The Cincinnati Reds have made five roster moves this morning as they get set to play the series finale in Cleveland against the Guardians. Perhaps the biggest move of the five is that the club designated outfielder Rece Hinds for assignment. That move was needed because catcher Jose Trevino had to go on the 10-day injured list after injuring his hamstring in last night’s loss. Cincinnati needed to bring in another catcher and there were none on the 40-man roster that were in the minor leagues, so they had to add P.J. Higgins to the 40-man and needed a roster spot, which came at the expense of Hinds. Luis Mey was optioned to Triple-A and Jose Franco was called back up from Louisville.
Fair or unfair, Cincinnati seems like they have given up on Rece Hinds. After killing the ball in Triple-A since the start of the 2025 season, the Reds called Hinds up in the middle of April and gave him a short opportunity to show that he could do it in the big leagues. He didn’t. In his 12 games he went 4-33 with 18 strikeouts and just one walk.
The 25-year-old has now played in 51 games in the big leagues. In his first six games he went 11-22 with three doubles, a triple, and five home runs. That earned him the National League’s Player of the Week award. Since then he’s hit .100/.150/.210 with a 45% strikeout rate in 107 plate appearances with the Reds spread out over 2024, 2025, and 2026. Blessed with top tier power, plus speed, and a big time arm, Hinds just was never able to figure out how to lay off of the breaking ball that found its way out of the strikezone in the big leagues.
Luis Mey pitched in Saturday night’s game and struggled. He couldn’t find the strikezone and wound up giving up two runs and the lead before exiting the game before he could finish the inning he started. He’ll head back to the minor leagues to once again work on his ability to throw strikes.
Jose Franco is now back with the Reds and it would seem that he’s going to be working out of the bullpen again after going to Louisville to be stretched out as a starter. He didn’t quite get there, with his last outing being a 3-inning relief appearance on Thursday when he threw 47 pitches without giving up a run and striking out six batters.
P.J. Higgins is back with the Reds. He had spent time with Cincinnati in in April, but earlier this week he was designated for assignment when the team signed starting pitcher Chris Paddack. Higgins cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville where he accepted the assignment. Three days later the injury to Trevino is bringing him back.
I know they needed another catcher but this is just another exercise in rearranging the deck chairs. Perhaps this ownership/front office gaggle of Mensa candidates will make some moves that actually improve the talent on this team. They are wasting a generational talent in Elly de la Cruz.
They wont make moves that will improve the team. because they don’t have the brain power to do so.
Acquiring Bleday and finally palying him was lucky.
No you can’t it have it both ways. It was a good pick up like Lowe was. Like the Moll trade was. Like the Burke trade was. Like the India trade still is working in favor of the Reds. When stuff works it out is not always just luck.
please. Finally playing Bleday happened because the 2-3 guys they thought better than JJ didn’t work out.
And like bullpen, acquiring Bleday was a low cost volume move.
Shooting buckshot at a flock of birds isn’t a big brain strategy, but every so often you get one.
Yes Benson should not have won the spot over him. You got me there. Didn’t mention the other moves I spoke about of course either. Cannot dispute those. Even the Mahle trade is still a win as well by Steer alone and anything CES did in 2023 only.
I think they should quit hoarding prospects sooner as they are not developing pitchers fast enough at this point. Too many injured early round picks are piling up. Besides Burns. Almost all their picks in the first three rounds the last 5 years are hurt.
Once again, the Reds FO is steering the HMS Titanic and ignoring the iceberg warnings! Plenty of sound options available other than DFAing Hinds! Hope he gets claimed by a real professional baseball team and does well!
Yep. I guess they’re counting on one of Mey, Maxwell or Nicolas to pan out by virtue of discovering the strike zone. They just have no clue which one that could be, so the decided to keep all three.
Higgins has a better BA in MLB than either Stephenson or Trevino. Trevino actually has a negative OPS+ this year.
Higgins will be fine for the back-up catcher.
They need lots, but I would start with hitting and pitching coach replacements. How does one keep his job with results like this?
I can’t say I’d get too down on Johnson here. His starting staff has been decimated by injuries leading to guys who shouldn’t be big leaguers pitching for the club. And the bullpen isn’t exactly being filled with guys with a track record of control. Mey, Maxwell, Phillips, Nicolas – all guys who have a long, long history of an inability to consistently find the strikezone.
As for Valaika….. that’s a different question. He’s never really had a team that has hit all that well no matter where he’s been.
