Major League Baseball announced the 2022 All-Star teams on Sunday evening and the Cincinnati Reds only had one selection for the National League squad – Luis Castillo. That selection is both surprising and not surprising at the same time. Castillo has pitched well enough to warrant a selection, so that part isn’t too surprising. What is surprising is that Brandon Drury wasn’t also selected, but more on that later.
Luis Castillo will be making his second All-Star game appearance. Back in 2019 he was also selected to represent the Cincinnati Reds at the All-Star game. After missing the first month of the season, Castillo has returned to the Reds rotation and made 12 starts, throwing 71.0 innings with a 3-4 record, a 2.92 ERA, and 74 strikeouts against just 23 walks.
Luis got the news. ?? pic.twitter.com/IFzClSq8MK
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 10, 2022
Castillo, who isn’t a free agent until after the 2023 season, has long been the target of many teams around baseball. He’s been the rumor of many trade talks over the last two offseasons but the Reds have held onto the right-handed starter. With one of the worst records in baseball for Cincinnati, Castillo will likely continue to be one of the top players discussed on the trade rumor front because of his ability and his team being entirely out of contention combined with him being closer to potential free agency. What the organization decides to do in the next three weeks leading up to the August 2nd trade deadline will be interesting to see.
Now we have to ask the question: How did Brandon Drury not make the All-Star team? We know that the Reds stink out loud as a team, but Drury leads National League second basemen in RBI with 52, he’s second in home runs with 18, third in average, 4th in on-base percentage, and 2nd in slugging percentage. Toss in that he’s also played plenty of second base where he would easily lead the group in multiple categories and it certainly feels like he deserved to be selected. And that’s not to say he won’t wind up there as players back out of the game and replacements are named, but on selection day he feels like a big omission.
Kudos to LC. If we only get one this year, he’s a pretty good choice. Now to make sure he gets to that AS break as a Red … 😮
Remember when Jeff Shaw was Reds only All Star was traded the day before the game and his first game in a Dodger uniform was the All-Star game. There were 0 players in a Reds uniform.
Trade him now if the right deal is out there. If they were to hold on just for the asg, they are taking a huge unnessessary risk.
He might stay with the yankees after their series.
That’s one option I’m thinking might happen.
Congrats LC! All-Star farewell? Just have to wait and see
This actually works out for us on the case of Drury because an All-Star nod would have increased his value at the end of the season so the potential for an extension has increased
Don’t you think he will be traded this month?
He very well might be but if he isn’t then the reds are trying to get him long-term
Would sign him for one year with a team option. He will be 30 next month and is having a breakout year, in his 8th big league season and came in with a lifetime .302 OBP. Sell high if there any takers or offer him the 1 and 1 contract. He is a free agent after the season so the return will not be great for a one-month rental.
Sell high – very, very high.
+5,000
Nice for Castillo but, I sure hope Drury makes it as a replacement he so deserves it.
So did d’Arnaud got the nod over Stephenson because Stephenson played in 13 fewer games this year or because d’Arnaud is on the Braves?
Braves and his ring. That’s the only plausible answer.
M opinion is d’Arnaud has had a good seasons and he is a better catcher right now than Stephenson. Stephenson will become better but he isn’t this year.
Probably true. I’m just feeling a “snub” on this one. I agree he’ll be there in the future.
Just saw this little tidbit on MLBTR. Braves taking a flyer on Cano. I find it a little puzzling, but I’m not the Braves GM either, so …
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/07/braves-acquire-robinson-cano.html
Congratulation to Luis but I really felt that Brandon Drury was the most deserving player on Reds to go to All Star game. He has been very consistent. Only reason I can think of his omission is due to fact that no-one knows who he is and even the other MLB managers may not realize how good a season he is having.
This probably also means he doesn’t have much trade value. I’m the opposite of you @Bet on Red, I think it would have helped us if he had been named an All-Star. Front offices across the league would have had to stand up and take notice and discover that he has value – especially in a pennant race!
