The Cincinnati Reds pounded out 14 hits on the day, including four from Matt McLain, as the offense just beat up on Cubs pitching once again. Cincinnati’s hit parade led to an 8-5 win that completed a 3-game sweep in Chicago and moved the Reds into third place in the division.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (24-29) |
8 | 14 | 0 |
| Chicago Cubs (22-30) |
5 | 9 | 1 |
| W: Ashcraft (3-3) L: Smyly (5-2) SV: Diaz (12) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
Stuart Fairchild got the offense rolling in the 2nd inning with a 1-out double. He followed up with a steal of third base before scoring on a Nick Senzel single that put the Reds up 1-0. Kevin Newman followed up with a single of his own and then moved to second on a wild pitch. That played big in the inning as Jake Fraley grounded out to second base on the next play, which could have been an inning-ending double play had Newman not advanced, but instead went as an RBI ground out that extended Cincinnati’s lead to 2-0.
The Cubs would start the bottom of the inning with a walk, but Graham Ashcraft got the next two batters out. Then Mike Tauchman singled to put runners on the corners. The third pitch of the next at-bat was a foul off of the knob of the bat of Patrick Wisdom that appeared to also hit him, but after it was fouled off. It might have been better if it had hit him first because three pitches later Wisdom hit a ball that nearly left Wrigley Field for a go-ahead 3-run homer.
Cincinnati’s top of the lineup went right back to work in the top of the 3rd. Jonathan India led off with a double down the left field line. Matt McLain followed up with the same thing and tied the game up. That was all the Reds would get in the inning that inexplicably ended when the #5 hitter in the lineup, Stuart Fairchild, bunted the ball to the pitcher.
In the top of the 5th inning Matt McLain picked up a 1-out single – his third hit of the day – and then when Drew Smyly attempted to pick him off at first, he broke for second and beat the relay throw to the bag for his first big league stolen base. Smyly then attempted to pick McLain off at second base and threw the ball into center and McLain advanced to third. After a pop up, Tyler Stephenson walked and that led to the Cubs making a pitching change to bring in Jeremiah Estrada. That led to Cincinnati calling on TJ Friedl to come on to pinch hit for Stuart Fairchild. The move paid off as Friedl doubled into right field to make it 4-3. Nick Senzel followed up with a 5-pitch walk to load the bases. A battle between Kevin Newman and Estrada ensued, with Newman coming out ahead and earning a walk on the 13th pitch of at-bat, bringing a run in to make it 5-3.
That led to another pitching change for the Cubs, who called on lefty Brandon Hughes to come in and face Jake Fraley. This time the move worked for Chicago as Fraley flew out to left to end the inning. It didn’t go as well in the top of the 6th for Hughes. He walked Jonathan India with one out and then gave up a 2-run home run to Spencer Steer as the Reds made it 7-3.
After five solid inning from Graham Ashcraft, the Reds brought in Lucas Sims for the bottom of the 6th innings with a 4-run lead. After a strikeout to start the inning, Sims ran into trouble with a walk to Trey Mancini and then giving up an infield single to Mike Tauchman that put two runners on. Sims then walked Patrick Wisdom to load the bases and bring Yan Gomes to the plate, but not before pitching coach Derek Johnson made his way to the mound for a quick talk. It took seven pitches, but Sims got Gomes to pop up to Kevin Newman. Nico Hoerner grounded out to end the inning as Sims got out of the jam to hold onto a 4-run lead.
The Reds got back to work against the Cubs bullpen. TJ Friedl led off with a double against new reliever Michael Rucker and then Nick Senzel drove him in with a double to the wall in left center that made it 8-3. When the bottom of the inning came around it was Ian Gibaut taking over on the mound for Cincinnati and he retired the side in order.
Things didn’t go as well for Kevin Herget when he took over in the 8th. Trey Mancini crushed a 1-out double and then scored when Patrick Wisdom hit his second home run of the day, cutting the Reds lead to 8-5. Herget would get a strikeout to end the inning and send the game to the 9th.
After Cincinnati failed to score in their half of the inning, Alexis Diaz entered the game to try and pick up the save and complete a sweep. He had to work around an infield singly be Dansby Swanson, but he struck out the other three batters of the inning to seal the win, the series sweep, and put the Reds into third place in the National League Central.
Key Moment of the Game
Spencer Steer’s 2-run home run in the 6th inning that essentially put the game away.
Notes Worth Noting
A big day for Matt McLain as he racked up four hits. He’s now hitting .380/.456/.600 since being called up two weeks ago.
Alexis Diaz now has 12 saves in 12 opportunities. He’s struck out 40 batters on the season in 20.2 innings and lowered his ERA to 1.74.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Boston Red Sox
Tuesday May 30th, 7:10pm ET
Ben Lively (2-2, 2.65 ERA) vs Brayan Bello (3-2, 4.08 ERA)
I am glad McClain is with the Reds instead of in AAA with CES and EDLC. His bat is great. The other bats will be great also when they finally get here. Come on front office, call them up.
No urgency for anyone, EDLC will force the issue soon.
@2020 Elly has forced the issue, but the Reds haven’t budged. There is some urgency, we are 4 games back of the 1st place team in the division. The longer we wait the tougher it is to erase that gap.
Its not like his spot on the team hasnt been producing though. SS was a mess when McClain was called up.
Yes, I gree. Reds would be in first place now, had McClain been in the line-up from the start in place of Myers. And don’t give me that McClain doesn’t play OF. The boy could play any position and earn his spot over Myers. It’s so refreshing not to see Myers in the line-up to continually strand runners and kill rallies. Now, we need to bring up some CES and EDLC, like you say. And Abbot, I might add. It’s like the Reds have tried not to compete this year for whatever reason. I can’t figure it out why you would play people that can’t hit a baseball, and leave great hitters in the minor leagues. McClain has already proved you right on that, Dewey. Bring up more of the young talent,..the sooner, the better. And please just pay Myers not to play, if you have to. Nice sweep, Reds!
Im sure MM can play OF.
The notion that if he was on the team all year they would obviously be in first is kinda ridiculous if you ask me. The pitching is this teams issue not the SS play for a month.
Ease up. The point is the overall team’s constitution. Best players available, step up. Least valuable, step down — whatever the status or salary.
I don’t actually believe that this is case, but you could plausibly suggest that the Reds aren’t in a hurry to bring EDLC and CES up because the team chemistry is great and the offense is effective without them. McClain and Steer and, really, Friedl and India, are evidence that the Reds actually do have a few clues about player development, so it may be that they don’t agree that EDLC et al are fully ready, despite their phenomenal hitting. Tom suggested that the protocol is 200 AB’s before moving up a level. Maybe that’s it? We’re impatient, but the team is exciting and playing well, so all is not lost. The anticipation of Christmas is good in its own right. A bit more starting pitching wouldn’t go amiss.
If the Reds are so urgent like everyone says, then go out and trade for a legit SP.
As somebody said (a long time ago and more recently), aye, there’s the rub. Trade whom for which starter? I think they’re a scarce commodity.
Very true
I agree. They’re too busy trying to keep control of their payroll as long as they can. Act like they’re not interested in winning
Define “force the issue”, because most people would say he’s already done that.
Under Notes Worth Noting, I believe you meant to say ‘He’s NOW hitting’ rather than “He’s not hitting”.
He’s not NOT hitting
Nice bounce back by Ashcraft. Not a great outing but got the job done, hopefully he’ll be able to build-up from there. Other than that, it was another great offensive display and the bullpen was effective as usual.