KC or somebody that can’t hit should give Hinds 500 at-bats and see what happens. He was our best defensive RF and the ball jumps off his bat, but he looked shook up at the big league level. He just wasn’t competing
It is not too much of a stretch to say that Hinds was the best defensive outfielder on the 40 man roster, period, when he was DFA, given Friedl’s drop off and some of Myers issues of late in the field.
I think that title goes to Blake Dunn
If he wasn’t THE best he was certainly close. With all the emphasis on infield defense the outfield is lacking.
Lost in the writer’s summary is why Mr. Hinds struggled at the MLB level. The writer did identify Hinds’ player of the week award. Simply put Reese struggles mightily with the breaking ball – until he signifiicantly improves on pitch recognition/reaction he will not be equipped for the MLB. On the other hand, I am surprised that Mr. Benson wasn’t released instead. I’m not certain he needs more time to prove/improve. However, there is one detail that I’m not certain of although Mr. Hinds doesn’t have the option to, I can’t help wonder if he or is agent quietly approached Reds’ leadership and asked for a release and a new start.
I hate it for Hinds. I was rooting for him. Now we need to do something about Hayes.
Man giving up on Hinds…some club would stick him in the outfield, give him a few hundred at bats I’d think. The Reds would’ve dfa’ Willie Mays after his start in the Majors. Fortunately Durocher was patient and confident in what he had. Not saying Hinds is a Willie Mays by any stretch.
Agree. You need to give HInds a role, get him comfortable and run him out there for long enough.
I am not a Hinds advocate, but the utter lack of patience with him whilst playing other worse talents over the past two years is ludicrous. Good organizations do not behave like the Reds do.
@Chris> Roberto Clemente would be a similar comparison. He was a Rule 5 pick out of the Yankees organization (to the Pirates) before he ever played in MLB. Then, in his first three years in MLB with the Pirates, he compiled an 86 OPS+. However, his actual three individual seasonal OPS+ figures were 77/106/73. And, those figures were in 1468 plate appearances!
You people are on something today. Now Hinds is failing not only because of the Reds. But your comparing his situation to Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente? I mean come on.
Let me see if I get this right. You are saying that a player acquired when he was 19 years old in the rule five draft and hit .311 at age 21 with a 10.1% K% is a good comparison to to a player who hit .118 over 80 PA with a 49% K%.
The rule 5 draft was much different in the 50’s as a player who is 19 is not even elgible now.
I agree the Mays and Hinds in the same framework is wrong. But at least Chris admitted Mays was not a good comp. Your statement that Clemente is a good comp makes no sense.
And correct me if I am wrong but the Pirates acquired him from the Dodgers organization.
Ok how about George Foster? He was 25 before he got going a little bit and he had 681 at-bats before the 1974 season. Brent Rooker was 28 before he got going. Hinds bat speed is there. This Jordan Walker guy is young, but he stunk and yet got over 900 at-bats with the Cards before coming into this season. Idk? What ceiling do they think Benson or Friedl can reach?
Did Tito and Krall sleep through spring training? JJ Bleday should’ve made the team. I don’t trust the Reds talent evaluation. Candelario and KBH tell you that much
@Tony & Stock>> Where did I compare Hinds to Clemente overall?? I said it was a similar comp over their first three MLB seasons. The comp is what they did out of the chute.
In parts of three seasons, Hinds has a 72 OPS+ at MLB in 131 plate appearances. Clemente, in his first three MLB seasons, had an 86 OPS+ in about 1550 plate appearances, buoyed by a 106 OPS+ in his second season, which raised his first and third OPS+ seasons of 77 and 73.
The point is nobody knows what might happen in the future; but, here is an example of an all-time great that didn’t look like one after ~1550 MLB plate appearances and was going into his fourth MLB season coming off of 73 OPS+ in his third.
Plenty g of organizations have had players like Hinds and figured it out sooner. Just like CES.
The constant blaming of the organization or coaches for this player or CES will just continue I guess beacuse it cannot just be that they are not good at hitting. Hinds might be even worse than Aquino is at identifying pitches.
If Hibds or CES turn into Bleday or Justin Turner I’m sure we will hear about it. If they don’t. Crickets. But it’s not the players fault. They were never given the chance.
Great post
Haven’t commented on the game threads and won’t until they make some tough decisions regarding 3 players(Benson,Hayes and MM) who haven’t hit for 3 years.I felt after CES that Hinds would be next and Marte is next in line.I wish Hinds the best and hope another team picks him up and gives him a legit shot.KId must be relieved to get away from this organization at age 25 with still a chance.For me and others we will watch this circus in the outfield featuring players that can’t hit or can’t run or can’t throw or all 3 and are 4 or 5 years older with their best years behind them in some cases.But thats what we do.Good luck Hinds
I don’t know what it’s so hard to understand the questions by some of us over why Hinds never got a few hundred AB’s to prove himself in the majors. The reality is quite clear: he didn’t get the chances that others have had and no one still knows yet whether he can produce at the major league level.
