LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: ATOBTTR

  • The Reds Trade For Impact Infielder Gavin Lux

    The Reds Trade For Impact Infielder Gavin Lux

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – When the Reds signed Terry Francona it kicked expectations into high gear for the offseason. Cincinnati has made several acquisitions already including catcher Jose Trevino, Roansy Contreras, and Brady Singer.

    But on Monday night the team announced a big trade for Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux. In return Cincinnati sent away outfielder prospect Mike Sirota.

    Lux was hurt for all of 2023 and missed the entire year due to a torn ACL. And he had a very tough start to 2024. But in the second half of the season he slashed .304/.391/.508, playing much better down the stretch for the Dodgers. Overall for 2024 Lux hit .251/.320/.383, though he had some nagging issues against left handed pitching while playing for the Dodgers. He is a career.202/.279/.274 hitter against left handers, but hit .264/.337/.408 against righties.

    The question now is how Lux will fit into the Reds lineup and in the field. Remember this was a team that just traded away fan favorite infielder Jonathan India. With Lux being predominantly a second baseman, it raises some thoughts that Matt McLain may spend more significant time in the outfield. McLain spent time in center field in the Arizona fall league this season and could figure to play more there (or at least somewhere in the outfield) this year. I would expect to see a lot of him in the outfield in spring training.

    The most important aspect of this trade is that Lux is someone who has the ability to help the Reds win in 2025. He’s not a young player or a long term project. If he can capitalize on the offensive production he showed to close out 2024 and keep that going in ‘25 this offense will be all the better. Lux is under team control for two more seasons and is projected to make between $2.5 million and $3 million through arbitration this winter.

    There has been a lot of national discussion that this trade doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Reds. They need corner outfield bats and already have a bevy of players in the middle infield who have a lot of talent. At the same time, there is likely more going on behind the scenes that we might not yet understand. The offseason is still young and more moves could be on the horizon. This is a positive and impactful move and let’s just wait and see where the pieces will fall into place.

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

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    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Quick Facts About The Reds Newest Pitcher: Brady Singer

    Quick Facts About The Reds Newest Pitcher: Brady Singer

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – for those that are late to the party, Jonathan India’s time in a Reds uniform has come to a close. The fan favorite was traded this past week to the Kansas City Royals along with outfielder Joey  Wiemer. It was a trade that no doubt came with a wide array of emotions for fans.

    After winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 there was a lot of belief that India could take the next step and be a potential all star in the following seasons. However, he never was able to match his award winning output and most of his numbers declined with each successive year. Despite those struggles no one in Cincinnati questioned India’s dedication to this city and the team as he consistently played through injuries and gave everything he could.

    Despite his popularity there were significant calls to trade him in the offseason. Given the Reds’ surplus of infielders it was an understandable reaction. But the devastating early season injury to Matt McLain changed that very quickly and thrust India back into the starting lineup.

    While it wasn’t a perfect 2024 campaign for him, India was extremely solid. He hit .248 and his on base percentage, OPS+ and BWAR were the highest since his rookie season. It was a much better season than most expected and certainly meant that his potential trade value was the highest it might realistically have been.

    While we all love and will miss Jonathan India, it’s clear that it is now the Matt McLain era at second base is here to stay. It’s time to remember all of the great memories that Jonathan India gave this team, but also recognize that the Reds got a solid pitcher in return.

    Brady Singer might not have dominant numbers, but he brings a lot of what the Reds need on their pitching staff. As MLB.com points out, “In 32 starts and 179 2/3 innings for Kansas City last season, Singer was 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA and 3.1 bWAR. He had more starts and innings than anybody on Cincinnati’s pitching staff in 2024.” This league is all about pitching and establishing depth. Singer provides that for a team that saw a flurry of injuries to its starters all year. He is primarily a ground ball pitcher, something that will be a significant benefit at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

    Charlie Goldsmith also notes that over the last three years, Singer ranks 24th among big league pitchers in total WAR. There was a real chance that Jonathan India was going to spend a good chunk of the 2025 season on the Reds bench. Now, because of this trade Cincinnati added another decent arm for its pitching staff, something they clearly needed based on what happened in 2024. Time will tell if this trade was a “win” for the team, but at first blush, when you take out the emotion of trading away a fan favorite (struggles or no) and look at the objective reality of it, the move makes good baseball sense.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • The David Bell Era Is Over. So What Now?

