CINCINNATI -- As is wont to happen during the Hot Stove season, much time and speculation will be devoted to players the Reds might be looking to add for 2019. But what about some of the players already on the roster and what lies in their futures?
For some, the season ahead looks promising and for others, it's decidedly murky. Here's a look at six members of the Reds facing a crossroads heading into next year:
Billy Hamilton
What happened in 2018? Hamilton slashed .236/.299/.327 with 34 steals -- his lowest stolen-base total as a full-time big leaguer. One important plus was that his center-field defense remained stellar. But his career on-base percentage of .298 remains woeful.
What might be next? Now 28, eligible for a spike in pay via arbitration one last time and with five full seasons behind him, Hamilton becomes a free agent after 2019. The Reds explored trading him last winter but didn't complete a deal. If there's another club that values his defense as much as Cincinnati and feels it can figure out his hitting struggles, perhaps trading him is explored again. The Reds could fill his spot on the free-agent market with someone like Denard Span, or if they want to really aim high -- A.J. Pollock.

Robert Stephenson
What happened in 2018? After being a non-factor in Spring Training's rotation battle, Stephenson turned in a promising season for Triple-A Louisville while going 11-6 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 20 starts. He compiled a 1.23 ERA over his final seven starts. None of that success translated in the big league stint that followed. In four games, including three starts, the right-hander went 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA and 2.49 WHIP as his command and confidence issues were on full display once again. The final month of the season saw him on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis.
What might be next? Stephenson will be 26 in February, out of options when camp opens and potentially pitching for a new manager in David Bell. The Reds could decide to trade him or take the risk of leaving the former first-round pick and prospect off the 40-man roster later this month. Either outcome runs the risk of Stephenson finding success with a change of scenery he likely needs after Cincinnati invested years of development.

Anthony DeSclafani
What happened in 2018? DeSclafani opened the season back on the DL with a strained left oblique. Upon his return in June, things were initially rocky before the right-hander turned in a stellar August with a 2.62 ERA over five starts. The bottom fell out in September, as DeSclafani finished 7-8 with a 4.93 ERA in 21 starts overall. At least he was fully healthy once he returned.
What might be next? Turning 29 in April and second-year arbitration-eligible this winter, DeSclafani isn't assuming his place in the 2019 rotation is secure. If he can stay healthy, that kind of motivation may fuel a fired-up pitcher fighting hard for a spot. And if DeSclafani earns it, his ability to pitch deeper in games -- and command them -- would be a big plus on top of whomever the Reds try to acquire in the offseason to boost the rotation.

Homer Bailey
What happened in 2018? In another rough season, Bailey went 1-14 with a 6.09 ERA as the Reds lost 19 of his 20 starts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1900) to have his team go 1-19 or 0-20 over his first 20 starts of a season. Bailey also missed six weeks on the DL with right knee inflammation. Bailey is 9-26 with a 6.29 ERA in 44 starts since 2016.
What might be next? There isn't much wiggle room for Bailey or the Reds. Heading into the final year of his six-year, $105 million contract, he is owed $28 million in 2019 -- including the $5 million buyout of his '20 mutual option. That money and the 32-year-old right-hander's three elbow surgeries make him untradeable as does his no-trade rights. Cincinnati could give Bailey another shot at making the rotation or do something he has strongly resisted: try to convert him into a reliever. It's easier said than done since the elbow issues require long warm-up regimens not usually afforded to bullpen guys. If he can't pitch for the Reds in either role, the club might have to finally face eating the salary and releasing the veteran.

Brandon Finnegan
What happened in 2018? Following a '17 season where injury limited him to four starts, Finnegan fared poorly when he opened 0-3 with a 7.40 ERA in five starts in '18 and got optioned to Louisville. Things went worse there, as he posted a 2-10 record with a 7.05 ERA in 28 games. Most of the second half was spent as a reliever, compiling a 7.15 ERA with 19 walks and 20 strikeouts over 22 2/3 innings.
What might be next? It's safe to say that Finnegan must rebound or find himself outside the Major Leagues looking in. His performance and feeling of entitlement rubbed some in the organization the wrong way last season. The left-hander, who burst on the scene as a promising Royals reliever in the 2014 postseason before being part of the Johnny Cueto trade in '15, has some resume resurrection to perform.

Nick Senzel
What happened in 2018? The organization's No. 1 prospect (No. 6 overall) per MLB Pipeline, Senzel batted .310/.378/.509 with six home runs and 25 RBIs for Louisville. But Senzel was limited to 44 games because of a bout of vertigo in May and season-ending surgery to repair a broken right index finger in late June.
What might be next? Probably the biggest mystery of all. An infielder his whole college and professional career, Senzel spent the fall instructional league playing mostly in left field but also some center field. One scout told MLB.com that the 23-year-old looked like "a fish out of water" in center, but perhaps he will get better with more reps. Senzel's time in the outfield was cut short by another surgery -- this time to remove bone chips from his left elbow. Expected to be fully ready for camp, he seems destined to be in the big leagues ... but where? Senzel can play third base and second base -- both spots have established players there in Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett, respectively. Versatility at multiple positions will be the key. Wherever he plays, Senzel's future remains quite bright despite a rough year health-wise.