Those that think he can or might are just as justified in their thinking as those who think he can’t or won’t.
Time will tell either way. It’s just perplexing to me that the Reds brain trust never believed in Rece sufficiently to give him that chance, even while being extremely patient with others.
And if we are just to blindly trust Tito and others in their ability to judge mlb ability, why didn’t Bleday make the team out of ST instead of Marte, or get called up before Hinds?
Bleday clearly has a mlb approach to hitting that is superior to what Marte and Hinds have shown so far.
I think it’s reasonable to wonder if Hinds or CES should have been released, whether MM is going to return to his productivity of 2023, if Hayes can ever justify his contract and other decisions by the Reds’ brass.
Good post, Tony.
The same people who are whining that the Reds should have given Hinds and CES more playing time, are the same ones who would be screaming that the team messed up when those players continue to be flummoxed by the breaking ball.
I am pretty sure Mays never had a streach where he struck out 49% of the time in 80 PA.
To make matter worse when Hinds did connect his exit velocity was 87.1 MPH. For comparison’s sake this year TJ Friedl is at 87.9 MPH.
He strikes out too much and when he doesn’t strike out he hits almost as good as TJ Friedl. Not good.
But you are right about one thing. Hinds is no Willie Mays and if Mays had not started his career with a .071 BABIP his name would have never come up.
4.4% BB rate
41% K rate.
You can’t do that even if and I agree that Hayes should be gone and TJ should just be a bench player at this point.
Any player in those days of Mays and Clemente would have never sniffed the majors with even half of that K rate. Pitching was not as tough as now and you see expected to make contact. I agree with you as well. Not even a comparison.
George Foster looks bad in 1972. 5 BB and 44 K in barely 200 AB. Not even that many I think. He spent all but September in AAA in 1973. Still didn’t look like he was going to be what he became in 1974. Other than a 4th OF. But his K/BB improved a lot.
That’s the only player I can think of on the Reds besides when Eric Davis looked in 84-85 that you could look at that had issues like Hinds and CES.
I think Hinds needed to play every game for 4-6 weeks to get a fair shot.
Had they put him in the order, perhaps with Suarez hitting behind him, he would’ve gotten some pitches to hit
It’ doesn’t matter who bats behind Hinds. He still wouldn’t get pitches to hit, because you don’t have to throw him strikes. He swung at everything.
This organization should be tarred and feathered for their inability to develop talented hitters such as Hinds, CES, Marte, Aquino, etc. McLain could be included here as well. Furthermore as time passes its clear that they have no idea how to put these players is in a position to succeed once they are called up to the bigs.
Will Sal Stewart be the next great bat to fail miserably as a Red? Scoff if you will, but he has been struggling and we shoud not give ANY benefit of the doubt here.
Couple the hitting mess with the SP injury mess and the bullpen’s control issues, and its pretty clear that this organization is incompetent on a multitude of levels.
For the umpteenth time. You cannot teach someone who has no ability to have better pitch recognition to do that. Now you’re throwing Aquino into the mix? Where’s that guy at? If he was able to be coached better than why has he disappeared? Why could no one else take this great talent and do that?
Hinds and CES are just the same type of hitters. Can’t recognize a breaking ball. Can’t lay off bad pitches. That was always their issue and it got exposed in the majors.
I was baffled when they called up Hinds this last time because I had seen him play against Indianapolis a couple of days before that and he struck out 3 straight times on breaking balls a foot outside. He wasn’t even close to making contact. Major league pitchers eat him alive. CES was very similar. Although I don’t think quite as bad.
That’s the point in my opinion LTF. If Hinds is that bad (and he may very will be) why did you have him in your major league line up just three weeks or so ago? You were either wrong then or you’re wrong now. Either way it’s a terrible look for the front office.
@ Tony Cloninger
Stop trading good players for them then. Youre missing the point. You mentioned the little trades that looked good for the Reds but left out the obvious bad ones. CES couldnt play but the Reds traded a quality player for him. Thats called bad evaluation. They thought he could play and he couldnt. Who is held accountable?
They will spend 40 this year on Trevino, Candelario, Hayes and Suarez. Whats the return on that investment? 40 million couldve shored this lineup up.
