Reds
- Thread starter mrschwump
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Cincinnati should have considered cheap 1-year deals on players like Jean Segura and Austin Meadows on a veteran's minimum contract with incentives instead of letting them waste at home. Low-risk/high-reward options that can easily be waived when players start to get healthy than dicking off with players like Espinal, Thompson and India nowhere near looking like his old self out there. Instead, those level of FA's are behind and not in game shape so they continue to trot out rejects that wouldn't even be competitive in the International League. Seeing how late in ST pitchers like Lorenzen, Snell and Montgomery signed and already playing, those guys I mentioned could have been ready by now.
^CES with a big night too and is turning it around. Had 3 hits and drove in a couple. Elly De La Cruz opposite field home run. Even Buck Farmer contributed pitching 2 innings of the bullpen's 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Moll picking up where he left off in 2023. Glad to have his arm back in the mix.
Last night was good to see, but think they should have let Abbott try to get out of that jam in the 5th before pulling him at only 79 pitches. They had a decent lead, let him work out of it.
Thought it was a good move, Abbot had walked the bases full and then Cruz shut the Phillies down
Clutch hitting by Espinal to drive in two there. EDLC ground rule double driving in one. Benson with a home run tonight and the RBI single. He has been struggling but still like the guy though and Stephenson has been better this season. Overall, this was a good lineup Bell put out there moving up EDLC, Steer, Martini and Stephenson in the order.
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But watch Bell throw another screwy lineup out there tomorrow
Bell pitching Pagan 2 days in a row was not great
Yeah but he struck out a batter after he did that. A DP get him out of the inning. I know Cruz mowed down the next two. Just would have liked to see Abbot have the chance to work out of the jam, especially when he should have still had some gas in the tank.
Likely so especially if India is back in the lineup which they seemed to indicate would be a possibility. I know no one has really taken off yet in the leadoff spot. Out of Fairchild, India struggling and Benson...I would give Will another chance tomorrow and see if this will be the start of a run for him building off last night. Let India find his way at the bottom of the order. I like EDLC, Steer and CES at the top 2-4 the way it was tonight with the players Bell has to work with right now.
One good month after a horrible year doesn't equate to HOF contrary to the beliefs of the homers. I am glad he has had a few good weeks, but listening to those who are clueless about baseball (many on here, Sadak, etc) one would think he is Judge/Trout/Acuna rolled into one and should be awarded MVP now.
He still has a long way to go, especially in the consistency part, so let's see where he is June before you declare him Mantle reincarnated.
As I live and breathe, Espinal is showing some signs of looking like an actual major leaguer. Two good games in a row.
Candelario, OTOH, went to the plate four times last night and never put a ball in play, two Ks, two BBs. He NEVER looks like he is in balance when he swings, lunges at everything. Easiest $15M ever earned in MLB history so far.
Candelario, OTOH, went to the plate four times last night and never put a ball in play, two Ks, two BBs. He NEVER looks like he is in balance when he swings, lunges at everything. Easiest $15M ever earned in MLB history so far.
You can see De La Cruz learning on the fly; he has such remarkable plate coverage that it's really encouraging to see his last two extra basehits being hit the other way. He's starting to get it.
Lodolo scuffled but kept them in the game. The Phillies lost the game on the basepaths as much as the Reds won it there.
Got to get through Wheeler today with Martinez on the hill. Runs would seem to be at a premium.
Lodolo scuffled but kept them in the game. The Phillies lost the game on the basepaths as much as the Reds won it there.
Got to get through Wheeler today with Martinez on the hill. Runs would seem to be at a premium.
Has anybody done any of that? has anybody declared him HOF yet? Has anybody declared him Mantle reincarnated? Exaggerate much? No, we haven't. But we have all said he has POTENTIAL to be great. He's had a good "month" the season isn't even a month old. So I'll say he's had a great SEASON so far. Can that all change? I'm sure it can, but him and Steer have been the most CONSISTENT players SO FAR. He's made obvious adjustments to get better at the plate and will continue to do so. But you were on here routinely spouting he needs to go back to the minors and mash up AAA pitching, which will do nothing for him. He's where he belongs and he's not going anywhere. And please name me a player that's more exciting to watch when he gets on base.
As much as Cole on here wants to jump on EDLC for his strikeouts, he has greatly improved that, even from the start of the season. you also have to consider his massive strike zone as tall and lanky as he is. I wish he could learn to get down in his stance a bit more and reduce that zone a little.