    The David Bell Era Is Over. So What Now?

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – the Reds’ disappointing 2024 campaign is soon to draw to a close, and David Bell couldn’t quite make it until the end. Cincinnati chose to fire Bell this past Sunday night with a full week of games left to be played. Bell has been the Reds manager since 2019 and during that time has posted a 405-456 record. Under his watch Cincinnati made the playoffs once in 2020. They were close to returning to the playoffs in 2023 (after many predicted them to lose more than 100 games) but fell apart in the second half of the season to come up just short. The optimism from last season led to an extension of his contract, but even that extension wasn’t enough to save his job after underachieving in 2024.

    For his part, Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations Nick Krall discussed that parting ways with Bell came down to problems that Reds fans are all too familiar with. These included their poor record in one-run games, defensive miscues, and costly baserunning mistakes that seemed to cost the team in so many key games this year. While not naming anyone specifically, Krall also pointed out how several players were not playing up to their potential, and this was something that (rightly or not) was laid at the former manager’s doorstep.

    Reds beat writers are already discussing numerous candidates for Bell’s replacement. These include former Cincinnati players like Barry Larkin, David Ross and Skip Schumaker, among other big names like Aaron Boone and Terry Francona. There is also a chance that the front office could choose to promote someone from within the organization. In that case, Freddie Benavides might be the main option as he’s the current interim manager and was the bench coach prior to Bell’s departure.

    Whichever prospective managers the Reds might end up pursuing, they would be taking the helm of a team with as much young potential as any in major league baseball. Elly De La Cruz is already one of the most electric players in the game. Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion Strand, and Edwin Arroyo are all in the early parts of their careers and are primed to make huge strides in the next few years. Established players like T.J. Friedl, Jonathan India, and Tyler Stephenson stand ready to help shepherd the young guns along the way. And most importantly, the rotation is anchored by an ace in Hunter Greene, talented arms in Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott, and up and coming flamethrowers like Rhett Lowder.

    Put simply, it’s a job that should be easy to fill based upon the stable of starts and talent the Reds possess.

    The one stumbling block, as always, will be the front office. After promising sweeping changes and a path to success in the past, those at the helm of this franchise have had precious little actual success in terms of attracting and/or signing impact free agents to fill in some of the most glaring holes in the lineup. Finding the right manager and making a genuine investment in that person (no matter the price) gives the ownership and management a clear chance to prove to fans that they are actually serious about turning around the track for this team. As everyone knows, the window for small market teams to make deep playoff runs can be crushingly small and so the time for excuses has come to an end.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Royal Sweep: Kansas City Crushes the Redlegs

    Royal Sweep: Kansas City Crushes the Redlegs

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – There are some series in baseball that tell you exactly what a team is made of, and what it they are capable of doing. This weekend’s set with the Kansas City Royals was one of them. With the Reds inching within 2 games of .500 it was yet another in a long line of chances for them to both beat a quality team and finally show that they could string a series of wins together when it mattered most.

    But as we have seen all too often this season, they not only failed to win the series, but they also looked absolutely overmatched by a far superior baseball team. The numbers are enough to make even die-hard Reds fans green around the gills. They were outscored 28 to 3, outhit 41 to 18, and they struck out 32 times. The games were not competitive and if you didn’t know any better, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Reds had given up on the season as opposed to a team that was actually still within striking distance of a Wild Card birth.

    Elly De La Cruz picked an unfortunate time to go ice cold. He was 1-11 in the series. Spencer Steer was 1-9. Noelvi Marte only played the first two games but was 0-6 with 2 strikeouts.

    And the pitching, which had been so promising this season, crumbled right alongside the Reds’ bats. Fernando Cruz once again was rocked in game 1, giving up 4 earned runs in the top of the 9th to ensure the game would be far out of reach. In game 2, we saw more of how Nick Lodolo’s post-injury return has turned into a nightmare. He managed just 2.1 innings and gave up 8 earned runs. In his last 7 starts his ERA is 7.05 and he is giving up hits at a .264 clip. The Reds called on Andrew Abbott to stop the bleeding in game 3 and perhaps salvage a win, but he could only muster 5 innings, giving up 4 runs in the process. Once again the Reds bullpen, this time in the form of Casey Legumina, watched the game go completely out of control as he gave up 6 hits and 4 runs in his 2 innings.