Congrats to Luis, but seriously, this is pretty embarrassing as a Reds fan. We deserve better
Do I have proof teams play a major role in deciding who their representative(s) on the All Star team will be? No. Do I strongly suspect that currently that is the case? Yes, very much so.
Between Castillo and Dury, who has been in the organization longest and done the most for it? Which is going to bring the most back to the Reds when traded? Other than the very off chance of being injured at the AS game, Castillo can most likely only increase his value from the buzz of being named and throwing an inning or 2 in the game.
Such is life. However, I do hope if somebody bows out (and don’t they always now) Drury gets a backfill call.
I’m really torn what to do with Castillo
the chances of the reds resigning him after next year is low
the chances of getting anything of value in return for a trade is low as well, especially if it with the Yankees. I think it is should be in the reds bylaws. NEVER EVER MAKE TRADES WITH THE NEW YORK YANKEES.
Maybe you just keep him for one more year and at least give Joey one more chance to make a run in 2023. At the very least you get another year and a half of Hunter Greene learning from the best. maybe he can help Hunter with the Change up
I think Votto has been a great player but, the last thing the Reds need to worry about is concern over making a 23 run with Votto unless he wants to accept being a utility player. Red fans must admit that Votto’s in decline and accept him as a role player from here on out. I hope he has a great 2nd half but I just don’t see it. Age has caught up to him, it happens to everybody.
The trade with the MYY for Sonny Gray worked out pretty darn well …
I guess that best chance the Reds have to strike gold trades is with Castillo and to a lesser extend with Mahle and Pham. Drury and Naquin, even though attractive pieces to the right team, are just rentals and not much shall be expected in exchange.
Very happy for LC. He earned his selection. We stole him from Miami.
Nervous about trading LC. Remembering the Cueto trade.
Imagine where we would be now if we had traded Trevor Bauer and Nick Castellanos at the deadline.
This going all in for the last WC spot is what has us in the mess we are now.
Trevor Bauer has been suspended from Baseball for 2 years. Because he is kind of a jerk in his personal life. Which is pretty sorry reasoning for ML Baseball, but they are selling a “product” and you aren’t allowed to do dumb things in your personal life and expect they won’t be made public. Tough luck for Trevor, really, but right now he is about worthless as an ML player until he serves his suspension or gets out of it.
Nick had a career year with the Reds, and likely won’t ever be that good again. The Great American Ballpark factor.
David, I believe you missed my point. I am not saying the Reds should have re-signed Castellanos and Bauer. Just the opposite. My point is had the Reds traded Bauer and Castellanos at the deadline in their walk year, the Reds would be stacked with prospects right now.
The Bauer assault allegations didn’t surface until well after the 2020 season ended and Castellanos was a highly sought after free agent last year.
The Reds didn’t trade Bauer in 2020 because they were trying to make the playoffs. They didn’t trade Castelannos last season because he was injured and they was trying to win a WC spot. But, had the Reds traded those two player, we would have received a haul in return and would have been a much different team right now.
The Reds are going to lose 100 games this year and likely 90 games next season. They need to move Castillo now while he is at peak maximum value. If they hold on to him until next season then they can expect a similar type of return they got for Johnny Cueto.
Could part of the problem been that MLB had Brandon Drury listed as a 3rd basemen and not a 2nd basement in the voting? I voted for him as much as I could…thought he was having a better season than Nolan Arenado.
I would rather Drury and Stephenson have 4 days off to rest, than to have them on the All-Star team. I will concede that it can’t matter much when they are 84 games out of playoff contention, but as a general rule the team needs the player to rest (and the reset) more than the player needs the accolade.
I think that the Reds will make an offer — something like two years plus an option/buyout — to Drury, and that they will do so before the trade deadline. Drury is producing now at the level that his first two years in the league suggested he would. This is exactly the kind of risk that the Reds should take, guaranteeing maybe $10-12 million overall on a 30-year-old, as opposed to the $66 million that they risked on Moustakas at age 31.
