With their 5-3 win over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, the Cincinnati Reds claimed their third consecutive series win. It is the first time since April that the Reds were able to accomplish that feat.
They are playing significantly better in all aspects. The bullpen has improved mightily, starting pitching has been dynamite, and the offense has been able to hit for power when needed.
Certainly, the Reds’ upcoming schedule would give the average fan hope for some sort of run, but it shouldn’t change anything when it comes to what they do at the trade deadline.
The Deadline is rapidly approaching (Monday, August 3rd, 6:00 pm), and the Reds are projected to be big time sellers. As frustrating as it is for fans of this ball club, there is no other option.
They are five games out of a playoff spot, and with the Guardians, Pirates, and Athletics all coming to GABP for this homestand, there is reason to believe that Nick Krall could potentially avoid this sell. It would make sense as he is almost certainly fighting to keep his job as President of Baseball Operations.
“Believing” in the way this team is currently playing, is not a good enough reason to stay the course with this roster. They simply aren’t good enough. The Reds are 49-55 and in last place in the NL Central.
They rank 29th in batting average (.230), 25th in OBP (.308), 26th in Runs Scored (432), 27th in WHIP (1.42), and 23rd in team ERA (4.52).
Outside of 4-6 players, this team can’t seriously compete for a championship. The goal can be different for a small market team, and if simply making the postseason is considered a win, by all means, Nick Krall can throw his hat in the ring and hope for the best.
The issue would be setting this franchise further back than they already are.
Sal Stewart, Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Chase Burns. Those five names are why Reds fans have hope. They have every reason to have hope given how incredible these guys have been this season.
The majority of the roster however, are not producing in ways that the Reds need them to. It would be foolish to keep them here for the longshot that the Reds are able to overcome the basement of the NL Central and somehow make the postseason.
Tyler Stephenson, Brady Singer, and Eugenio Suarez are the obvious choices to trade at the deadline. All three of them are playing very well. Stephenson is slashing .333/.379/.531 over his last 30 games, and Brady Singer has a 2.98 ERA over his last 7 starts. Suarez has struggled this season, and has been dealing with injuries, but has 6 home runs in his last 15 games.
These guys will bring back talent for next season, and for the future. As frustrating as it is to always think about the future, which has led nowhere for the better part of three decades, it is the only way for a small market team to navigate in today’s Major League Baseball.
There are plenty of other options to trade at the deadline as well, including Brock Burke, Nathaniel Lowe, Caleb Ferguson, JJ Bleday, as well as pretty much any reliever that a team is willing to take.
The bottom line is this season just didn’t go the Reds’ way. Nobody wants to rebuild every few years like the Reds seemingly have to do, but given the current landscape of the sport, it is the only option (outside of spending money).
Hopefully the Reds are able to keep winning, and prove everyone wrong. However, Nick Krall and this front office betting their jobs on “hope” would be the wrong move.
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