To think that in April several posters here were saying how terrible the bullpen was and they several of them needed to be dropped. Bullpen has been our most dependable piece of the team to this point.
Reds currently have the 3rd best bullpen in the NL! I was one of the early doubters due to injuries to key members of the current BP staff!
It’s also the constant call for DJ to be fired that irks me. The job he has done with the staff is admirable.
David Bell deserves some credit for how close they are to a playoff spot.
Offensive display sure stood out. Kevin Newman got on base all 5 times at bat. What an awesome performance! Two hits and three walks.
Good game! Per ESPN, Newman’s offensive WAR is up to a positive 0.3. His batting average isn’t bad at all but he has 5 doubles and 2 homers this season. For a comparison, McLain’s is 0.7 WAR after only 2 weeks – he also has 5 doubles and 2 homers.
That’s why McClain starts and Newman is a bench guy.
It was a better result, but the problem of pitches being consistantly up in the zone was still there, he just got away with it. The location of his pitches (especially his fastball) almost make me wonder ft something is going on with his shoulder and we just don’t know about it. Very concerning.
McClain’s been a joy to watch, he looks well prepared and his fundementals seem ahead of most rookies. A mistake or two will happen but he’s been very impressive. This is what I want to see from a guy called up from the minors, playing everyday and looking ready. Turns out extra time in AAA works.
Newman has been quietly proving a lot of people wrong here, especially lately.
I’m happy to see Newman doing better, as that will help raise his trade value for later this summer. If he keeps it up, the Reds might even be able to get a decent bullpen arm for him.
Or a AA starter with an ETA of 2025 maybe?
Any of that would be great. Or just keep him as an INF vs LHP. He’s cheap and not blocking anyone.
@2020ball
I’d rather get him off the team to open a 40-man roster spot. Newman’s minimal production can be easily replaced internally.
Would you rather have Newman or CES in the team?
Agreed.
I rather have CES playing and Newman on the bench. Are we calling up prospects for bench spots now? Newman isnt even blocking him the catchers are. Malie/Casali for a 26 man spot, TS for time at DH. Oh, and Steer at first.
In Newman’s current role, I’d definitely prefer Newman. When CES comes up, I want him as a starter playing everyday.
We still need a bench once the prospects come up.
I am happy for his hot streak, I don’t root against any Reds player but I would be happy to trade Newman now. He is not needed when EDLC is called up. At that point, the Reds would have three options at shortstop and four options at third base not named Kevin Newman.
This may not last all season, but for now this team has given Red’s fans something we haven’t had for a long time..,,hope and optimism. There never quit gritty determination is infectious. The seem to love playing with each other and genuinely care about each other. Thanks to this version of Redlegs for a fun first two months.
Bravo, Beaufort Red. I don’t think I’ve been this happy about a Reds team since 1990. I’m trying to temper it–at least the expectations–because I’m sure that there will be rough patches: next ten or so games against teams with winning records(including Dodgers and Red Sox), but I don’t think that this is a temporary illusion; the young guys can play ball.
I dunno, I liked the 2021 team. If they had a bullpen that year who knows.
As I type this though this team is far more exciting and I like you and others truly enjoy this team. Greene and Ashcraft struggled this month, after good April’s. So let’s hope they find their groove. Bullpen has been lights out and man this team is hitting.
I liked the 2021 team, too, Kevin. They did, for awhile, generate a similar kind of excitement. But they did seem to be succeeding despite serious flaws and were older. This year feels like the start of something, not a one-shot opportunity.
@ Greenmtred, Agree 100%
Yes, absolutely. Thanks.
So who gets sent down when De La Cruz is called up. I am going with Burrero. Time will tell though.
I’d rather they just release Myers.
1000% agree
Can they release a guy who is on the IL? Asking for a friend!
^ this
Benson can be optioned as well
That’s who
Second that!
Barreo must have a low BABIP. He seems somewhat unlucky this series. But he has to be the odd man out with Newman’s solid play.
Barrero’s BABIP is .333, above league average. His HH% and EV have fallen back to roughly league average. His BB% is above 10% and well above league average, while his SO rate is still pushing 30%. Send him to Louisville and let him play everyday. He’s not going to reach his potential, assuming he ever will, playing intermittently as he is now, especially when he’s mostly seeing LHers right now though he hits RHers better.
Good idea, LDS. I see an improvement in Barrero and think it is far too early to give up on him.
Barrero’s splits against LHP aren’t good this year, but over his career, he’s hit LHP better than RHP. We’re still very much in small sample size territory for split analysis with him this year.
What to do? I hate to see the Reds burn his last option, but he’s likely about to get forced back to AAA as his K-rate is not improving.
The Reds aren’t exactly showing their hand as to what their going to do about a lot of things. It would seem things will start happening sooner rather than later.
Actually, @BK, his SO rate is down, just not enough. But, his BB rate is way up so maybe he’s learning not to chase what he has no chance to hit.
Yes, he’s improved from his prior seasons, but he’s struckout 30% of the time this year and his rate has been steady. He’s made progress this year, but very slowly. Like many young players, he’s really struggled to lay off pitches outside the strike zone. I hope the Reds can avoid optioning him, but EDLC and CES are making very strong cases for promotions—Myers (Benson) and a catcher can make room for them. Votto may come back in about a month, too.
I can’t see the Reds doing anything with Myers unless they find a trade partner. And even then, they’d probably have to give up someone to dump him. As for burning a Barrero option, he needs to play every day. That’s not going to happen in Cincinnati. Send him down. He’ll be back. Defensively, he’s the best SS option, at least until Arroyo is ready. EDLC is a better SS than McLain. EDLC moving from SS at some point will not surprise me.
He’s only owed maybe ~4MM the rest of the way. That doesn’t sound like the org needs funds that badly to handcuff someone to him.
And the Reds have moved on from numerous upside-down contracts in the past. No reason whatsoever to believe they won’t move on from Myers either.
That said, I would send Myers on a full 20-day rehab assignment at AAA once he is healthy. If his production returns; great, play him through the trade deadline. If he continues to slump, cut him.
Feeling like Benon will be the guy sent down again. Maybe they try to trade Myers? Doubt they get much for him though. I would honestly be ok with his release at this point. He really hasn’t helped this team at all so far. Some of the choice might be determined by what happens with Votto.
Don’t really care. As long as he is called up. Let’s go!
Watching the Bats tonight. How much longer? 🙂
Tuesday he will be up!! I am calling it lol
I’ll hold you to that. 😀
I mean Syracuse is not far from Boston. Kinda makes sense logistically.
I’d love that. Playing the Sox at Fenway. A number of my loved ones live down there and are ardent Sox fans (they’re more focused on the Celts right now). EDLC starts at short and drives a ball through the Green Monstah! (not a typo). I’ll try to figure out what the headline in the Boston Globe would read in that happy event.
I was thinking (hoping?) that maybe this big upcoming weekend series against the Brewers at GABP would make lot of sense for Elly’s debut.
This, when he gets called up it will be at home for his first game.
Barrero may have real talent but he needs to go down to work on his hitting and learn a new position. Too many studs at shortstop. Someone in the organization needs to be honest with him about his future.
Challenge system tonight for balls and strikes. I like it best
Yep. I’ve not seen it in action much, but from all accounts it would help keep things in check. Perhaps it would “force” the Chumpires to actually review their work and learn from it?