They ate 20 million on Moustakas, 15 million on Candelario and its inevitable they will eat something on Hayes contract. Small market teams throwing money away?
The front office being defended is laughable.
Again, great post Tony.
MLB history is littered with guys that could mash fastballs, but couldn’t figure out the breaking ball. Could it happen later in their career? Sure, but a team that is trying to win can’t have guys like Hinds and CES in there on a daily basis.
I’m happy for Rece Hinds. One way or another, he should be free of the Reds zoo by next season at the latest. Hopefully for him, he will land where he is a better fit.
Meanwhile, the Reds will be the Reds, will be the Reds.
I think the short term emergence of Bleday and to some extent Meyers spelled doom for Hinds, and possibly Marte to come.
Dunn, who will never really hit like he did in AAA either, does seem like a better bench piece due to Hinds inability to make contact.
But to DFA Hinds (and CES) to clear roster spots is nuts.
Hinds may never hit (though CES certainly will) but Bleday is two + years older may just be finding some consistency.
There was no pressing need to get rid of either of them.
The Reds can’t manage their roster well enough so they have a 3rd string catcher on the 40 man roster and they can keep talented prospects?
Sloppy.
Agree both on how Hinds ended up on the bubble and on the fact that it represents shortsighted and sloppy roster management.
The 3rd string catcher wasn’t on the 40-man, thus the need to DFA someone to add him.
Apologies CTR – misread your comment.
I would add though, that the 3rd string catcher isn’t worth keeping on the 40 man…at least until Duno is eligible.
They have an extra C on the 40 man beacuse Trevino is hurt again. What you’re going to carry 1 catcher on the roster now? You have to add a C so he has to be on the 40 man roster. At least make your rants defending Hinds make sense.
I would prefer they get rid of Maxwell on the 40 and put Richardson there and bring him up.
But Hinds was not going to be given another chance to K at an even worse rate than Benson ever has or even Aquino.
He was not tradable at this point.
The 3rd string catcher is only on the roster due to injury. Do you propose they go with only one healthy catcher right now?
Now, if you want to argue that Hinds should have been kept and someone else DFA’d, then that’s another discussion. But that’s not what’s being argued…
Bats are short on the roster. Do we see Jorge, Hendrick, Allen or even Balcazar with the Bats for the next series starting Tuesday?
I’ve also noticed that the AAA Bats look a little short on bodies. Maybe the Reds have their reasons for thinking Hinds will clear waivers, and they can subsequently outright him to AAA to keep him in the organization for now?
With our luck, he’ll be picked up by one of our division rivals and come back to hurt us sometime in the future.
I’ll be shocked…SHOCKED, I tell you…if Hendrick ever makes the Show for more than a cup of java.
Horrible move. DFA Hayes, Friedl, or Benson. All will be gone by the end of the year. Hinds has so much more potential than any of the above.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Tampa took him. Jose Siri played for them for a few year.
They already have Fraley, Nick Martinez, and Leguimina or whatever his name is
This is a horrible move, first of all there is no excuse that Marte isn’t on the big club and next they are giving up on Hinds and keeping Friedl who is older and having a terrible year.
Marte is still chasing pitches out of the zone at a 30%+ rate. MLB average is around 25%. Marte isn’t being called up until that issue is resolved. With numbers like that, he can still thrive, just like Hinds has done, in AAA. That doesn’t work at the next level.
I agree! DFA Benson! But Tito has him batting leadoff? Makes absolutely no sense!
Benson “The Cat” of many lives continues on. lol
When the Reds next replace their MGR or GM, you should apply.
Benson has .657 OPS and 83 OPS+.
Friedl .537 and 49. He was the leadoff hitter most of the year.
Hinds .379 and 4. He was DFA. Marte .331 and -6. He is at AAA.
Wow.. just wow.
Pagan to 60 day – open roster spot
Friedl DFA roster spot
Benson DFA roster spot
Today’s moves says exactly who is calling the shots with the Reds right now and it’s Tito
I hope Hinds goes, gets an opportunity and rakes.
SMH
A HOF manager 10 years ago is not a HOF manager today. Giving the reins to Tito shows how little faith the FO has in themselves and proves that the FO needs to be gutted.
I have 3 teams that I love and have followed each for over 50 years, The Reds in baseball, UNC in college basketball and PSU in college football. They have all given me some thrills as well as a lot of agony but with the release of Hinds today I have never been as down on 1 as I am the Reds right now. I realize Hinds had his problems but he has a lot of pure talent at only 25. Meanwhile they stick with Friedl like he is some super star.