    Make no mistake, the Kansas City Royals are the real deal. They are 7th in the major leagues in batting average, 12th in on base percentage, and 2nd in strikeout rate. They put all of those metrics on display in this series and made the Reds pitchers look as though they were throwing beach balls down the heart of the plate. It was unfortunate that Cincinnati, whose bats managed 25 hits and 19 runs against the Cardinals, simply could not match such an offensive output.

    This pattern is one that is all too familiar to Reds fans. In early July the team swept the New York Yankees in impressive fashion just to turn around and be swept by the Detroit Tigers. The Reds then won two games in Atlanta only to lose 2 out of 3 to the Tampa Bay Rays. It has been a story of promise and hope, followed by inexplicable losses in embarrassing circumstances.

    Another note on Lodolo, with Hunter Greene being put on the Injured List with elbow soreness, he is the starting pitcher that the Reds will look to take the mound and face the opponents’ best and not flinch. The time for him to “figure it out” or “get right” is now. He has shown that he has the talent and ability to be a very good pitcher in this league and the pressure is now on to prove that he can do that when his is the staff’s number one option.

    The Reds are now in a very familiar position. 60-64, 4 games under .500 and 6 games out of the last Wild Card birth. They are in 4th place in the National League Central, 12 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. They go on the road to Toronto for a series against the Blue Jays, who sit at 58-66. This is yet another stretch of winnable games for this team, but if they cannot take at least 2 out of 3 from our friends from the country up north, it may be the end of what little hope remains in Cincinnati.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Back in the Jungle: Recapping the Weekend in Cincinnati Sports

    Back in the Jungle: Recapping the Weekend in Cincinnati Sports

    Joe Burrow throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, photo comes from the Bengals on X.

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – once the clock hit zero against the Cleveland Browns in the final regular season game last year, another one started in the minds of Cincinnati Bengals fans. The countdown this time was to the moment when we’d all see a healthy Joe Burrow take the field in a Bengals uniform to take part in real game action. And on Saturday, those wishes were granted, if only for one magical series.

    It was a series that saw Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback go 5-7 for 51 yards in total that had a little bit of everything. It included a near-touchdown deep down the middle to Tee Higgins that Burrow almost fit in between the tightest double coverage imaginable. It was more evidence of the pinpoint accuracy that we’ve all come to expect from him and yet another sign that he’s suffering no ill effects from his injury last year. And although that pass didn’t result in a score, after the Bengals marched down the field he was able to find Higgins again just short of the goal line, but the franchise-tagged wide receiver pulled a nice move to shake the Buccaneer’s Josh Hayes and sauntered into the end zone for the team’s first touchdown of the year.

    All in all the first and only drive with the starters went for 12 plays and covered 73 yards. Burrow looked comfortable in the pocket and was rarely bothered. It was a testament to how prepared the offensive line looked, and the pair of tackles in Orlando Brown, Jr. and rookie Amarius Mims stood tall against the Tampa Bay defense. The reviews of Mims’ play especially were very positive as it appears that he could be far ahead of schedule in terms of his development. When he was drafted out of Georgia there were questions as to just how long it might take for him to be NFL-ready given that his starting career in college was not as robust as other top picks. With each snap he plays in practice and in games like this, Amarius Mims is proving he is ready for primetime and could end up being the Bengals’ right tackle of the future.

    Mims wasn’t the only Bengals rookie to make waves. Jermaine Burton hauled in 3 catches for 82 yards including a 38-yard touchdown. The pass was an absolute dot by backup quarterback Logan Woodside (who also had a very nice game with 149 yards passing and a 137.2 rating) but it was Burton’s double move that really freed him up to make the catch. With Tee Higgins likely departing after this season, Bengals fans have to be giddy with the talent and potential in a wide receiver trio of Chase, Iosivas and Burton.

