Your post makes no sense. You'd never have someone running if the guy on second stayed put, therefore whether there is a runner occpuying second or not, the base is always open.
Reds
- Thread starter mrschwump
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At an individual level, that sucks. Their problem is much larger than that, though. The scouting and management up and down the organization needs a reset. Individual players not getting the attention they should get is a symptom.
We've been beating that talking point to death here for years now. The Lowder example is just one of many I can name in that time. There is talent in the organization, it is a top 10 ranked farm system overall. Cincinnati can develop pitching. The development of position players, in particular outfielders and catching prospects is the biggest concern. Cincinnati routinely is an organization that will not fast track prospects like other teams such as the Braves.
I somewhat agree with what you say about being doomed since day one. Injuries before the season even began and dating back to last season has effected the entire 2024 season. Keeping around the inept Bell, Joel McKeithan, poor training staff and a front office with too many chiefs and not enough Indians who would rather sit on a deep farm system than try to be aggressive and improve this team. Until Bell is gone, this organization will not win anything in the postseason. Instead, Bob just gives them all another promotion without ever accomplishing anything to earn them.
Go to MLB.com, click on the Reds link then click on "Front Office." This organization is the very definition of "Top Heavy." Bet those listed, and it's almost too many to count, don't have a clue what most of these people are doing or are supposed to be doing. And their minor leagues are a joke. AA Chattanooga, and AA is just a heart beat away, is currently 40 games, that's FORTY games, below .500! Worst record in organized baseball. What's Lowder learning from that?
It's still a symptom. Sounds like no one wants to know WHY it's happening. Me, personally, I think it's because they don't want to start the clock on these guys. Trading reasons. It's certainly not because the talent at the big league is so great that there isn't any room for the prospects.
Did anbody here disagree with you? I literally said it is a point we have been beating that dead horse for awhile now. Not sure why you would think no one wants to know why the Reds some of these guys aren't developing like a Austin Hendrick or a Jay Allen buried in the minor leagues for years now. Reds don't need to be worried about TOS clock when they are going to move these guys before their arbitration is up anyways and the latest collective bargaining rewards teams for fast tracking prospects if they place high in ROY voting. When organizations like Cincinnati choose to rebuild with fire sales every so often, can't afford to retain players, then they need to be more aggressive in calling up prospects like Atlanta or Tampa Bay with these narrow windows to contend in.
Rhett Lowder has improved lately down there in Chattanooga so much that he should get called up. He is starting to come into his own and it is high time they move him to Louisville for a few starts if there is any shot of him joining the rotation to begin the 2025 season. Sometimes seasons like this happen when they push a load a prospects up to AAA like they did with Hinds, Aguilar, Hurtubise, Dunn, Arroyo would have been at AAA and last year with Marte, Richardson & Abbott to Cincinnati. Also, this season Zach Maxwell excelled down there, called up to Louisville and would love to see him in Cincinnati as a September call-up. My biggest concern still is the lack of depth with outfielders and catchers in this system should something else happen to Tyler Stephenson. No one in the system is close to being Major League ready yet.
It is a bunch that has their heads stuck up their asses. What is the point in keeping Rece Hinds in Louisville to delay the future and having Will Benson on the roster right now? One of Hinds best games as the NL Player of the Week he had multi-home run game vs the Marlins. Cincinnati plays Miami this past week and he is still down in Louisville. Hasn't been seen since the double-header was scheduled vs the Braves before it got postponed.
And I'm literally telling you that it is not a dead horse. The problem isn't that they don't bring guys up fast enough, they simply don't have a system for building rosters. The Reds have routinely traded away talent, whether they're close to arbitration or not. They're not a well-run organization. When they're ready for a fire sale, they simply try and get rid of the most expensive contracts, without much else of a plan in place. Why you include Atlanta in the conversation is weird. That's an insult to Atlanta!
You are literally the most unhinged person on this forum. Can't see that people agree with much of what you say. You are wrong if you think these players are getting promoted as fast as other organizations. The Atlanta reference went right over your head. Tampa Bay and Cleveland are two other small market teams who can rebuild and stay above .500 on a consistent basis. They are organizations that know how to develop talent from within and do so at a much faster rate than most teams. Something Cincinnati should be doing much better at than they are. That is why I bring other teams up in a coversation to prove it is being done and it is just one of the areas Cincinnati is deficient at in the minor league system. When you are a small market team and build teams with prospects instead of being big spenders, there is no time to be worried about player clocks when they are going to be traded off regardless someday. When you lose as much as Cincinnati has, there is no excuse for the pipeline to be bare of talent and it is not. Most of this team's issues are a result of injuries and David Bell.