I think the Umps should get a performance rating between innings so they can get more consistent as the game goes.
I also like the challenge option.
I’ve missed hearing about the challenge system. What is it?
@greenmtred>>> Class AAA is testing a roboump system this year called ABS (Automatic Ball/ Strike).
Two variations of ABS are being tested. One of them is that the ABS system directly calls the pitches with the home plate ump simply indicating the ABS call. In the second variation, the ump calls the pitches in real time; but, a limited number of challenges are allowed for each team. Approximately half the games use direct ABS and the other half the challenge system.
My understanding is just like the MLB replay challenge system, if the ABS system indicates the ump was correct, the call stands; and, the number of challenges remaining for the challenging team is reduced by one. If the ABS indicates the ump was wrong, the call is reversed; and, the remaining challenge count is not reduced.
From the games I have seen on MiLBTV, I agree the challenge system has been efficient and has unduly not delayed the games. However, if the ABS system gets the final say in challenges, why not use direct ABS calls all time?
@Jim Walker, a few of our minor league players have spoken on that. First of all, the way umpires call the game is different from the rules as they are written. If you have a pitch that touches the zone by a hair above the zone, the player will expect it to be a ball, the ump will usually call it a ball, but by rule it’s a strike. 2nd, players like being in control. They like the challenge system, because it gives them the power to argue when they think is a call is wrong. Basically, as bad as some umpires are, they still make calls closer to what hitters expect than the cameras do, but they want to call out the ump when he is just objectively wrong.
Yes. It doesn’t eliminate the human factor completely. Actually it’s a lot like tennis. Kind of cool.
Thanks Jim, and I agree with your conclusion.
Fun series to watch. The guys just didn’t let up. Greene’s start was a HUGE step forward for him and helped shed that first win monkey.
Onward to Fenway!
I agree. I like Barrero but he needs to be sent down like Friedl did last year. It’s not a demotion it’s being sent to AAA to work on mechanics and get outfield reps. It’s like Cowboy said,” when your number is called you have to seize the moment. If you do , you will get playing time.” I like Barrero and I think he is a super athlete . Just needs to find tune his hitting.
What do you think about that Friedl guy JB?
Too legit
😀
Get your playoff tickets. This team will win the division and the World Series and Votto rides off into the sunset a champion. Book it. “Got to Believe”
Wonder what the over/under date on Joey joining the team is.
I’m guessing July.
Should be in first by 10 games by then.
I’m with Melvin on Votto. I think July might be the time Votto returns. If he has not returned by Aug. 1st I am really wondering if he is going to play this year at all.
The Reds started winning when Myers stopped playing.
Coincidence?
Perhaps not.
…and when McLain STARTED playing.
Myers needs to be released as soon as possible to open up a 40-man spot for CES. Other teams have already released players making more than Myers, so I hope the Reds don’t fall for the Sunk Cost Fallacy.
>>>Coincidence?
I think not. You noticed then? So did I. Maybe some others noticed too. Still others seemed to think he needed more player developement in the Minors first. I’m not sure if he reached the magic number of 200 at bats before they brought him up, like someone suggested. 🙂 That is so silly. Why don’t you bring them up (like they did McClain), and then send them back down if they don’t perform? That would tend to make more sense to me than having a bottom of the line-up that contributes nothing at all at the plate, and lose games because of it. The Reds youth are ready. We just need to send the ones that can’t hit a basketball down, and bring up the hitters. That’s common sense to me (and many others),..instead of some crazy reasons folks give why they should not do that. Go Reds!
I like your thinking and I agree.
I’m not certain it’s silly. 200 AB isn’t a small sample size, and allows for pitchers to adjust to him and him to adjust to the adjustments. The jump from AAA pitching to MLB pitching is always tough, and AAA pitching is reportedly weak this year. Yes, he could be sent back down and, yes, McClain seems to be unfazed (but two weeks really is a small sample size). But the Reds are playing well and the young players are carrying the team, so there’s immediate evidence that the Reds have a rational plan. I think he will be here soon.
By your thinking McLain should still be in AAA. Players are ready at different times. Move great players through faster rather than slower. Bench moved quickly. I am glad he came up when he was 20 even though he struggled at first.
You’re right that different players progress at different rates, Dewey. I was skeptical that McClain was ready because he had only started tearing AAA up recently. It certainly appears that he is ready, though I also–tip of the hat to the ever-cautious LDS–fully expect him hit some sort of rough patch. From what we see, EDLC is ready and CES may be. But defensive shortcomings have been mentioned for both of them and CES evidently still strikes out a lot. Maybe that’s why they’re still in AAA. or maybe it’s something else having more to do with decisions about players on the 26 man roster. Either way, I bet they’ll be here soon.
Base hit for De La Cruz. 🙂
HR by CES. hahaha!!!
I laugh at the people who say CES and EDLC aren’t ready yet. You ask any player if they want to stay in AAA and play their desired position or come up to the Majors and play everyday at different positions. 100 % will say majors.
@JB, exactly. Do you think Steer asked, please send me to AAA so I can practice 1B? I don’t think CES is begging to stick around while he gets his 1B footwork down either. Those 2 would be a nice 1B/DH combo.
I’m certain that the players want to be called up, but that’s not really the point.
HR by Reynolds and single by Hopkins. I’m rooting for a 6 game sweep by the Bats.
Counting Moustakas, Votto, and Griffey’s contracts this is a Cubs team that has nearly $100,000,000 more on their payroll and it’s pretty easy to see their a weaker team than Cincinnati.
Our old friend Eugenio Suarez just hit a walk off homer in the 10th for Seattle to beat the Pirates….
Good for Suarez. Gives him something nice to think about other than his season numbers!
So mean, Doc.
maybe he will go for a swim to celebrate
One of the few times he actually did something positive for the Reds!
You might want to review Geno’s 2016-19 contributions to the team.
You’re right, Harry. He had some good years.
I’ll always cheer for Suarez. The guy was such a fun player to have on the team and he took a very team friendly deal when he was here. He could have made a lot more than he did while a Red. Good for Geno.
agree!
Good for Geno, always like him.
Team friendly deal? I’ll bet the Reds didn’t think so when it was all said and done. Suarez was terrible when they moved him, and the whole reason that Winker was moved with him, was so they could actually dump that “so-called” team friendly deal that Suarez had.
Hit it off of Robert Stephenson
Stephenson’s ERA was less than two last week. How quickly fortunes can change.
Love this weekend’s sweep against the Cubs. Great baseball.
But we can’t forget last weekend’s sweep by the Yankees.
To be sustainable, we need power bats in the middle of our lineup.
Call up CES and EDLC. Tomorrow. In time to assault the Green Monster.
I don’t get it! Reds FO is just postponing the obvious! Bring them up! Now, not later!
That is my point also. Forget everything else. Call up the players that will improve the team. This year counts also.
CES with another BB. Good sign. 🙂
Wanna say a few things after watching today’s game.
I don’t care what anyone says on this site. Newman is a solid bench player and the fact he can play several positions is just another plus. I have no interest in the Reds getting rid of him as long as he is mostly playing from the bench. Giving him an occasional start is fine as well. 2 at most a week.
Ashcraft was much improved over his previous start, but he was still kind of all over the place with his pitches today still. I felt like he was getting a little lucky at times.
Greene has been pitching much better over his past two outings. Hopefully this continues and he can continue to grow and pitch more games into the 7th or through 7 innings.