    The Bengals starting defense also started strong, pressing the Buccaneers’ backups into a 3 and out on the first drive. After that, Tampa Bay’s offense gained good chunks of yards and managed some big plays. Without Sheldon Rankins and BJ Hill in the middle of the defensive line the rush defense left a little to be desired. But Dax Hill looked right at home at cornerback after switching positions from safety and had 3 passes broken up and even a near interception (which should have been challenged after being ruled incomplete). The biggest defensive story of the night was linebacker Maema Njongmeta, an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin, who lead the team with 10 total tackles.

    Although the Bengals didn’t manage to pull out the win, winning isn’t necessarily the most important thing in these preseason games. Most importantly, Joe Burrow and the offense looked in sync, which is the direct result of their major contributors being healthy and in camp together. They also escaped the game with those key players healthy and ready for the next game, which will be against the Chicago Bears on August 17 at 1:00 PM.

    As for the Cincinnati Reds, they had their own titanic struggle to face this weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers were coming off of a series against the Atlanta Braves where they amassed 52 hits, 34 runs, and 8 home runs. The Brewers carried that fire into their series with the Reds, scoring 8 runs in the first win of the 3-game set. Milwaukee torched Carson Spiers for those 8 runs in just 5 innings before the bullpen took over. The trio of Jakob Junis, Fernando Cruz and Yosver Zulueta stepped in and held the Brewers hitless over the final 3 innings of the game.

    In game 2 it was yet another story of the Reds bats going missing in action. Cincinnati actually out-hit Milwaukee 3-2 but managed to score a grand total of zero runs. The difference in their 1-0 loss was a solo home run by Rhys Hoskins in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was also another tragic tale of a waste of a gem of an outing by a Reds pitcher. This time the victim was Nick Martinez, who has turned out to be one of the teams best signings in recent memory. Though not technically a starter he filled in as one in game 2 and threw 7 innings of 1-hit baseball and has been a pitcher who has started games, came in relief, and whatever was asked of him, has answered the call.

    Game 3 was a bit of a different story. The Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and the Reds could have folded, but they managed to tie it up in the fourth inning. They then took the lead in the 5th after a Tyler Stephenson solo home run. Milwaukee, like the great team they are, refused to go away and tied it again in the bottom of the 6th and the Reds had yet another chance to pack it in and let another game slip away. But they continued to fight and went out ahead 4-3 on a Spencer Steer sacrifice fly that was nearly a grand slam. Alexis Diaz then came in in the bottom of the 9th and shut the Brewers down to preserve the win in just 14 tidy pitches with 2 strikeouts.

    The Brewers series gave Reds fans a little bit of everything in terms of emotions. Cincinnati battled back after being shell shocked a bit in game 1. Game 2 showed that Nick Martinez is a solid piece of this pitching staff in a variety of roles. Game 3 showed that this team still has plenty of fight left in it, even if things get tough. Although the 2024 playoffs might be out of reach for them, the team has plenty left to prove and to fight for, and Reds fans will have a plethora of highlights left to cheer for before the clock strikes midnight on this baseball season.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • For Whom the Bell Tolls: What Does the Future Hold for Reds Manager David Bell?

    For Whom the Bell Tolls: What Does the Future Hold for Reds Manager David Bell?

    Photo of David Bell courtesy of WikiMedia.

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – Any time a season doesn’t go to plan, and that’s exactly what is happening in 2024 for the Cincinnati Reds, there is a question of where the responsibility for it rests. No answer in sports is simple, which is especially true for baseball. Success in Major League Baseball for small to mid-market teams is not easy. It requires foresight in draft picks and trades for prospects, smart and economically feasible free agent signings, and a heavy dose of luck with respect to both injuries and perhaps hitting a home run with that under-the-radar guy that turns out to be the difference for an aspiring ballclub.

    But the manager of a big-league club is a huge part of that calculus. Coaches in the NBA have to manage superstar personalities as there are only 5 players on the court at any given time. So when 20 percent or more of your scoring comes from one primary guy, keeping him happy and in cohesion with the other 4 teammates on the court matters somewhat less than the specific X’s and O’s of any given play or system. NFL head coaches have coordinators to call plays and manage the flow of games, and generally have the same lineups to work with game in and game out regardless of the opponent.

