Always thought the India trade would happen in the off-season, that pretty much seals it.
Reds
- Thread starter Mr Schwump
- Start date
9-0 Reds shutout, back on top of the NL Central by half a game. Offense looked good in 2 of the 3 games, 14 hits today though a couple came with Rojas pitching for LA. Ashcraft was money today. 6 scoreless innings and Law pitched 2 perfect innings. Took both series vs the Dodgers this year. To the Cubs at Wrigley next. They're hot but would love to sweep them like the Reds did there in May.
Bullpen did their job after Ashcraft pitched his 6th consecutive quality start. He has turned his season around and it has been huge for the Reds. Chicago playing their best baseball right now but who would have guess the Reds would be NL Central Division leaders on July 30th at the beginning of the season. Still have a 1/3 of the season to go so nothing is won yet.
Cubs only 3 back on the loss side, long way to go. NLC likely to go down to the last game, expect Reds, Cubs and Brewers to swap the top spot several times before it's all said and done.
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When we wake up on July 31st, 2023, the Reds will be in first place. Unbelievable.
Ashcraft is back! EDLC shows why he's more than able to bat leadoff. Not that it really mattered in this game and even if there IS a trade in the works, idk why you have to move Steer from 3rd to 2nd. McClain, Senzel and Newman can all play 2nd with India out. Just put Newman at 2nd but for some reason Bell wants Steer to get time there. Makes no sense to me but the game was in hand so Steer could have pitched in reality.
Rival clubs may be leery of trading for India until he proves to be healthy and for this not to be a serious injury that lingers on throughout his career. Could very well take into 2024 if he does not come back soon from this IL stint.
Going into the 4-game set in Wrigley with Abbott, Lively, Williamson & ending it with Weaver unless some trade for a starter with control is acquired. I don't think it is necessary but the talking heads, some articles in the local media seem to suggest Krall is still open to a front line starter as long as it isn't a rental. Guess we'll see what happens over the next couple of days.
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Abbott starting game 1 in an important 4 game series against Chicago. I’ll take my chances. One of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.
I have to disagree on Lodolo going to the BP. He's been able to throw from a knee or do upper body conditioning to maintain arm strength since his injury isn't arm related. Abbott and Williamson have never pitched this many innings in a season and will need to be skipping some starts if they want them for the stretch run. Abbott especially. Lodolo, Greene or whoever they may get here in the next day or so will push out Weaver first and foremost then possibly Lively or Williamson. of those two I have to think shutting down Williamson would be the call.
What I don't like is no travel day off coming from LA. that's just a crappy scheduling quirk. They used to do those West coast swings where they would play at least two teams from that time zone, sometimes three before returning home. or at least have a stop in AZ or CO, with an travel day at each end of the trip.
No one suggested they are going to runaway with the division as no one has at this point but it is still a 4-game lead over Chicago with a 4-game series to make even more ground on them so I have confidence in this Reds team.
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It remains to be seen what level of conditioning Lodolo is at once coming off the IL and just speculation that he is going to come back full strength ready to go after missing 4+ months. They have yet to set a firm date for his return unlike Hunter Greene targeting the 20th, a vague timeline of August sometime after Hunter so who knows for sure. I don't expect they will put him in the bullpen coming off the IL but it is not crazy to suggest seeing him finish the year out in relief as the situations I mentioned above in the postseason to not shake things up with Abbott, Ashcraft, Williamson & Lively. People here have questioned the strength and conditioning the Reds get overall with the injuries mounting up so it is a valid concern and are the same ones that said in the past Greene should be a reliever but a different tune regarding Lodolo. Odd. While it is not arm related, the durability having lengthy injuries in back to back seasons is something to watch going forward.
I would not mess with their success in 2023 if Lodolo is nowhere near the pitcher he was to finish to 2022 and close to how he was early in the season. Rely on the guys that have gotten you to this point. A contending team at that point can't afford to pander to a pitcher too long if the timing is not there with a month to go when Nick returns as tight as this division and Wildcard race has been. You will have 6 options removing Weaver from the equation when Lodolo is back and teams usually go with 4 in the postseason with a 5th starter oftentimes eating innings as a long man like the examples I posted above.
I don't see the Reds shutting Brandon Williamson down as hot as he has been. Skipping 1 start? Maybe but he has been reliable and why the Reds may not make a trade is in large to what him, Abbott & Lively have done being called up in 2023. Appears Bell's approach to preserving him is a pitch count since he got pulled with under 80 pitches is away to control it.