Spencer Steer is just a quality player. Even when he gets out it’s normally not a cheap out. Between him and McClain you know your going to get quality at bats.
As the commercial for Miami Valley Gaming the guy at the end says, Awesome, this is my view of Friedl.
Nailed every point
Spot on!
I think the Reds chemistry lately is better because they have better players playing, ie Friedl getting healthy and McLain coming up. I don’t think they need to bring De La Cruz up but I think they’d be better with him. I actually think the Reds are not really trying to win this year overall…they most likely will not make trades if in contention to bring a starting pitcher in. But hopefully they give the team the best chance to win with the moves they make within the organization. They’ve done a good job gathering all these talented players will be interesting to see how they proceed.
What makes you think they arent trying to win? You should always be trying to win.
The team is obviously trying to win. FO/ownership were probably looking at next year and may be caught off-guard by what’s happening lately. In this admittedly kind interpretation, they were planning to shore up the starting pitching in the off-season.
Yeah they seemed more focused on the OF this offseason. We all knew they ignored some major depth issues with the starting staff.
Krall has been fantastic rebuilding the Reds through trades, most excited I have been in a longgggg time when looking at the next 5+ years of what Reds baseball might once be again. It’s all we have all wanted…legitimate hope.
Reds have the best record in the NL central the last 5 weeks and thats not a fluke. The young hitters are competing as is the bullpen. Diaz is the best closer in baseball and an All star.
Its not a coincidence myers isnt playing and Reds are winning.
I would bring EDLC up as well as CES and Abbot
Id send Benson and Barrero to AAA and make Casali a catching whisperer on DJ’s staff
Agree with all of this….especially the point that Casali is extremely important to the development if this staff going forward. Don’t care what he hits.
Casali is a stabilizing influence on this young team and, I think, a future manager of the Reds.
Baseball is a lot more about what’s between the ears than people give credit to. Casali and Maile call a very good game most of the time. As long as they can carry a .600 OPS, I’m good. Casali will be over .600 once the sample size gets larger.
I thought that’s what they were doing with Romine, (Catching Wisperer) but either the Reds cut him, or he opted out of a minor league deal when spring was over.
Either way the 3 C approach needs to come to an end. Frankly I don’t care if they keep Casali, or Maile. Both will probably end up being a .240 BA with little power by the end of the year. Maile is a local kid, so there’s that, but Casali had some good years here.
This team has been fun to watch since McLain arrived. They will be more fun to watch when EDLC is called up which is now overdue. This division is there for the taking. Call up EDLC immediately. Lineup also much better without Myers. Bullpen and particularly Diaz have been solid this year.
CES double off the CF wall. 🙂 4 RBI tonight.
He’s not ready to be called up yet. When he can consistently get 4 hits every game then he might be ready. Tongue firmly in cheek.
He needs to at least average FIVE RBI a night don’t you think? 😉
If I’m correct he’s played in 31 games and has 31 RBIs.
Melvin, why should the Reds call up a player who cannot even average 5 RBI’s per game? Lol!
My guess is EDLC will be called up Friday July 14th. The Reds open a 10 game home stand right after the all-star game.
If the 200 PA has any truth to it and they stick to it he should get it around June 9. The Reds will be on the road then at St. Louis. If they wait until he comes back home it will be June 19 vs. the Rockies. Personally I’d like to see him sooner. After tonight he will be in the mid 150 range of PA. CES will be in the mid 140s.
Drop Myers and send Barrero and Benson Down. Bring up the Big Three plus Abbott.
Bingo…. the division is theirs for the taking.
Only way this team wins the division is if they can score double digit runs every night to compensate for the patchwork starting staff and overworked bullpen.With EDLC and CES they might be able to do it.
De La Cruz with an infield excuse me swing base hit.
louisville is playing right down the road in worcester, mass the same time the reds are in boston this week. easy to call up EDLC or CES from there… either one could have a lot of fun with the green monster…
I was thinking the same about Worchester; but, the schedule on the Bats official site says that the series is in Louisville which makes sense because typically they alternate weeks at home and on the road.
https://www.milb.com/louisville/schedule/2023-05
aha, my mistake. wishful thinking.
Most of us on RLN see it. Anyone with eyes can see it. Forget the super two. Make the obvious moves. EDLC, CES, and Abbot all should be up for the Boston series with Hopkins soon to follow. It’s time to unleash the young guns on the NL Central. It’s there for the taking.
Abbot needs the rest of the year in AAA. giving up too many walks and HR’s, but he is real close. We need to trade for a veteran pitcher with some control time to add to the rotation. It’s not that I do not think I think he could add some value now, but, I think he could clean some things up to be more MLB ready.
On the broadcast the other day Chris Welsh was saying that that his old broadcast partner George Grande would always say the season picks you, you don’t pick the season when you’re going to win. I think there is some truth to that and this season feels that way. The division stinks and the Reds have a good chance to win it if they’ll walk through the door…which means getting your best players up from AAA with the big Club.
It isn’t that I entirely disagree, Ted, but the Reds are generating a lot of offense lately and it’s what’s happening lately that is making all of us giddy: go back just as far as the Yankees sweep and read the comments at RLN. The Reds have a major shortcoming: starting pitching. EDLC and CES won’t address that. Not a reason to leave them at AAA, but still worth considering. The Reds’ upcoming schedule is tough and things could look quite different in a couple of weeks.
Agree GMR. We do know that Lodolo is out until at least the AS break which is a major issue for the SP. We dont know what Greene and Ashcraft will do the next 2 months nor Williamson or Abbott. It seems unlikely Weaver and Lively can give 5-6 good innings every 5th day but SP across the league is in high demand. GM for the Phillies was quoted this week as saying the price on pitchers in the trade market is “exorbitant” so the Reds wont get any external solutions. The Reds schedule in June is a bear as well with the Red Sox/Brewers/Dodgers/ road trip to Houston and St Louis with the Braves/O’s and Padres to finish the month. A 12-15 month might be a good one with that gauntlet.
But maybe some of the other NL teams cut bait in July. Cubs have a ton of trade candidates and the buzzards are circling. Pirates are still the Pirates. We saw what the Brewers did with 18 months of Hader last year despite being in a pennant race. They have Burns and Adames and Woodruff all in the same boat where they will have to decide if they want to cash in for prospects. Apparently Burnes and the Brewers had a contentious arbitration hearing this past winter. But, it all adds up to an interesting Reds team that may be gaining some traction in building something.
Don’t look now but the Reds are tied with the $246M Padres at 24-29!
I know it’s extremely early in his career, but McClain is flat-out impressive with his approach at the plate. I know major league pitchers will adjust, and he is going to go through his tough patches, but I just love his short compact swing, his balance, his pitch recognition, and his power. He looks like the real deal to me.
What an exciting group of young hitters. Freidl has really put it together since late last year. Steer is rock solid as well. Senzel is destroying left-handed pitching while playing excellent 3rd base. While India is a little more undisciplined at the plate, his energy and competitive spirit are special. I haven’t been this excited about a group of Reds hitters since. Larkin, Hatcher, Davis, Morris, Sabo, Duncan. This could get fun!
I’m sure the word is getting around baseball: look out for the Reds.
Can’t let folks look by that the guy who has been the main beneficiary of Myers going down, Fairchild, has a 7 day OPS/OPS+ of 1.055/184 (22 PAs) and a 14 day OPS/OPS+ of .822/122 (41 PAs).