    But managers in baseball have a job that isn’t always readily understandable by average fans (and this isn’t a knock against average fans, this author is just as mystified by the intricacies of the managerial decisions in the sport as much as anyone else). Whether it be the matchups of hitters versus batters, splits between left- and right-handed pitching, day games versus night games, Sabermetric statistics, and a million other factors that play out over 162 games, MLB managers have so many decisions to make that could have an impact on the outcome of those games.

    And still, at the end of the day, those decisions, difficult as they may be, have to translate into wins. This is unfortunately where the rubber hits the road when it comes to David Bell. In 6 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, he is 386-432 which equates to a .472 winning percentage. Other than the COVID season of 2020 Bell has 2 winning seasons with the Reds, and he’s also had a team lose 100 games.

    Last year the Reds were contending for a playoff spot after losing those 100 games just the season before. They called up the likes of Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion Strand, Spencer Steer, and of course Elly De La Cruz. Those rookies did nothing except pump pure adrenaline into the city of Cincinnati as the team went 18-9 in June and then 15-11 in July. After that, though, it was a different story as they managed to go just 23-31 over their last three months of the season and fell out of playoff contention. They had a losing record at home (38-43) and also posted a losing record against other NL Central teams (21-30).

    There were understandable explanations for that series of events. After all, when nearly the entirety of your core players are rookies in their 20s, the long-haul of a major league season is a tall mountain to climb. The front office also chose to largely stand pat at the trade deadline, making many fans question the extent to which the team had a true intent to do what was necessary to win. But even still, the team exceeded most reasonable expectations and so the tone moving into 2024 was one of optimism and hoping to build on the things the Reds did well in 2023.

    Here at Loveland Magazine, we’ve documented the roller coaster that the 2024 season has brought us. Apart from a very disappointing May where the Reds went 9-18, they’ve had a winning record in every other month this year. They’ve dealt with injuries to key players that we all know about. But there are other more troubling statistics that are hard to ignore.

    The Reds are 9-20 in one-run games and have blown 18 leads. They simply cannot build any momentum even when the door is open for them to get back into serious contention for a wild card spot. Their lack of consistency is a maddening problem that has haunted them on countless occasions this season.

    Make no mistake, this is not an article calling for David Bell to be fired. The players bear responsibility as well. Several key players are playing either slightly or well below league averages, including Jeimer Candelario, Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild, and Noelvi Marte. Then there is the front office and the ownership group who are at the helm of this franchise. They control the purse strings and are responsible for providing the manager and coaches the resources to acquire, keep, and attract the players necessary to win at the big-league level. There are serious deficiencies there that should not be ignored and absolutely play a role in holding this team back.

    Apart from all that, firing Bell would be a drastic decision that goes against most of what we know about the Reds front office. Last year then extended Bell for a further three years and to fire him any time soon and eat that contract money is completely out of character for them. Still, the Reds’ best chance to win significant games corresponds directly to how long Elly De La Cruz remains on their roster.

    That timeframe will not last forever, and within that window Cincinnati’s margin for error remains very small. Their mandate is clear: surround Elly with the best talent that is reasonably available so that this offense can support the ace in its rotation (Hunter Greene) and the very good pitchers behind him (Abbott and Lodolo). Frankie Montas and Jeimer Candelario unfortunately do not represent the kinds of signings that Nick Krall and the Reds’ brass have to make to execute that strategy. There must be real, significant free agents brought in that will play to expectations and we cannot afford to miss for much longer.

    David Bell at least deserves one season with a complete roster and a at least a majority of his key players healthy before he’s judged with finality. Absent a significant change in the Reds’ future in 2024, though, this season can’t help but be seen as a regression. Win, lose, or draw, 2025 has to be the year that will determine once and for all whether David Bell is the manager this team needs to be a playoff threat, or if it is time to start fresh and inject new blood to match the youth we’re putting out on the field.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • To Buy or Sell? Breaking Down the Reds’ Trade Deadline Moves

    To Buy or Sell? Breaking Down the Reds’ Trade Deadline Moves

    The Reds Welcome Ty France, courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds on X.