Friedl is no doubt struggling, but you are ignoring what he’s done the last few years. He was one of the better OBP leadoff guys in the game last season, so two months in, you want to just dump Frield? Unbelievable!
Understandable – it’s up or out. Interesting in that it shows the value of pitching since they didn’t DFA Mey, Maxwell, or perhaps Aguiar. Also, it’s a bit of an off schedule move, and may end up like the CES situation with some team making a nominal offer (their friend “undisclosed $$$”) to jump the line on the claim.
For the skeptical, keep in mind the criticism of having 3 catchers on either the 26 or 40 man rosters. They may have gotten lucky in retaining Higgins through his DFA.
If I’m the Rockies, I make that claim and stick him out there every day for the next two months and see what happens. They are already 10 games back and seem unlikely to catch the Dodgers and Padres.
Exactly. They have nothing to lose and if he figures it out, good for both.
Seattle us the type of team that can develop Hinds, too
Can’t understand the love for Nicolas. Throws hard, but walks too many batters. We have enough of this type of reliever in the upper minors. Hoping to see Parks pitch effectively for Louisville.
Surprising move, to say the least, after just a few stints and only 122 AB in the bigs, and it’s not like the Reds are in great shape in terms of OF prospects in the upper minors. After Bleday, Myers and Dunn there is no more decent talent in the active roster, and it’s still to be seen if Marte and/or H-Rod will succeed in the majors.
Question? At this point in his professional baseball career why does Luis Mey need to learn how to throw strikes? He either can or cannot and the Reds need to move on if he can’t throw strikes consistently!
I mean he needs to learn it because he can’t do it. Whether they should continue to try and go down the road of “if he can learn it he’s going to be really stinking good” is a different kind of question.
But “either he can or cannot” isn’t a good way to look at things. Sometimes guys can after a good period of time of cannot.
If the Reds moved on from guys who can’t throw strikes consistently they would have a pitching staff made up of 4 pitchers.
Doug, I know he is not on the 40 man, but why would the Reds not take a shot with Lyon Richardson? He appears to have adapted this year to his role out of the bullpen. And I have no idea on how hard he throws or his pitch mix.
what a final sentence. Personally, i’d prioritize pitching accurately.
I think both Mey and Aschcraft need to learn the lesson Johnny Cueto learned while watching Bronson Arroyo pitch: You don’t have to try to throw the ball through a brick wall on every pitch.
Cueto realized that Arroyo was successful because he was fooling hitters and hitting his spots. Cueto gave up a few mph on his pitches in exchange for better control, although he could still dig down and throw with maximum effort if he felt he needed to.
Mey and Ashcraft can both hit triple digits. But you don’t need to hit triple digits to get guys out. If they could throw in the high 90’s with good control, they would be a lot more successful than throwing 100 and having no idea where the ball is going.
Cueto, even when throwing at his hardest, threw tons of strikes, though. He didn’t give up velo for location, he just got additional movement. I think that’s the big difference in this comparison and why it doesn’t really work. The two guys you’re talking about have never, ever shown any sort of ability to throw strikes more than the 11-year-old kids in your local rec league. I very much doubt them throwing 96 is going to change that.
The problem for Richardson is that he has no options, so if the Reds do decide to bring him up they have to either commit to keeping him up all year or taking the chance that he’s out of the organization.
The Richardson comments are intriguing. Understood that he’s out of options, so if he’s on the shuttle, he’s at risk of getting claimed each time he gets sent down. OTOH, if he’s performing that well, why would he be one the shuttle guys? Either he has figured it out enough to stick, or it’s worth using him and risking the claim. Only one way to find out, and with the current bullpen it’s likely sooner than later.
Doug, it’s true Cueto always had a lot of Ks, but early on, he also issued a ton of walks.
His BB% in his first 4 seasons were 8.8, 8.2, 7.2, and 7.4. It was only after he got his BB% below 7 that he truly became “Johnny Cueto” that we all remember.
I really wish I could find that article where it talked about Cueto having an “epiphany” while watching Arroyo pitch. I think it might have been written by Hal McCoy. Or maybe John Fay. One of the big writers from that era.
Tito discussed why on his WLW 700 pregame talk today. You should have listened.