Significantly, on the season, Fairchild now has more PAs vs RH pitching than LH pitching thanks to his increased exposure to RH pitching during the last 2 weeks. There is nothing like getting consistent PAs at a rate of 3 or more per game playing 3 or more games a week to get a capable guy on track.
Weird how that works ,Jim. Imagine that, playing more than one day in a row. That’s why I keep wanting Barrero to play everyday. Can’t tell if he is any good if you only spot start these guys
Great observation Jim. Fairchild continues to prove he’s part of the future. He’s an unspectacular player who simply does many things well.
I’m with you on Fairchild Jim. In fact, I’ve been on the Friedl, Fraley and Fairchild bandwagon for awhile now. He just needs at bats (i.e., opportunity). I would still like to see Barerro get at bats in Center or Right field but isn’t there room for 4 outfielders to get consistent at-bats?
I think Myers days are numbered – between Fairchild showing what he can bring, Votto likely coming back in July and CES blasting the door down there just won’t be any space for Myers after June.
I agree. Fairchild has been doing really well lately. Yesterday I was kind of thinking not to pinch hit for Fairchild but instead wait one batter later and pinch hit for Newman, who was facing a RH pitcher and hasn’t done well again them, with Friedl then. Obviously it worked out and I’m glad it did. 🙂
How could I forget to mention “Big” Paul O’Neil. I used to work with his brother at UPS.
The 1961 WS sweep of the A’s always bring back memories of Paul O’Neil in right field. I wish he had spent more years with the Reds, but then he had great years with the Yankees.
You mean 1990 WS sweep of the A’s
Was watching some of the replay of the game yesterday and the at bat by Newman with 2 outs and the bases loaded was incredible. The guy is hitting 346 with runners in scoring position. Very nice veteran presence for our young players.
Newman was in control and not fazed by that duel he won. His veteran experience pays off in many ways including excellent defense. He went to bat 5 times and got on base 5 times. Not too many can do that.
Newman is the perfect veteran presence. Capable of playing multiple, key positions and not going to whine if he doesn’t play every day (see Aaron Hicks). Gives a quality at bat, stays healthy, and not expensive. I hope we keep him around for 2024 also.
I wouldn’t want him taking significant development at bats away but there should be room for someone like Kevin Newman on every MLB roster.
I agree I’m just worried about the timing of his presence in Cincy.
The reds as an organization have to run a fine line of maintaining cost effective talent. Newman is currently making $2.6 mil, will be in his last year of arb eligibility next year, and FA eligible in 2025 COINCIDENTALLY EXACTLY when the reds are hopefully serious again about being contenders
My question then is what will a FA Kevin Newman demand from a team that is looking to go for it at the opening of their window when they must be diligent with every dollar? 1 yr/$4 mil? 2 yrs/$7 mil?
Is Kevin Newman in 2025 worth that to the reds? Or do they go find the 2025 Kevin Newman at $2mil to fill the bench
Newman is helpful, but the timing of his free-agency eligibility might be perfect, since the Reds will likely have a good idea of what they have with EDLC etc. They may just decide to let Newman go or, if they’re confident enough next year, trade him. Or they might decide that he fills a necessary niche and make him an offer.
Newman is turning out to be the perfect veteran presence off the bench. He will make a good spot starter to rest the young guns and will be a valuable bat off the bench late in tight games. Vets like Newman shouldn’t need to start everyday in order to stay sharp. They understand the value of doing your job and earning a paycheck. Go Reds!
McClain is impressive. EDLC is impressive. CES is impressive. Steer is impressive. But the guy I love on this team is TJ Friedl. He gets on base, he is a good fielder and has good speed. He is everything you want at the top of the batting order.
Ask JB what he thinks about Friedl. 🙂
I know I’ve said it before but every time I watch Friedl play he reminds me a lot of the spark plug Lenny Dykstra leading some really good Phillies teams.
I was one of those whose interest in the Reds at the beginning of the season was at the lowest level ever. I had no interest in watching any games. I really only started watching when McClain was called up. I gotta admit, they’re a pretty exciting team to watch. I’m glad I was wrong about them
welcome back @SOQ. There will still be some clunkers going forward – mostly because of the starting pitching. But this is the grittiest, fastest Reds team since the years of Eric Davis & Reggie Sanders. They deserve our support – regardless of who the ownership is.
+10000
I think the dilemma the reds are faced with is the guys playing well in Louisville are position players and right now our offense is playing very well. Really don’t want to disturb the chemistry we have now and we don’t want to bring them up to sit or play out of position. It’s a shame none are pitcher’s. Reds are 4 out of the division and 3 out of the wild card. I am very surprised.
I would like to see McLain get some reps in outfield before I call up EDLC. If he looks good out there it solves some issues. When he moves there Newman can play SS until it’s determined he can make the switch. This wouldn’t require a big change to the current playing time.
C. Trent and Ken Rosenthal have an interesting column in The Athletic today about the future of Jonathan India in regards to Elly De La Cruz being called up and McLain’s obvious fielding superiority at 2nd base. Where does India go?
https://theathletic.com/4559502/2023/05/29/reds-jonathan-india-position-problem/
Beat me to it!!!
He could play 3rd and Senzel could move to the outfield.
According to the article, one of India’s primary defensive weaknesses is his arm. It seems the corner OF positions and 3rd base would not be the answer?
I am still an advocate of leaving India alone and finding a spot for EDLC and that cannon he has in the outfield.
We have a logjam at 3B and 1B. At 3B, I count Senzel, India, Steer, CES, and Marte. At 1B, we have Votto, Steer, Stephenson, and CES. That is a total of 5-6 guys for 2 positions and DH. Two short straws minimum. “You can’t have too many SSs” Krall has too many IFs. Stephenson’s value to this team is a 5 day/week Catcher. A little soft as a DH unless he picks up the OPS. Votto right now is blocking CES and that isn’t going to change until he makes a certain announcement. India is a team leader but a defensive liability. I don’t think he can play 3rd any longer with his scatter arm. (Rose did, so maybe.). LF seems obvious but who knows whether he can do that. That leaves Senzel, Steer, and Marte battling for 3rd with Steer have spring training issues there. Great situation to be in but I still keep coming back to that some deck shuffling is needed ; I.e. trades. Don’t we need a power hitting RF/DH with a little speed? Look at the 5-6 non contenders and rebuilders and tell me they wouldn’t take a Marte or Barerro for such. Reverse of Suarez and Castillo trades. We get the present day hot shot and big salary and they get a talented prospect. One of the biggest problems this management has shown is not striking when the iron is hot. Deja vu 2021 trade deadline when we are leading the wildcard and add 3 cheap relievers ….Cessa, Givens, and Miller. I don’t think this team can win the World Series or compete with the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, etc. but I do think we can give this very weak Division a go and win 80-85 games but only with some additional horsepower. Otherwise, I just think we are too young and too limited in starting pitching talent to win more than 70-75. Gosh, the big 3 has won a total of 6 games and we are one third of the way through the season. We need a whole bunch of 6-7 inning starts like we have had this past week. Don’t see that as sustainable.
70-75 might get you a playoff spot now, it’s at least pretty close.
@Rob, I don’t see a log jam.
C Stephenson, He’s not batting well enough to warrant an everyday spot in the lineup. Get him catching 6 of 9 games, and that’s that. 1B/DH Votto, and CES. 3B India, I’d rather India to the OF, but it would be an easier transition in 23 for him to go back to his natural spot.
