I hate to do this in June, but it’s time to wave the white flag. The Reds are going to be sellers at the deadline, as unfortunately, there is nothing a team can do to get over a bad bullpen. Even with Hunter Greene and Elly De La Cruz returning soon, this team is done.
The organization wasted too much time waiting to get Noelvi Marte back, allowing TJ Friedl to play, and have now fallen in love with Blake Dunn as an everyday player. Eugenio Suarez isn’t producing, the bullpen is the worst in Reds history, and the Reds are one of the worst teams in the league hitting with runners in scoring position.
The season is over and I’ll predict now that this team never finds themselves five games over .500 again this year. I pray I am wrong, but this season feels like it’s over and the team doesn’t feel like they have what it takes to get over this massive slide. I hate to countdown to football already, but here we are.
Focusing on the Good
· Noelvi Marte homered in three straight games and still appears that he can be a star in the big leagues. Next year, maybe give him a longer leash.
· Matt McLain has looked better as of recent and without him, I have no idea what we would be doing at shortstop and 2second base.
· JJ Bleday should be an All-Star. He deserves your vote. What a signing!
· Chase Burns and Hunter Greene together in a rotation soon will be absolute cinema.
· Nick Lodolo is pitching well enough that the Reds should trade him at the break if they’re out of the race.
Ex-Red Catch Up
· Rece Hinds is batting .218 for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp with three home runs.
· Christian Encarnacion-Strand is batting ,308 with 13 home runs for the Norfolk Tides and will likely find himself back in the big leagues soon.
· Tyler Callihan is batting .348 for the Pirates with two home runs in 30 plate appearances. He has a .500 OBP in his small sample size, including a home run off of Shohei Ohtani. Cincinnati traded Callihan for Kyle Nicolas who has been DFA’d.
· Luke Weaver has a 2.40 ERA and is having a good season for the Mets.
· I still miss Raisel Iglesias and Aroldis Chapman – all these years later.
· Jake Fraley in 82 at-bats was hitting .232 before his hernia injury.
· Luis Castillo has the worst ERA he’s carried thus far, at 5.00. He’s given up eight runs in his last three outings combined.
Imagine This
In 2007, the Reds had the best lineup I think the Reds have ever put out in my lifetime if all of these players were in their prime. It included Josh Hamilton, Alex Gonzalez, Ken Griffey Jr., Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto, and others. If all of those players were in their prime, can you imagine the damage that team would’ve done? Oh, what could’ve been!
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