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Hey, that was some game last night, eh?

No, this is a rebuilding process, and the results in 2016 aren’t particularly important in the scheme of things. But that doesn’t make games like last night any more fun. You could see that one coming a mile away as soon as the Cardinals got a couple of guys on base.

Marty Brennaman described Tony Cingrani and Ross Ohlendorf as looking terrified on the mound; he also said that he had never said that about a player in his entire career. Well, I don’t know if Cingrani or D’ohlendorf were actually scared, but I certainly got uneasy once the snowball started rolling downhill.

Oh well, let’s put it behind us. Lots of other things to discuss. Such as…

–Before I present you with plenty of things to read, go listen to the latest episode of the Redleg Nation podcast. I really appreciate all the support you guys have been giving the podcast; subscriber numbers are up and people are leaving very kind reviews at iTunes. Keep telling your friends!

–Our guy Jason Linden took a look at the 2017 Reds in his latest piece for Cincinnati Magazine:

A while ago, I predicted the Reds will finish in second place next year. Nothing that’s happened has made me change my mind. The Reds have a fantastic minor league system right now and they’ve done a great job of acquiring prospects with high floors.

It is hard for me, sometimes, to remember that what I want the Reds to do is not the same as what they will do. Still, I’m willing to make some predictions about what’s coming:

1. There will be a different double play combo next year.
2. Jesse Winker will get 500 PAs in the majors next year.
3. Eugenio Suarez will play a lot somewhere.
4. Nick Senzel will make an appearance.

Go read the entire piece. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds!

—Over at the Enquirer yesterday, Zach Buchanan wrote that it’s time for the Reds to start targeting high-upside talent:

The Reds have drawn some criticism during the rebuilding process for their preference of acquiring players in trades that are close to the majors. They’ve done so in an effort to shorten the rebuilding process if at all possible — which is certainly a noble goal — but there are some who feel the Reds could have gotten more prospect value for their trade chips by targeting younger players with higher ceilings.

The logic of this is pretty simple. The older a prospect gets, the less capacity he has for improvement. That’s not to say dramatic improvement can’t happen, but players tend to be similar to who they were in their first four or five years in the minors. There are your stars in the high minors — look at Alex Bregman, Lucas Giolito or Dansby Swanson — and then there are younger players brimming with star potential.

Go read the entire piece to see Zach’s argument. It makes a lot of sense.

–Because I can’t go very long without mentioning Billy Hamilton:

–Doug Gray wrote about TJ Friedl this morning here at RN, but over at his excellent site, Doug has explored how recent first-rounder Nick Senzel stacks up to other top picks. You should go check out that piece, and you should definitely consider subscribing to Doug’s site. It’s well worth it.

As for Nick Senzel, I’m excited about this kid. Senzel may be the most intriguing Reds hitting prospect — to me, at least — since Jay Bruce.

—In case you missed this last week, Grant Freking took a look at Homer Bailey, and asks some important questions about the hard-throwing right-hander.

–Yep, I still miss Jay Bruce.

–Before I wrap this up, if you’re still looking for more Reds-related content to read, Redleg Nation has you covered, as always. In just the last week, we’ve published a bunch of great pieces, including: Steve Mancuso’s exploration of the log jam in the infield; Wesley Jenkins’ attempt to sort out the rotation’s identity crisis; Patrick Jeter searching for Dilson Herrera; Jason Linden’s look at the outfield situation, with some harsh conclusions; Jason’s interview with pitching prospect Rookie Davis; John Ring’s interview with recent draftee and catching prospect Chris Okey; and a flashback to Bill Lack’s interview ten years ago with a young (and very dreamy) Jay Bruce.

Also, here’s my piece yesterday in which I admitted to being sentimental over the Brandon Phillips situation, but tried to explain why the Reds couldn’t afford to be. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

I may be biased — I’m definitely biased — but I really believe you won’t find better writing, or more in-depth analysis, about the Cincinnati Reds on a daily basis than what we provide you right here at Redleg Nation dot com. I’m really proud of the group of outstanding writers we have.

–Finally, a moment of levity to help us forget last night…

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