That leaves Steer, Senzel on the 23 roster to find a home for. Make Steer the everyday RF, and let Senzel continue to play all over. He’s Fraley’s platoon, also the back up to 3B/2B. The middle infield is EDLC, and McLain.
That’s all assuming Votto is back, which is not guaranteed. I think the big question is in 24. Will Marte go to the OF, or will India?
wow, the Reds getting national media attention……..got something good. Way to go Rosenthal! C. Trent is always on the case.
Outstanding combined article by C Trent and Athletic senior writer Ken Rosenthal on EDLC and the positional domino effects on Jon India with quotes from India. It would seem the Reds are committed to defensive excellence and India draws the short straw there. They accurately point out offensively he’s leading the offense which is now scoring a lot of runs and India is the unquestioned leader in the clubhouse. India addressed it head on and said all he can do is keep playing hard every day and when EDLC comes up See what happens.
Reds are starting to get attention as this next wave of young talent keeps climbing up.
I like that India has such a great attitude about the upcoming dilemma (and how he has stepped up as the leader of this group. We’re going to need to keep him around with all of these young guys coming up, to set an example
Would love to see this lineup in Fenway:
India 2B
Friedl CF
McLain SS
Steer 1B/DH
EDLC 3B
CES 1B/DH
Stephenson C
Fraley/Senzel LF
Hopkins RF
I think EDLC with his athleticism and arm might work in right. Some pretty good players played right ( Clemente, Aaron, Cobra etc). Don’t want mess with good chemistry. Senzel playing his best baseball in a long time, if ever. I’m all for bringing up the studs but I see a very cohesive team now.
My personal worry is that EDLC is just SUCH a good athlete he’d almost be wasted in right. You want to maximize your best talent, whether that’s at the top of the lineup offensively or at most demanding positions defensively. On defense, RF rates where on the position spectrum, 3rd or 4th maybe?
I think the other positions other than second are pretty strong. And India is the heart and soul of this team. You don’t want to start POing players and break this chemistry. This isn’t strat o magic. Like I said plenty if Hall of Famers played right.
@Beaufort Red: I agree with you. Two years ago we didn’t resign Castellanos who was the “team leader.” Last year we traded Farmer after being the “team leader.” I would prefer not to get rid of another “team leader” in India. Plus what happens if we trade him and either EDLC or Marte don’t pan out? Now we are short an infielder and a leader.
6th for me
C, SS, 2B/CF, 3B, RF, LF/1B
How about Dave Winfield for an OF comp?
Very firmly against EDLC in the OF.
He’s the best SS on the team when he’s here, play him there.
I suspect he’s probably a RF long-term too… though if he seriously has never played the outfield in pro baseball, his MLB debut might not be the time to start! I’d run him out at SS for the rest of the year, expect nothing, and just see what happens. If it’s a train wreck, oh well. At least he won’t spend the rest of his life wondering if he could have done it.
The name that leaps to mind is B.J. Upton. The Devil Rays rushed him to the majors at 19 and let him start as an overmatched SS and then 2B for a few years before he found his calling in CF. That’s just one example, Elly is his own man…
Personally, I don’t see the India thing as a situation. With Senzel’s injury history and the way McLain and India play balls out, there is a strong likelihood at least one of the three will get injured. Friedl also hasn’t proven he can stay healthy for an entire season. Myers is likely to be traded. There are plenty of spots to go around and playing 5-6 days a week with one day off each should be fine for these guys.
I would call EDLC up, and let him start at short 3-4 days a week, maybe 3b once and dh once. Mclain can play third a couple days a week, short a couple days a week, and 2nd one day a week. India can play 2nd 5 days a week and dh once or twice a week. Senzel can play left verse left handers (Fraley platoon), center some, and 3b some. Steer can bounce back between 1b/3b/DH and CES can play 1b and DH when he is called up eventually (I think sometime mid to late June if he shows continued ability to walk and not chase offspeed.) Newman should get two starts a week and be a bench a bat verse lefties.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t account for Votto at all. IF he comes back, I would say a couple starts at 1b and dh and be a LH bat off the bench. A similar role to Pujols last year. Barrero and Benson both need to be in AAA for regular reps and to work on their weaknesses. Both are good depth pieces.
Let all of these work itself out and we will see if Marte pushes the issue next year.
My 13 man offensive roster:
Catcher: TySteve, Casali or Maile: (does Maile have options?)
Infield: EDLC, McLain, India, Steer,
DH: CES
Outfield: Friedl, Fairchild, Fraley, Senzel
Bench: Newman, Votto
Lots of positional flexibility there. A RH and LH bat off the bench- Only 2 catchers once Votto returns. Nice depth at AAA with Robinson, Hopkins, Reynolds, Barrero, Benson, Marte, etc. You don’t have to squint too hard to see a dang good team for the next several years.
Maile does not have options as he has over five years of service time. I agree with you. This will work out. Depth makes for a good discussion, but I don’t think Krall is fretting over any of this.
If you’ve ever a question about options, go to a players fangraphs page.
More in likely Votto will not be on the bench unless he agrees to that.
Three 1B/DH types (on most days) and a fourth who can play 1B/3B/DH, along with only 4 OFs is not positional flexibility at all.
Votto really has no roster spot, unfortunately, if the Reds want to win.
two questions:
Why can’t Votto come back and still produce offensively? I’m sure he’d happily accept a bench spot to prove he’s capable. The only spot I see on the roster is one of Casali/Maile, or Myers.
This is at least 2 weeks away from being talked about, mind you.
I absorbed the questions together, then didnt delete
@2020, the question is not whether Votto can be productive, but is he likely to at age 40 (almost) coming off shoulder surgery without regular at bats? Odds are not good.
That and the fact that he offers no positional value at all, off the bench. And of course, Bell is the manager so he will play him regularly and sit one of the deserving youths, regardless.
With the caliber of player Votto’s been, im not concerned with bad odds. Ill think he cant do it when he shows me he cant.
No Reds game on Memorial Day. Kind of unAmerican. Disappointing.
Yep. Pretty sure they missed a big holiday last year, too–July 4 or Labor Day. Makes no sense.
Luckily, I follow two teams.
I do too. The Reds and the Bats. They’re both off. lol
lol yeah thats disappointing for sure
Go figure! Cubs get swept in a 3 games series against the Reds but beat the Rays 1-0 today, Memorial Day! Tampa Rays currently own the BEST record in MLB!
Good news for the Reds on this off day with St. L. getting beat by
KC 7-0. Not so good from Wrigley as Cubs over Rays 1-0.
Pirates lost as well. Now 26-27 and only 2 games ahead of our 3rd place Reds!
Very important the Reds take at least 2 of 3 at Fenway and then on to face the Brewers and Dodgers at home.
Guys, this notion that this guy can play 3 games there and this guy 2 games here and this dude there for 6 games but not on Saturday is insane. Everyone was screaming for a consistent lineup. We’re finally working in that direction. If you ask any ball player I guarantee you they would rather know that they’re playing the same position every day.
Sam LeCure has repeatedly stated he thinks consistency is needed. Coming to the ballpark knowing you play X and bat Y is important. I tend to agree with his assessment on that front.
Sparky always talked about the value of having a set line up. Of course, that is easy to do when you have four or five hall of famers.
I agree with you but not the extreme. Players also appreciate occasional days off–162 game schedule is grueling physically and mentally. Also, many of these players have played a couple of positions on a routine basis in the minors–they are more accustomed to it than players were in the past. Players are people–they’re all different. Knowing which ones can handle versatility and which ones thrive in routine will be unique to each player. Knowing those intricacies is what the Manager is paid to know and manage to put the best team on the field.