I’m not shocked because it’s the Reds. I wouldn’t have given up on Hinds but the Reds might see more in other guys than. They have Bleday for a couple more years and he is really giving the Reds good at bats, even when he goes 0-4. Marte has proven himself in the majors as of last year. He needs to get his stroke back and then I think he will be fine. Rodriguez is another that could come up and be an every day player. Jorge is playing center and doing well at Chattanooga. I hope Hinds gets claimed and plays the rest of the year. Let’s see what he can do with playing time. Best of luck to Rece as he does have all the tools to succeed. He just needs playing time. I personally would have brought him up and replaced Benson with him. Yes I know about Benson and walking but he can’t hit. Never could and never will. Let Hinds be the 5th outfielder. Brings a better arm and defense than Benson and who knows he might develop . Just DFAing him is stupid.
I’m not surprised about Hinds at all and was thinking it would happen eventually once he was sent back down. I wish him the best.
A somewhat surprising move, but not THAT surprising.
The Reds needed a catcher more than they needed Hinds, and I guess they figured there is a less than even chance he ever becomes a productive MLB player.
A lot of posters on here are saying Hinds is “only” 25. Guys, 25 is OLD for an MLB prospect. If you haven’t shown some sign of figuring things out by then, then there is copious data which says you’re not likely to figure it out. And striking out in nearly half of your ABs shows Hinds was a LONG way from figuring it out.
Yes, I’m sure you can all name a list of outlier late-bloomers, but they are very much the exception, not the rule, which is why you remember them.
COULD Hinds be another outlier/late bloomer? Sure, he could. But I guess the Reds felt comfortable enough in the knowledge of how rare it is that they were willing to let someone else see if Hinds could do it.
It’s really a shame, because he has a lot of elite tools. But if he can’t make contact, all his other tools are moot.
Benson is 28 and has no clue how to hit. Benson is on the team for defense and occasional walk. He’s 28!!! I would put Hinds on the team over him at 25. Hinds is better defensively and can run and has probably the best arm. Letting Hinds go and keeping Benson has no meaning.
Benson at least gets on base.
Hinds cannot do even that.
I remember back in ’89 the Indians had this outfielder Cerrano. Elite power but couldn’t hit a breaking ball. They were patient with him and gave him the at bats needed until he figured it out. That club was also smart enough to let their fastest player hit leadoff.
Why not try to package Hinds, CES and a prospect for something a few weeks ago?
Some team would think that they could turn one of those two around on the cheap. It just doesn’t make sense.
The Reds will be the Reds. Keeping Benson and giving up on Hinds after a mere 131 PAs at the ML level is not swift. Benson has over 1100 PAs and isn’t getting any better. Not to mention being older. And Friedl, sadly, is 31 and is on a hard downward trend. Best of luck to Hinds. I doubt seriously that he clears waivers.
I believe the Reds signed Benson to a $1.725 M one year contract to avoid arbitration. More money wasted in my opinion.
“More money wasted in my opinion.”
In mine as well.
The main question for me coming out of Richard’s article the other day as well as this development was, both last year and this, whether Krall and Meador, Francona and Valaika have the right hitters for the approach they are trying to implement.
Given the struggles of several to hit the way they are being asked to, and the lower tolerance of some like Hinds, it’s a truly mixed bag for an answer. To their credit, bringing in Bleday (it appears), Lowe, promoting Stewart, being patient with Steer, all seem to be good moves (Geno and his swing/miss/power/leadership is an intentional anomaly).
However, Rece Hinds most certainly was not the type of hitter they could tolerate. The writing had been on the wall for almost a year, too. Last season and over the winter, my take was he would not get his chance with the Reds. For one, Marte had appeared to have beaten him out for the job. Fair is fair, I said. But his skills and abilities also didn’t fit either, even with the improvements he made on being sent to AAA in 2025. And, in watching his games at AAA, my concern was not his swing and miss out of the zone so much as in the zone. It’s really too bad. How long have we waited for a RF with very good defense, a weapon of an arm and big power? Further, the writing on the wall was in all caps when Francona started platooning Hinds against his splits. There was a certain ruthlessness there that has to be respected, if it wasn’t really understood.
As far as the more generalized question, do the Reds have the types of hitters required for the approach of Krall and Meador, Francona and Valaika, there are other examples of the negative to that question. Matt McLain, for one. After his first year of full season ball, the take on McLain was too little power, as in not hitting the ball with much authority. In AA, he spent his time learning to get to that power but at the cost of more strikeouts. Then, breaking out, things seemed to come together, and we had 2023 McLain. Problem is, we haven’t seen it since. Some here continue to point to his K% as the main barrier to that success, even with his good not great on base skills. I don’t think the Reds have any intention of moving on from McLain before the end of the year, Arroyo or not. But he appears to be a bare minimum offensive performer on this team. Unfortunately, there are others joining McLain in not hitting well this year in this system, Stephenson, Friedl, Hayes, in particular. So, with RF (Marte, Hinds, Benson) and 2B not performing, add C, CF, and 3B, and one thing may well be true is that we do not have the right hitters for the direction the Reds’s leadership wants. And with just a little over fifty percent of Francona’s contract remaining, the clock is ticking — there is only so much time left for their hope that these hitters can develop as they want them to.