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A lot will depend on if the Reds acquire another starter or not at the deadline as a veteran presence that has been through the fires pitching in a race during September and October. That would be one spot, Reds have invested in Hunter Greene so he is going to be a starter for the foreseen future, Abbott is no doubt in the rotation and Ashcraft has earned his spot. Reds will have to keep a lefty in the mix. So it is either Williamson or Lodolo when he returns and the bullpen could use an additional lefty in relief if one is not traded for at the deadline. You can finish the year with 6 options but it is unlikely to be the plan going into 2024. Right now see Greene, Abbott & Ashcraft as locks to keep their spot. With the prospects of Richardson, Phillips and later on with Petty, Aguiar & Acuna and if the recent draft picks coming out of College who knows what the rotation will be like in 2-3 years. Someone gets traded and others if they want a future in Cincinnati will have to convert to reliever. Reds always could use some help there ahead of Diaz.
I'm not suggesting anybody will run away with the NLC, just made a statement that Reds/Brewers are 3 games up on the loss side with the Cubs.
What is the magic number for skipped starts for the rookies? With Abbott 2 starts ago going 8 innings deep, he will need one as much as Williamson. Also recall an interesting comment Sadak mentioned that Krall doesn't think they should and to this point haven't really seen anything to suggest they will be doing so except a start pushed back for Greene earlier in the year and Williamson removed early vs the Dodgers.
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We all get it, we've watched the division lead change a number of times already. As I said above there is a lot to go nothing won yet but I like where this Reds team is at the moment.
Only concerned about what the rotation and bullpen are going to look like for 2023 at the moment. Who knows what is going to happen in 2024 but there is a shot at winning in 2023. Help is on the way and even if trades aren't made, getting creative with this roster Cincinnati might actually be able to win a postseason round at least. Sitting 2.5 GB of a bye behind the Dodgers.
Early 3-0 lead, getting to Stroman. Struggling lately unlike his dominant start to the season for one of the hot names on the trade market.
Sadak said he's only allowed 1 HR with a .197 BA against lefties.
Pretty happy they're not negotiating any huge trades as of yet. Let's see what we got now with what Krall has put together.
Can't ask for much more out of Luke Maile as a backup catcher than what the former Wildcat has given the Reds this year with his clutch ABs and Abbott's personal catcher. Reds have to re-sign him next year.
6-5 Reds and sitting 10 games above .500 going into August at 59-49. Milwaukee lost to the Nationals 
1.5 game lead now in the NL Central.
1.5 game lead now in the NL Central.
Good ground ball pitcher too and team control, not some rental. I'm sure some will knock him for command issues with the number of free passes though Joe Boyle has been having the same issues. Boyle likely would have been buried in the Reds system if he did not get it under control and moving him for a player that helps this team now is a good move. Moll gets the job done vs lefties, was solid for Oakland with a 2.91 ERA last year and did not have to give up much for a lefty in the bullpen in addition to Alex Young now.Sadak said he's only allowed 1 HR with a .197 BA against lefties.
Pretty happy they're not negotiating any huge trades as of yet. Let's see what we got now with what Krall has put together.
Steer apparently has long minor league history at 2B, Day mentioned he preferred it.
They are winning at roughly a .666 average since EDLC came up.
Their pitching in July is in the top 4 of baseball (ERA) . . . I’d hesitate to make a major move.
If it ain’t broke . . . .
Maybe EDLC wants to catch too. I don't get it unless McCain has refused to do it and that wouldn't be good. Again, they have a plethora of 2nd basemen with years of professional experience in Senzel and Newman. If Bell really wants Steer in the lineup, 3rd base, LF or DH seems like the best fit. You can make the argument that moving him around too much will make his offense suffer and this doesn't help that either. Bell appreciates versatility and rightfully so but it's almost like he gets paid by every move he makes. To his credit though, many of them have been successful this year.
In the off season, I’d consider him as a part-time relief pitcher.
If the world’s best Japanese player can hit for power and still be a starting pitcher, maybe the best Caribbean player can too.
He has a 100 mph throw or two in infield play!
True dat! He's so fast maybe pull a Bugs Bunny by pitching then running behind home plate to catch it.
Pull a Cool Papa Bell.....turn off the light and jump in bed before it gets dark.