For all of the issues they have and as awful as Bell is..A healthier Reds team would be above .500 this season had McLain not been hurt. CES was another huge piece to this team. Brandon Williamson as well. Friedl still getting his rhythm back after missing most of the year. Just got Pagan back, Suter injured, Gibaut hasn't pitched all year, Antone fell apart again. Martinez has been much better lately. On paper, a healthy Reds bullpen would be solid. They have the 4th lowest ERA in baseball anyway. The outfield is still a joke. We have solid outfielders with Friedl and Fraley but they cannot be a teams best outfielders. Cincinnati can definitely upgrade here. As someone mentioned above, leaving a player like Hinds down in Louisville after winning the NL Player of the Week with his power in GABP is one of the issues I have keeping prospects down in the minors too long when they should be up here.
Not every fire sale for the Reds have been about moving the most expensive contracts currently on the roster like Montas this year but the ones they know can't retain. The 2022 fire sale for example, Luis Castillo was making $7.35 million when he was dealt. One of the games best pitchers who now makes $24,150,000. Winker, barely making over $3 million at the time he was moved. Anyone is at risk to go. Suarez dealt that year too and made more $$ than both combined. It is a non-stop cycle, rinse and repeat when the Reds know they can't afford them in arbitration and free agency. They are traded while they still have more years of team control to get the best deal for prospects from teams to replenish a farm system that has talent. Of course not every prospect makes it and this organization has routinely dropped the ball on multiple can't miss, blue chip prospects. Cincinnati has done well with pitching. Like I said above. my biggest concern is getting depth in the outfield and catcher backing up Tyler. They don't lack talented infield prospects or in pitching.
No one here is arguing that the Reds are a poorly ran organization. Nor am I saying the Reds have only one issue that is holding them back and that being the rate these prospects are being promoted. The 'dead horse' comment you are stuck on isn't about the Reds issues, but in reference to how many times we've been bringing up these issues over and over here that you are talking about like it is some revelation that know one here has brought up yet in the 141 page thread. Much of what you say is true, the Reds are a poorly constructed roster with a garbage outfield in particular and the infield depth coming into the season has been stretched thin with McLain/CES injuries and Marte struggling after the PED suspension. The previous post about Rhett Lowder deserving a promotion wasn't to rehash every issue brought up in this thread that the Reds have but here we are.
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Just like last year with Lowder, Burns won't pitch until 2025. Other organizations will see some of their 2024 draft picks debut. It isn't like these guys seasons always ended at the conclusion of the NCAA season in the past. Many go on to pitch in the Cape Cod League.
www.mlb.com
Top Draft pick's development plan mapped out
This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
www.mlb.com
Reds 2 games under the .500 mark now and just got a huge series win over St. Louis ahead of them in the Wild Card race. Hopefully they finish off the sweep tomorrow. Another fine start for Greene going 7 innings, 4 hits and 1 walk. Only run was off the Arenado home run.
Greene has been bringing it. The thing that's kept him from winning a few more than he has is run support. thankfully he got some of that last night, but even that was shaky until Candelario hit his 2 run shot to extend the lead. I remember his game against Detroit that was also really good, he left with a lead, before Cruz came in and gave up a bunch of runs to cost him a win.
India 3-run tater! Stephenson with a solo shot of his own. MLB Network was really praising him Sunday night for his overall improvement. Needs to seriously be considered as one of the Reds next extension candidates. Decent offensive catchers are a premium.
Have to give the Reds a lot of credit this series for playing well. We've seen them win some good series this year, but the next step will be to build onto it. Can't let what happened after the Yankees sweep take place and get swept by the Tigers. That has been the Reds problem all year. Like Barry Larkin said, .500 baseball won't win you anything so the Reds need to take this next series vs Kansas City. Beating the Royals will be huge, they have had a nice season. Continuing this 4-game win streak will tell us a lot if the Reds have rounded the corner or if we see them revert to how they have played all season after riding a momentum high off a series win vs the Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Dodgers. Got a glimpse of what this team is capable of despite all of the players on the IL who would significantly help this roster.
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Mets don't have a spot locked up. Only 2.5 games ahead of Reds/Cards/Giants. Even Braves could collapse.
Of the teams in the Wild Card race, the Mets appear to be as likely as any to fade away. Just not buying that team right now. Cardinals are slipping thanks to the Reds. San Francisco's pitching staff is one of the best in the league currently, though the NL West with AZ, SD, LA and SF will be beating up on each other in head to head matchups. Atlanta just got Harris back but still missing Ozzie Albies for at least another month. If the Reds can get McLain, Suter, Williamson & Gibaut back, that is more help returning than any of these teams going for the 3rd Wild Card spot.
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I looked ahead at the Reds future schedule the next 2-3 weeks and there is no excuse for them to not come out of that stretch looking pretty good and hopefully making up a lot of ground before having to face Milwaukee and Houston. KC is no slouch, but after them it's the Blue Jays, The Pirates and the A's. The Cardinals get the Dodgers, then Brewers then Twins next up so they may be out of it by next week. Especially if The Reds can at least take 2 of 3 from KC, and Win the next three series against teams they should beat.
Giants get the A's and a terrible White Sox team up next, so they may be difficult to pick up some ground on immediately.