All I know about Elly is that I'm 56 and he does so many different things from one night to the next that I haven't seen. Eric Davis was remarkable with his bat speed and overall speed and dynamic in CF; but injuries changed the player he was. Elly as a 6"5 switch hitting SS who legitimately might be the fastest player in baseball? I would love to see where he ranks in MLB with scoring after getting onbase with less than two outs. He puts so much pressure on the battery to keep him off base during his at bat that it should translate to more pitches to hit within an at bat if he remains disciplined.
Not true, but Why is it that you have to jump on every EDLC mistake or K as an opportunity to bash him into oblivion, when so far this season, there are at least a half dozen other players in that lineup more worthy of that criticism.
I'd rather the Reds win than let someone get more experience thru excessive risk. He's got a possibly long career to gain experience.
Outside the injured Fraley, he's the Reds batting percentage leader by 45 points. He leads the majors in steals by 4 or 25%. What else do you want from someone in their 2nd year?
Elly De La Cruz hasn't even been in the majors for an entire year. Not even 5 months of regular season baseball since his mid-June callup, but please carry on telling everyone how 'clueless' they are about the game...
I think it is more indicative of just how important Friedl, McLain, Fraley and whatever Marte can give this lineup compared to Canderlario and even India right now in a horrific slump. Adding these players would boost the rest of the lineup getting protection and better pitches to hit. Cincinnati took the season series 4-3 to a Phillies team that is supposed to be more talented and proven in the postseason.
People can point to no Harper in the lineup until today but objectively, the same could be said of Cincinnati doing without offensive weapons all season and Cincinnati won the series in Philadelphia with Harper playing all 3. Their only win that series was with Bryce hitting 3 HRs. They ran into the hottest pitcher going with Ranger Suarez Monday and today with Wheeler being one of the best in MLB over the last few years.
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It really is hard to fairly judge a team still one month in. Remember how awful the Reds were through mid-May last year? Ended up playing for the final wildcard spot and weren't eliminated until the Saturday of the last weekend. Gotten off to a much better start. Hopefully people start to turn it around and come back healthy with the upcoming schedule that is getting tougher.
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This is a different team if Friedl, McClain and Marte are all playing. Friedl is a competent leadoff hitter and McClain was one of the more consistent hitters last year. having them 1-2 in the lineup makes a world of difference. then add in Marte who I believe will always be hovering around .300 as a hitter to go with Steer, CES and EDLC and that right there is a meaty heart to a lineup before you bring in Stephenson, Benson Fraley.
Unfortunately it will probably be next June before we see McClain again with the way this club slow walks rehabs. Hopefully Friedl will be back before too long. and Marte will be like getting a mid-season trade when he comes back. Hopefully getting off the juice doesn't hamper his production much.
For me, I haven't even gone about this season as if McLain is going to factor into the equation. If he comes back, great! With his injury and missing so much time already, he has a long road ahead of him. Even if the Reds were to have him back into the picture late in the year, he will be well behind playing catch up to everyone else.
Pissed away a good start by Ashcraft. 6 1/3 innings with 1 run against a tough Rangers lineup. The 7 hits with a HR were not good but no free passes. Had their chances to win this game. India with a couple hits. Can only hope he builds off this going forward and put the miserable slump behind. Maybe we see Fraley back tomorrow?
Players who needed big games have had them today. Hunter Greene since my comments regarding him has put together back-to-back starts of 7 innings. Blanked the Rangers today holding them to 1 hit and 1 walk. This is how you earn that contract, shutting down the reigning World Series Champions.
India 4 hits, 2-run HR, a couple of RBI singles. Benson 2 hits with a 2-run HR. CES with a hit and scored a couple of runs. Stephenson, Maile & Martini with hits as well. Martini with 2 sac flies. Steer needs to get it going again. He will be fine in the long run, not worried about him. Had a shutout going until the bottom of the 9th, then Suter nearly blew it and fell apart in a 2nd inning of work. Glad they held on and Diaz got the save after Bell lifted CES, Fraley & Stephenson.
India 4 hits, 2-run HR, a couple of RBI singles. Benson 2 hits with a 2-run HR. CES with a hit and scored a couple of runs. Stephenson, Maile & Martini with hits as well. Martini with 2 sac flies. Steer needs to get it going again. He will be fine in the long run, not worried about him. Had a shutout going until the bottom of the 9th, then Suter nearly blew it and fell apart in a 2nd inning of work. Glad they held on and Diaz got the save after Bell lifted CES, Fraley & Stephenson.
This defense is comical. Should leave Will Benson alone in RF, he covers so much more ground with his range and a higher upside with his athleticism out there. Fraley, poor judgment on where that ball was going to bounce off the wall. Some of these guys need to know their athletic limitations and adjust accordingly.
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