Drury can set himself for life by accepting the offer, and takes off the risks of free agency, which would be getting injured or seeing his production fall off in the second half.
OBE, I completely agree on trying to extend Drury. Like another Reds player who may be having a breakout year, he was dealing with a variety of injuries and ailments for several years. Signing him for two or three years as your third baseman is a reasonable risk and would provide a bridge to the youngsters in the minors. It would also provide an affordable bat for the middle of the lineup.
Git er done.
Depends on the numbers, of course. If Drury wants $14 million/year for 4 years based on a half year, then they need to trade him. But they can make him a solid 2-year offer, with an option for even more on a third year.
$10-12M guaranteed is probably $5m low on Drury over 2 years, especially if part of the sum is an option buyout on a 3rd year. Maybe $7.5m AAV guaranteed on 2 years plus a million bucks option buyout on a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow 3rd year like Barnhart had might get it done. But I am guessing it would take $20m guaranteed (2 years plus a mutual option buyout) to get Drury to sign ahead of testing free agency,
I agree on the 20 mil sum Jim. its going to take a lot to buy players out of FA who have waited 6 years(Naquin) or in career years ( Drury) and just 2 months away from a free market bidding war of 30 teams competing to pay them the highest dollar.
Reds have a low budget this year and presumably a lower budget after August 1. Give Drury a signing bonus now in 2022- say $2 million and then 8 mil in 2022 and 9 mil in 2023. That’s a front loaded contract with $19 mil in new money with bonus money now. He gets a signing bonus that is 2x his current salary and guaranteed money in 2022/23 thats 10X his current salary each year. IF he says no, then I would try to get a good AA reliever for him or Call the Mets who are on record as saying they will prefer to take on bad contracts over giving away prospect capital and see what a Moose/Drury package would need.
2023/24.
starting 3b in 2023 and 1b/DH depth and power righty bat
Brandon Drury has had a great first half, but there is absolutely no way I would offer him $7.5 million a year and I sure wouldn’t sign him for 3 years for any amount.
I may offer him $7.5 for two years, but even then I would be very cautious. He is 30 years old and has had three good months in his career. There is a good chance whoever signs him will be buying fool’s gold.
Brandon Drury has had a great first half, but there is absolutely no way I would offer him $7.5 million a year and I sure wouldn’t sign him for 3 years for any amount.
I may offer him $7.5 for two years, but even then I would be very cautious. He is 30 years old and has had three good months in his career. There is a good chance whoever signs him will be buying fool’s gold.
Reds must plot a course and stick with it.Right now it appears the course is to play older more expensive guys in hope somebody bites at the deadline.Pham brings little and nobody will bite on Moose unless he is packaged with Castillo and THAT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE.Solano brings little if anything.Drury may get us a AA prospect no more.Reds must take what they can get for anybody not named Castillo or Mahle and lets move on by playing young guys the rest of the way.Look again in the off season to see whats out there.For the rest of 2022 lets see what Fairchild can do given 200 at bats and the same with Barrero and anybody else that could help in 2023 and beyond.Gong into 2023 with this roster will produce the same results and that is a losing team.Now maybe they only lose 90 instead of 100 and history shows thats about all ownership cares about just a few more wins.Real fans want to win titles and not just a few more games then the year before.Drury as I mentioned may bring a AA prospect because he has been around awhile and is having his best year.I like him because he isn’t pull happy and his homer splits are pretty much equal home and away.Sure GABP is a hitter friendly park but until it changes guys that hit to all fields are very valuable especially away in bigger parks.I offer him a 2 year deal with an option in year 3 when he is 32 I believe.Congrats to Castillo who will win 15 to 20 every year once he is traded and no longer pitches in GABP.
If they package Moose with Castillo I am seriously done with this team. And I have never said something like that before.
+1 V4L
They have had this kind of opportunity several times since the rebuild of 2015 started, and they have blown it everytime. I don’t know why I expect it to be any different this time.
Congrats to Luis! Seems like a great dude.