Probably get mocked for saying this but Oakland is not a team to overlook either and trending in the right direction. I think they are poised to be the Royals of the 2025 season. Very nice young pieces on that roster like Butler, Rooker, Bleday, JP Sears a 10-game winner in Oakland of all places and the talented Mason Miller closing for them. Took a series vs the Phillies right before the AS Break and 15-9 in the 2nd half. Won a series vs Houston and on the road vs the Mets.
Typical Reds Baseball mired in mediocrity. This is why you always temper expectations with this group. For every good the Reds do in a series sweep of St. Louis, they never build upon it for any real momentum. 2 hits off Lorenzen who this same team got 6 hits off of with 5 runs in April. It's ashamed this coaching staff isn't better prepared for one of their own former pitchers that they should know like the back of their hand. Bell should know better than to pitch Cruz more than an inning at this point. ERA ballooned up to 5.47. They will still tell us how 'great' he is though. I put Candelario a notch above Moustakas as far as Reds disappointments because it doesn't get much worse than Moose. Jeimer is nothing to crow about. 2 more years of his ass in a Reds uniform unless they buck up and buy him out like Moose.
We all heard Larkin's comments if you watched the game Tuesday night vs St. Louis, but this is still a good piece to read.
blogredmachine.com
We all heard Larkin's comments if you watched the game Tuesday night vs St. Louis, but this is still a good piece to read.
Barry Larkin's comments suggest David Bell could be replaced as Reds manager
The Cincinnati Reds fanbase has accepted mediocrity for far too long and former shortstop Barry Larkin is sick of it.
blogredmachine.com
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Preface my comments re Cruz by saying I really like the guy. His story would make a great movie, at least one of those ESPN 30 for 30 things. But when Bell brought him out for another inning you could feel what was going to happen. Earth to Bell: Games are dwindling. You have to keep these things within reason. Could the Reds have won if the game was 3-1 in the 9th instead of 7-1? Don't know, doubtful, but you can't let your pitcher give up so many tack ons. Disappointing.
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Bell apologists can blame the players for failing to execute all they want. Just like Barry alluded to, this team lacks the edge to win and .500 baseball just isn't going to cut it. Named players like Eric Davis and a manager like Lou Piniella did not put up with this complacent attitude in the clubhouse. Rubbed off on other players like Paul O'Neill who had the no bullshit attitude with him in New York.Typical Reds Baseball mired in mediocrity. This is why you always temper expectations with this group. For every good the Reds do in a series sweep of St. Louis, they never build upon it for any real momentum. 2 hits off Lorenzen who this same team got 6 hits off of with 5 runs in April. It's ashamed this coaching staff isn't better prepared for one of their own former pitchers that they should know like the back of their hand. Bell should know better than to pitch Cruz more than an inning at this point. ERA ballooned up to 5.47. They will still tell us how 'great' he is though. I put Candelario a notch above Moustakas as far as Reds disappointments because it doesn't get much worse than Moose. Jeimer is nothing to crow about. 2 more years of his ass in a Reds uniform unless they buck up and buy him out like Moose.
We all heard Larkin's comments if you watched the game Tuesday night vs St. Louis, but this is still a good piece to read.
Barry Larkin's comments suggest David Bell could be replaced as Reds manager
The Cincinnati Reds fanbase has accepted mediocrity for far too long and former shortstop Barry Larkin is sick of it.
In the end, the manager is the one at fault for not having this team prepared or in a mindset to win. 393-437 in his 6th season with one postseason appearance backing into the playoffs in a shortened season by getting hot for 2 weeks. Just to get swept 0-2 to Atlanta in the Wild Card round. This isn't progress, and no manager should still have their job after accomplishing absolutely nothing during his tenure. Kansas City is a good team, but other than Bobby Witt Jr. that lineup is not that much better than Cincinnati's that the Reds should have been thumped 7-1 (outhit 13-4) in their own home ballpark.
I can't fathom pitching Cruz at all anymore., its crazy to me that Bell continues to run that guy out there. 5.47 ERA, 1.4WHIP and 8 losses, plus several other outings like last night where he doesn't get the loss.
In a game where you only muster 4 hits, I can certainly point to Bell playing a .180 and .190 hitter, while sitting a .280 and .250 hitter. It's absurd and ignorant, and so is David Bell.
Of course, at home before 32,000 fans, Reds no show against Royals. Why do I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the ball that Lucy is holding?
Bell is Reds Royalty, thanks to his family. FO needs to "kick him upstairs" so to speak, make him Vice President in charge of Jocks and Socks.
Grandfather Gus was an above average CF in 50's. Handled Crosley's outfield terrace well. He was a childhood hero of mine. Just reading that Gus was from LV. Didn't know.
I can't take credit for this line, but on another board, when one poster suggested that Cruz be converted into a mop up role, the retort was that he should instead be converted to a AAA pitcher. I'm inclined to agree with the second option.
This year's team has an obstinate tendency to try to get close to .500 and then to immediately do whatever is necessary to avoid actually getting there.
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