+1
If guys want a consistent spot they simply have to earn it. Some guys like being versatile. Some guys may have a preference, but they need to be versatile to earn playing time. I personally think too much is made of players playing multiple spots as a detriment to their offense, but like you said, everyone is different.
@Beaufort, In theory I agree with you. In reality McLain and EDLC have been platooning SS together for 2 seasons now. Senzel already platoons at the major league level. Fraley plays around the OF. Myers has split time between RF and 1B his whole career.
Not everyone would thrive in that scenario, but that’s OK, not everyone needs to, only a few. I think once the team knows who fits where, there will only be 1 or 2 “super utility guys”, and my guess is it will be between Senzel, Barrero, and Steer.
I think it’s important in any endeavor in life, if possible, to know what your duties are going to be. In baseball, it can take a while but that’s the intention of this sorting season. With one-third of the season completed, the Reds are in a good position to go after the, so-called, weak NLC. So, it’s up to the manager to make out daily lineups that reflect some stability on a young team.
Anyone see De La Cruz’s Instagram story posted 20 hours ago? A photo of him with the Post Malone song “Congratulations”. Keeping my fingers crossed…
That’s possibly good news. Interesting.
I personally would like to see something a bit more definitive first, but it’s probably coming very soon.
i am excited about this club. so much talent in the minors as well. The reds have something here for sure. I am an old school guy and I think the emphasis should be trying to develop the best defensive club in the majors. The offense will take care of itself.
I hope they don’t give up on Barrero because I think he is the best centerfielder and shortstop the reds have. I have watched ELDC alot. He just screams right fielder to me. How about an outfield of Marte/Friedl in left field, Barrero in centerfield and EDLC in right field. man oh man that would be tough.
As some have noted Concepcion had two really tough years in the beginning. As we know he ended up having a pretty good even borderline HOF career after 18 years.
1971 – .205/.246/.251
1972 – .209/.272/.270
Larkin, a HOFer, had a tough year in 1987 – .244/.306/.371
An argument can be made that Barrero has more raw talent the either one of them and has shown it in the minors. In short don’t give up on him as you say. Right now he’s at .222/.298/.316
Agree 100% right now he is odd man out, however that doesn’t mean he isn’t part of the future.
Right now such a log jam. De La Cruz is logical choice at this time then see how everything else plays out with the other players.
Definitely dont give up on him, but I personally pump the breaks on comparing either of those players on a “raw talent” level. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
I personally don’t see the defensive fundamentals that I’d like to see yet, but its been an admittedly small sample of stuff I’ve seen. He’s also been moving around some. I am 100% fine with him as a back-up at SS, and maybe at some point the next few years he gets another chance to show what he can do there.
Also you can probably find one year from any HOF player that was a bit meager. You’re point is still made, but its a bit of a dubious comparison without some deeper numbers in play than just slash lines.
Barrero does not play defense like Concepcion did. No way. Conception became a good hitter as he developed. I think Barrero plays a good CF from what little I’ve seen, but as a SS he recently misplayed two successive hard grounders to his backhand. He seems to do well going to his glove side. I root for Barrero of course but I think his future really is in the OF. But then he MUST become a better hitter and stop chasing the outside slider.
Concepcion booted a lot of routine plays, at times. Larry Bowa taunted him about his first name being “Elmer” because he always saw “E- Concepcion” in the box scores. Because Larry was kind of a jerk and because they were both regarded as the premier shortstops of the mid – 70’s.
Concepcion had a hard time hitting in 1971 and 1972 because he was using a bat that was too heavy for him. Sparky and Klu were always after him to switch to a lighter bat. He did at the very end of 1972, and then continued into 1973, where he hit great until he broke his ankle at mid-season, just before the All-Star break.
I have not see Barrero play, but shortstop is probably the most demanding position on the field. If they bring up De La Cruz, then either trade Barrero or send him down to AAA so he can play about every day and continue to develop.
De La Cruz wants to play SS in the majors, and he IS the Reds #1 prospect. I say let him play there, until he shows he can’t handle it at the ML level. Or does.
I am not entirely sold on Marte, despite his draft status and ML prospect “pedigree”. If the Reds promote CES and EDLC to the ML (which they should ASAP), then maybe Marte gets promoted to AAA from AA (he is actually older than EDLC).
And I am surprised that Joey Votto has not begun another rehab assignment at AAA by now. That speaks a lot as to where he is, and why CES should be up here now.
I had always heard that Conception, with greater range than Bowa, got charged with errors on plays Bowa wouldn’t have attempted. I don’t know if that was actually the case, but I like that explanation better.
What does Barrero have to do to show you that does not have a spot on this team right now. Best shortstop and centerfielder? I don’t know how he’s not batting clean up too. Just enjoy the ride. Like I said, he better go down and learn how to hit and play the outfield. By the way have seen McClain play? He’s really good.
What happens when McLain goes 2-20? It will happen. Barrero is probably the odd man out, however he isn’t as bad as you suggest. He Playa cf and can hit.
Yes, McLain is good no doubt, however let’s pump the brakes as it’s a small sample
I saw a LOT of Davey Concepcion playing shortstop, and he did have great range, and was, after all, an actually great player.
Larry Bowa was slick and had great range, and was also quite a good shortstop.
Davey Concepcion hit 101 career HR, had 950 rbi’s, slugged .357 lifetime
As a shortstop, he fielded at a 0.971 percentage over 19 seasons.
One of his worst fielding years was 1974 (when he actually had a lot of offensive impact) in which he made 30 errors. When Bowa called him “Elmer”.
Larry Bowa hit 15 career HR, had 525 rbi’s, slugged 0.320 lifetime.
Over 16 seasons, Bowa had a 0.980 fielding percentage, which is not insignificantly better.
Bowa had one of his worst fielding years in 1975, when he committed 25 errors.
This shortstop thing is not an easy position.
I hope they bring up De La Cruz now. Send Barrera back to AAA. Go all out to compete for the playoffs this year.
+1000
All out is trading CES+ or Marte+ for a top of the rotation arm.
Those are the guys teams will be asking about. I wont ever say I’m against it until I know what arm we are talking, but that’s your all-in move for this team.
The Reds traded a “top of the rotation arm” for Marte.
Good cautionary note. The Reds were rebuilding then and really still are. It’s obvious that they need more starting pitching, but not as obvious whom to offer for it or where the pitching can be found.
I hope the Reds continue to win and climb into the division race. But sweeping a weekend series from the hapless Cubs does not a contender make. Just last week, the Reds lost all three in a weekend to the Yankees, and people were moaning about that episode.
The Reds have to give the young guys up here already a chance to shake out and find their ability level at the Majors level of play.
I am a little bit surprised that Williamson has pitched as well as he has (Which, outside of his first start, has not been great), and also surprised at how Ashcraft has regressed. And if Greene can pitch like he did last Friday, then he is now the designated “hammer” in the rotation.
I thought the Reds’ bullpen would be better this year, but as of right now, they are overperforming a lot of expectations. Can this continue?
A month ago, people were moping about the Reds even playing close to 0.500 ball this year. Now they are on the fringe of competing?
The reds are 4 out of first in the division and 3.5 in wild card. If they approach the deadline that close to the playoffs someone will be moved to help close that gap.
Fangraphs rates the Reds as having the number two highest rated farm system.