I hope some club grabs Hinds in a heartbeat and plays him in such a way as he is not looking over his shoulder with every strikeout.
By the way, the team record was 8-4 with Hinds in the lineup. They are 4-8 since.
@DaveCT.
Well stated on all points.
I’ll just add that in MLB games Hinds *started* for the Reds this year, their record was 8-1. He played the complete game in 7 of the 9 (including the loss) and at least 7 innings in the other two starts. The other three losses Hinds played in featured a ninth inning appearance twice and a sixth inning appearance once.
That’s like saying a W-L record is how you determine if a SP is any good. You guys are not being serious right now.
I sincerely hope Hinds gets the opportunity that McLain has been given. I wish nothing but the best for Hinds and CES for that matter as they embark on their opportunities elsewhere.
Seems like Valaika was the guy I would have cut loose among others. Some organizations just can’t seem to stay out of their own way.
True. Valaika has very little to use for his resume from his time in Cincy.
That’s something I don’t get. MM strikes out a lot, plays good defense and Hinds is similar but has more power and had way less opportunities.
And yet the Reds continue to carry Will Benson year after year. I’m not saying Hinds should be untouchable, but he is only 25 and perhaps he could end up being a decent player. Will Benson is who he is at this point. I just don’t see Benson getting any better.
Watching Rece Hinds hit moonshots made it easy to daydream on his potential. His high moments made it easy to envision a RF with great defensive tools and forty HR upside. Another team will almost certainly take a flyer on a guy with his tools, and it’ll hurt a bit if he breaks out big with another club. But dang, the futility on display with his most recent stint; whiffing on every breaking pitch, even the ones in the zone, has been tough.
Related: not having 3 catchers on the 40 man seems a bit like organizational malpractice, but I suppose the true root of it is having so many middling outfielders that you try to keep them all in the hopes that a couple, or even two, might break out.
If the Reds are making such a big mistake DFAing Hinds, wouldn’t another team be trying to trade for him?
Might be time for Sal to have a game or two to just think about it.
This firestorm of comments is no surprise from an audience that turned into a Rece Hinds Fan Club a while back. Just be reminded that Benson’s OBP in ’25 and ’26 has been double — yes, double — Hinds’ OBP. Although Benson and Friedl aren’t exactly pounding the ball, Hinds couldn’t even find the ball. I like the guy, and because of that I saw it as an act of mercy to send him down and to now give him an opportunity to restart somewhere else. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest he was gonna make it happen in Cincy. Just wishes and dreams.
They won’t even let Benson make a plate appearance against a LHP.
None of it will matter when your entire pitching staff can’t keep the ball in the park, or comes in and throws 12 straight balls with a 5 run lead.
Hasn’t Ferguson been on the IL long enough to be transferred to 60-day IL kicking the can down the road a little, maybe a week, before someone needed to be DFAed?
As a former youth coach, another rival coach told me that if his players would listento what he told them to do, they would win every game. I told him listening to him was easy, what they needed was someone to show them the things they need to do by drills or whatever it takes to consistently pratice the right way. Hinds and other prospects should not come to the majors with flaws but correct their flaws by perfect practice of continously practicing their strenths and then they will recognize and correct their weaknesses. Anyone with talent like Hinds should have coaches that not understand his weaknesses but know how to show and teach him. How much time and cost is a potential super star worth. There are good coaches out there, so don’t use coaches who have unproven baseball and coaching careers. If you don’t have coaches that can fix players with weaknesses. Fire them not a valuable prospect. Some will probably tell me, if you think you have a better coaching philosophy that them you do it. The problem with coaches is they practice hard but probably are not as good as the player they’re trying to fix. Losing a good talent is the organizations fault. I believe Hinds will find a team and become much more than an average player and if the Reds want a player as good as him, they will have to pay a lot more than they would pay if they had paid a designated coach to fix specal players like Hinds. I’m intitled to an opion so this is mine. If its not liked run this by Artificial Intelliesnce because this is what is beginning to run baseball.
If there was a technique to teach talented athletic hitters to lay off the slider low and away , Ted Williams would not be the last .400 hitter.