Wondering if anyone else feels like we should keep Mahle and Castillo and head into next year with what could be the most dominant starting staff in the bigs. I’M SICK OF LOSING, and at this point I simply don’t care if the franchise suffers a setback because we didn’t trade these two when their value is peaking. I’d rather have one very interesting season than 3 boring ones…..and I wonder if ownership is thinking the same )if only to undo the profound damage they’ve caused).
Players given long leashes because the team had no other options due to injuries and trades–India, Santillan, Ashcraft, Lodolo, Diaz, Senzel……it’s a looong list. Basically, the core of the next good team. Reactionary moves.
It’s past time the Reds be proactive for once. Promote Barrero and Fairchild and play them regularly. The list of guys allowed to struggle in the bigs is long and these two should be afforded the same privilege. I don’t care that Barrero is hitting .210, he deserves what all these others have been given….and on a team with great pitching his elite defense will add positive value much like a good catcher.
Good. Trade him.
Congrats LC on making the ASG and joining the ever increasing list of players to make the game with the Reds days before getting shipped out for peanuts.
Blue Jays need SP badly if they are to keep up with the Red Sox and Rays for the AL wild cards spots. Would love to see LC on my new fav team the Blue Jays (F U Phil) and I’d take Joey V as well in that trade if he’d waive his no trade clause to go to Canada.
p.s. Mahle will not be a Blue Jay as he is unvac and thus not able to be traded north of the border.
GM: You better come through for us on Castillo. I am counting on you. Watch out for rip offs. You need to bring in some gold, and I am talking about top prospects, not money.
Yeah, I was just reading MLBTrade rumors and an article there suggests the Blue Jays will be going after LC but the article points out there will be stiff competition.
I love LC, but I also want to eventually get off the island of misfit toys. The Reds are going to lose 100 games with Castillo, might as well at least try to get better.
Remember the Chapman trade. The Yankees will rip you off if you let them.
Everyone wants the Reds to operate like Tampa Bay. What do you think they would with Luis Castillo?
I think they would trade him.
BK, exactly!
idk. i wasn’t to0 impressed with tampa bay this weekend. lol. i just doubt the reds will make some franchise altering trade with castillo. the chances of them getting anything of value in return is slim to none. i am starting to lean on keeping him for 1 more year and trying to load up for 2023. I think this team could have a winning record at least for Joey’s final year if we add some bullpen pieces
You are basing your opinion of a franchise on three games?
Why do you think they won’t get nothing for him? He is by far the number one player on the market this year. I am not a fan of Nick Krall but I don’t even think he could blow this trade.
i just think the reds will get swindled again. another highway robbery like the cueto deal.
Assuming the Reds move some veteran pieces, what if we trotted out this lineup in September:
India 2b
Senzel LF
TySteve C
Drury 3B
Votto 1B
Fairchild/Naquin platoon RF
veteran backup DH
DeLaCruz CF
Barrero SS
I dunno about anyone else, but that would be must-see tv every night for me if we hold onto our starting pitching.
India 2B. Yes.
Senzel CF not LF.
Stephenson C.
Drury 3B.
Votto 1B or DH.
Naquin RF. Fairchild is fringe MLB player at best, if even that.
De La Cruz is nowhere near ready for MLB in 2022. Maybe 2024.
Barrero can’t hit AAA pitching so I doubt he hits better in MLB.
Rednat, I understand your concern. But part of the problem with Cueto was they waited too late to trade him.
If they wait until next summer to move Castillo they would be putting themselves in the same position they were in when they traded JC.
Castillo is at peak value right now because he is under contract this year and next.
As for Fairchild. I don’t think anyone expects him to be a star, but a more well rounded Phillip Ervin could help. He was going to get on base and move the line vs lefties
Rednat, Jocketty insisted on major league ready return, and he got it in all thise trades. None of them amounted to anything
Everybody wants the Reds to operate like the Rays or Cardinals until they actually do by cutting bait on a favorite like Barnhart or letting Miley go because they trusted what they had coming in Lodolo.
.