The greatest question facing the organization is how long can the organization hang on to Nick Krall. By any measure, he has done an incredible job.
I keep logging on today hoping to see a story saying EDLC to debut tonight in Fenway. A fan can dream…..
Me, too, though I’m afraid the game will be blacked out in Vermont.
The answer is move McLain to the outfield. He has played there before.
EDLC goes to SS and Senzel stays at 3rd
We need to trade some of our prospects for a starting pitcher.
The division and or wild card are not out of our reach if we shore up our rotation
What team out there would be willing to give up a front line starter? My guess is none. They are at a premium and only if a team is desperate at the trade deadline would they give one up. And then we would literally have to give up the farm. Terrible idea. Keep what we got, hope for some news on Dunn or Santillan bring up Abbott.
We had some frontline starters and traded them away for prospects, some of which are really working out well, Steer , Fraley for example. So now we trade our prospects to get someone like back? Makes no sense.
https://twitter.com/FutbolFeller/status/1663509075060039680?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Not sure if this is true or not. Reds calling up De La Cruz??
I don’t know who footbul fellow is, or know his sources, but I hope he is right..
Probably not true, just found it interesting
His sources are probably just like everyone else: “He posted something on instagram that if I were Ben Gates I might try to decipher as some hidden code that he’s being called up”
Thanks Doug, I feel like a moron falling for that. Should of known.
I mean it’s not impossible that he’s going to be called up. But the “evidence” that everyone seems to be running with is that he used a Post Malone song that says congratulations in it on Sunday night, and then he shared a video of an NBA player from the Heat saying “Boston, I’m on my way” before game 7 of the series…. which took place in Boston. People are reading into what they want to read into.
My take: This all started on Sunday night. If he was being called up and HE KNEW IT, you think that in the 39 hours since then that no reporter anywhere was able to get someone to say “yeah, he’s getting called up”? If would be one thing if it were like TJ Hopkins getting called up. The #1 prospect in baseball? Just hard to believe no one would be able to get someone to say it off the record to them.
I am excited about the future of the Reds, but I think we need to keep in mind, they are still 5 games under .500.
When the 2021 team was demolished, many here argued it was a good thing because they didn’t want to just win a wild card spot, but wanted to go deep in the play-offs. A team that is five games under on Memorial Day is likely not going deep in the play-offs.
Hopefully, the owner will invest in pitching this winter and they will have a chance to win next season. But keep in mind, a lot of teams that went through rebuilds the past several years (blue-jays, orioles and to some degree the Padres) have yet to see it pay off. There is no guarantee it will here either. It almost certainly won’t happen here unless Bob Castellini is prepared to invest heavily in pitching.
The rebuild seems to be ahead of schedule, but it’s hard to know whether our window is open now. While we are beginning to see the potential of the lineup take shape, the second half of the season will reveal much about the pitching staff.
As for spending in the offseason, it’s a bit of a two-edged sword. In the past, the Reds have spent to budget, leaving nothing in reserve for contingencies. Thus, when a FA signing tanks, they flounder. If the roster weaknesses remain the same in October as today, I would like to see the Reds invest in a top-of-the-rotation starter and back-of-the-bullpen reliever instead of trying to find a serviceable fourth or fifth starter or a guy or two to fill out the pen. One or two difference makers will go a long way to boosting the team’s potential rather than multiple mid-level players with limited ceilings. In short, we should evaluate them on the quality of their signings rather than dollars spent.
Good post, Votto. Even if the big three (Lodolo when he returns) start to realize their potential, the Reds need at least one more effective starter. It would be great if that turned out to be Abbot and Williamson or Lively proved to be a reliable 5th starter because the Reds wouldn’t have to trade prospects before they know what they have. But that nice scenario can’t be counted upon.
@V4L – I’m one of the ones that wanted to dismantle the barely .500 8th seeded team. I set my bar higher…World Series…NL champs…ect…not sneaking into the 7th-8th seed.
With the exception of Castillo most of the guys that departed were nothing special in 2022. That includes the ones that stayed here. Votto had a great 2021, followed by a dismal 2022, eventually having to be shut down.
Gray was on and off the IL in 2022…not to mentioned he was oft-injured as a red and showed signs of ageing regression.
Miley injured…most of last year
Mahle ….has been injured ever since he was traded.
Castellanos….i loved the player, but was a free agent…signed big contract in Philly, and hasn’t been the same player he was in Cincy.
Suarez…Still bats in the .230’s (worse this year)…about 1 HR per week…196 K’s in 2022.
Winker…could not stay healthy, but did play a season high of 136 games last year. .219 avg, 14 HRs. Even worse this year.
Not every trade is going to be a win. But in all honesty, they haven’t traded away a ton of lost production.
Castillo signed with the Ms for 5 yrs $107 million. I’d love to get him back at that price.
Sonny Gray is pitching phenomenal right now. So, in my opinion they lost that trade. They could use him.
My point is that this current team is not the team you want either, at least until they drastically improve the pitching staff.
It’s fun to see all the young players, but it’s far from a play-off team. Let alone a team that will go deep in the play-offs. Will it ever be? The jury is still out IMO. They are definitely better than the team last year, but that team lost 100 games.
You missed the point Kevin. The selloff was after 2021. Sonny was not good and still injured some for the 2022 season which was the discussion…to rebuild or try again in 2022.
He would surely be an asset for us in 2023, but that’s not how rebuilds work. Why keep an aging injured pitcher after 2021 when you are rebuilding? The choice to trade him was the right move if they are rebuilding.
Unpopular take, but I think they should stick to the plan. 2023 was and should continue to be about the sorting. I hope they trade marketable players (Weaver, Newman, bullpeners, even Jon India) at high points around deadline and continue stocking quality farm depth for the next 5 years (India should command a valuable ready-now chip). Then, ownership needs to spend some money this offseason to fill the gaps, and perhaps 2024 opens the competitive window again.
It’s tempting to go all in this year with the NL central being down, but the Reds have no SP depth to speak of and a ton of inexperience that will likely be inconsistent. It’s certainly been refreshing to see some of the youth come on and show good sucess, but I will be surprised if they have the same much less a better record by the trade deadline. Unless our “big 3” takes some pretty significant steps forward (and stays healthy), this team has a real SP issue and is currently overachieving.
Heard someone say the other day, and believe it is absolutely true. You don’t pick the year you go to the playoffs, it just happens as the chips fall in the right direction. This year’s team is something special in a lot of ways and they really do pull together. This nonsense of wait til next year is bull. Ask a Padres fan about that, or a Phillies fan. When the circumstances present themselves you go for it, then, not later.
I’m right there with you. Question is at what point does the organization “realize” that time potentially is now? Really anxious to see what happens in Fenway this week.
I’m anxious, too, but not currently in a good way. Fenway is tough on pitchers and the Green Monster is tough on hitters who haven’t played there and try to hit cheap homers over it. It will be a test, and I won’t read too much into it–more if the Reds win–because they’re a young team.
Agree with you Jimbo – we have a tough stretch of games coming up and adding CES & EDLC to the club could be a real shot in the arm for the Reds. Send Benson & Barrero back down to AAA and let CES & EDLC make their debuts on the road, so not as much pressure – like McClain did in Col.
I’ve decided I can’t wait for the Reds to call up EDLC and CES (and TJ) so I’m going to go see them play in Louisville tomorrow night. Hope they put on a show.
If the Reds lose this game. It is squarely on Bell for not getting Diaz or even Sims up earlier.