ThevREDS have struggled since 2009 because of the reluctant to pay for SCOUTS. A average GM would have addressed the clean up hitter with proven run producer. Sal is going to be fine,but he is a ROOKIE!
DFA’ing Hinds was a big mistake given his power, arm, speed and prior success. You don’t give that up for basically nothing. You get the Red’s hitting “experts” and a psychologist to get Hinds to recognize and adapt to the off speed stuff MLB pitchers can throw whenever they want. Elly has improved dramatically in that area the last 2 years. Hinds has talent that needs to be sculpted, like a piece of marble — not thrown away cuz our team has a dull chisel!
Aquino. Willymo. Billy Hamilton. Hinds. Reds fans, we cannot fall in love with guys for one “plus” tool at the dish when it can’t deliver consistently (see Dunn, Adam)
But also, I’d put Luis Mey on the list of one trick ponies that can’t do it consistently
I dunno … but if you can put someone in a simulator and teach them to fly an jumbo jet in all kinds of simulated weather conditions, you should be able to teach someone how to recognize a breaking ball coming at you and either hit it or not swing. Unless of course that person just doesn’t have the eye-hand capability, in which case he crashes the plane every time.
I think there is alot of delving into trivia here lately. We are talking about the last 3-4-5 guys to make the team or not make the roster ….. Bleday, Myers, Hinds, Benson, and Lowe. Imo, these guys aren’t going to be the ones to decide whether this team is going to win 90 games or not.they are for the most part bench help or 2-3 day a week players.
Krall (and many fans) decided this winter that McLain, Stephenson, Hayes, and Friedl were part of the core starters on the team. That their 2026 performance would exceed their 2025 performance and the 83 wins thereof. And Stewart, Suarez, Lowder,Burns, and Williamson would be even more additive. That seemed to me to be the grand strategy to 90 wins.
Now we are approaching the 1/3rd mark and it seems that misevaluations have been made. So now what? First, it seems the big guy needs to accept mistakes were made and that the answers don’t lie at Louisville amongst Higgins, Dunn, Hinds, Mey, Maxwell, and others. Those are bandaids at best. To salvage our chances this season, I suspect that Krall is going to have to make some serious moves and soon. Otherwise, I am afraid that he is going to belatedly realize we are talent-deficient and we will be selling off the Bleday, Lowe’s,Myers, Stephenson, Benson, etc.to the real pennant chasers in July. And that won’t improve a darn thing other than moving salary off the books. That is not trying to contend.
“Krall is going to have to make some serious moves…”
Such as ???
He’s not going to get much if he’s selling Bleday, Lowe, Meyers, or Stephenson (maybe Stephenson since he’s a catcher and someone might need a low hitting catcher, though they’d probably be desperate for one if they give up anyone good). Won’t get much for selling Friedl or Benson either. Maybe something for McLain.
You’re right though…the plan was that Friedl, McLain, and Stephenson at least would resume the better selves.
I think serious moves speaks for itself. Does not include the trade ofbench playets or players hitting below 200. It does include our top 3-4 starters and our upper end youngsters like Stewart, Arroyo, Marte, and Duno. He spit the spit here again last winter choosing to roll with MM, Stephenson, Hayes, Friedl, Benson, Stewart, Lowder, Greene, Williamson, etc. He keeps providing cover for these underachieving younger guys always seeming to defer to next year. If you are in or below arbitration level, you are not on the trade list. We let go Martinez, Suter, Hays, and others, and added Lowder,Ferguson, Johnson, Suarez, Stewart, and a fewbench players. Mighy be a slight improvement there. But no strategy or backup plan for the continued failure of Benson, MM, Stephenson, etc. 3-4 starters hitting below 200. Not fixable via Louisville. Serious moves required or onto next year AGAIN.
I think serious moves speaks for itself. Does not include the trade ofbench playets or players hitting below 200. It does include our top 3-4 starters and our upper end youngsters like Stewart, Arroyo, Marte, and Duno. He spit the spit here again last winter choosing to roll with MM, Stephenson, Hayes, Friedl, Benson, Stewart, Lowder, Greene, Williamson, etc. He keeps providing cover for these underachieving younger guys always seeming to defer to next year. If you are in or below arbitration level, you are not on the trade list. We let go Martinez, Suter, Hays, and others, and added Lowder,Ferguson, Johnson, Suarez, Stewart, and a fewbench players. Mighy be a slight improvement there. But no strategy or backup plan for the continued failure of Benson, MM, Stephenson, etc. 3-4 starters hitting below 200. Not fixable via Louisville. Serious moves required or onto next year AGAIN.