If the Orioles and Mariners can contend for a WC then the Reds could potentially get back in the mix pretty quickly. Especially in our division.
I hate big parks, but I think the O’s really helped their pitching staff by somehow adding a ton of space and turning Camden into a pitchers park. I wonder if they could do anything w/Gabp?
I have been preaching this for at least three years – move the fences back especially in the right fields power alley and down the right field line. I think it would help the Reds pitching tremendously.
I also think their might be places in the park where you could reconfigure the seating so that you would not have that much of a decrease in seating.
i think in general a small market team like the reds should have a park where it is easy to hit triples, doubles and singles, but hard to hit homers. GABP IS the exact opposite. it is a homerun friendly park but not a “hitters” park at all
i would move the walls back with an oval shaped outfield not linear walls at a 90 degree angle with no gaps like we have now. also i would like to see the thick grass replaced by the new synthetic grass to give higher hops and faster ground balls
The only question for me right now is. . .how many are the Reds going to trade and going to keep?
For many on here, you have to remember, just to say “trade them”, that is fairly simplistic thinking. To do that, you also have to have a team interested in what you are trading. And, they have to have what you are interested in obtaining. And, they have to be interested in giving up those pieces for what you have. Then, both sides have to be willing to “dot the i’s and cross the t’s”. Saying “trade” is easy. Making a “trade” can be hard.
As for the Reds, hey, during the off season, I don’t want to say I was a supporter nor anti-supporter of the FO, with what they were letting go. I always said, “I want to see the entire picture. As we got closer to opening day and not bringing in anyone new, I started seeing what everyone else was seeing. But. . .
I remember when the Castellinis first bought the Reds, they were adamant about bringing “winning baseball” to Cincinnati. Maybe not WS winners every season but at least 500+ baseball. Then, after this past off season, they said the Reds were “in a better position”, period. Better position? For what? Certainly not to win.
That left us to ponder.
The only thing I could tell was the Castellinis are looking to follow the Tampa Bay Rays or Oakland A’s process of analytics, development from the minors, and low payrolls. Which I have no problem with; I just wish they were more transparent with it. I felt the Reds were in a better position just before Jocketty came here, similar to what I believe the Castellinis want now. But, Jocketty took a lot of our minor league development out, not leaving much else around.
I would think anyone/everyone is on the block. It’s just a matter of does the other team have anything we want, are they willing to give it up, etc. I would hope the Reds are also considering once we trade players off, who’s going to be Plan B for this year, or Plan A for next year.
Steve, to my way of thinking, the Reds have 8 players at the major league level who are untouchable…Greene, Lodolo, Stephenson, India, Ashcraft, Diaz, Farmer and Castillo. Everybody else is available for the right deal.
The first six players are self-explanitory. I include Farmer because of his leadership role on the team (which is a tremendous asset…just ask any coach). To me Castillo falls in the same vein, plus he is a number one MLB starting pitcher, is a member of my team and is going nowhere. I extend him with the money coming off the books after the ’23 season (a minimum of $54M from Moustakas and Votto alone).
Oh, I entirely understand. If I had my say, I’m right with you. As I stated, I’m only trying to state what the FO is thinking. Where, then, everyone may be on the block “for the right price”.
I mean, if I recall correctly, that’s how the Astros did it. They literally were getting rid of everyone, except Altuve. I believe they lived with 3 consecutive seasons of 100+ losses. But, they built a glut of prospects in the minors and from the trades. As they developed and came up, their big league team started taking off.
Again, not saying I would do this. Only attempting to make some logic the FO is doing.
The Reds have to incorporate Moneyball 2.0. Newcomers to the organization whether via trade, draft or waivers have got to have solid numbers in the areas BA, OBP, OPS(OBP +SLG) and K% for position players and ERA, WHIP, BAA and BB% for pitchers. Organization wide goals from top to bottom of OBP consistently above .330, K% 20 and lower, OPS above .750. Pitchers WHIP 1.30 and lower, BAA under .240 and BB% under 10%. The majority of the better players in our organization meet most of these criteria.