 as the Reds' closer

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher J.J. Hoover will open the season as the team's closer, manager Bryan Price said Thursday.

What It Means:

To be more precise, Price said the job is "Hoover's to lose." This is going to be a bad Reds team, and the organization is undergoing an aggressive rebuild. Hoover will probably become trade bait himself if he gets off to a hot start.

The 28-year-old Hoover registered a cool 2.94 ERA (4.62 xFIP), 1.17 WHIP, 7.27 strikeouts-per-nine rate and 4.34 walks-per-nine in 64 1/3 innings last season for Cincinnati, vulturing one save from the now-departed Aroldis Chapman.