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds were in a difficult position in the days leading up to the July 30th MLB trade deadline. They were near the bottom of the division but only a handful of games out of the last Wild Card spot, one of seven teams within 8 games of that last playoff position. Though losing two out of three from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (themselves heavy sellers at the deadline) certainly put a damper on things, statistically speaking their hunt for the postseason was not officially over yet.

    There were certainly arguments to be made that the Reds could either buy or sell at the deadline, but there was no question that whatever moves were going to be made, they needed to have an impact. If the Reds were looking to contend, those moves had to bring in players that could close the gap in the playoff race in the second half. If they sold, the return on the players they traded needed to be substantial and with an eye towards helping them contend immediately in 2025 or in 2026 at the latest.

    Ultimately, Nick Krall attempted to split the middle. The Reds didn’t acquire any immediate-impact difference makers, but they did not dismantle the club either. The moves made at the 2024 deadline will ultimately take time to pass judgment on, but here is a rundown of how it played out.

    A trade that could show an immediate impact was the one that sent Frankie Montas to Milwaukee for relief pitcher Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer. Montas was supposed to be a key signing for the Reds this year, but it did not pan out. He was 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA. His contract was for 1 year at 16 million dollars with a mutual option for 2025, so getting at least some of that salary off of the books is an additional benefit.

    Junis is the player with the most big-league experience and promise. This season he’s appeared in 10 games, including one start. In 26 innings he’s amassed a 4-0 record while striking out 19 and walking 5. With the trade of Lucas Sims (discussed below) Junis could step into the bullpen right away and pitch meaningful innings for this team.

    Wiemer is a bit more of a project. He is just 25 and was a highly valued prospect in the Brewers farm system, though he’s yet to fully capitalize on his talent. For Milwaukee’s AAA team he hit .242/.387/.358. His power numbers are below projections but he’s playing much better in July, slashing .333/.494/.517, certainly trending in the right direction. If he is on the cusp of playing in the big leagues, the Reds are a team that can use all of the outfield bats they can find.

    Also, the Reds traded reliever Lucas Sims to the Boston Red Sox for young right-handed pitcher Ovis Portes. Fangraphs has Portes as the Red Sox 38th ranked prospect at just 19 years old. This year for Boston’s A-level minor league team he has pitched 21 innings, allowing 17 hits and 8 earned runs. He’s been a bit feast or famine with his control, striking out 25 while walking 15 in 7 appearances, 5 of them starts. Portes certainly has potential, but it’s likely going to be several seasons before Cincinnati fans see that play out at Great American Ballpark.

    In addition, the day before the deadline, the Reds acquired first basemen Ty France from the Seattle Mariners. France hit .223 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs. According to Baseball Savant, France is above average in terms of barrel %, and walk rate, showing a patient eye at the plate. However, his average his dropped each season in the majors since 2021 when he hit .291 for Seattle. Perhaps a change of scenery and new opportunities in the Queen City will help France get back on track.

    As Nick Krall emphasized, the Reds can still contend with the team they have. None of their key players who were performing well (apart from perhaps Sims) were shipped. Montas clearly was not going to work out and Lucas Sims had just one year left on his contract. As of the publishing of this, the Reds have taken the first two games of their series against the Chicago Cubs and have shown life on offense and have gotten contributions from a wide variety of players.

    While the 2024 MLB trade deadline didn’t bring Cincinnati players that will drive them to the playoffs this year, it didn’t result in the front office waiving the white flag, either. And so, Reds fans can only soldier on and hope that the team has enough to string together enough wins to give it a go in August and September.

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

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    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Red White and Swept: The Reds Fall to Nationals in Stumble to Start the Second Half

    Red White and Swept: The Reds Fall to Nationals in Stumble to Start the Second Half

    Photo of Stuart Fairchild by the Cincinnati Reds on X

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – For the Reds the All-Star break was supposed to be a time to regroup, recharge, and focus on making a run at contention. They have several injured players hoping to make a comeback but who need time to recover. An opening series against the Washington Nationals seemed like an excellent opportunity to start the second half of the season on a positive note.

    Those hopes all fell apart in the nation’s capital this past weekend as the Washington Nationals swept Cincinnati in three games.

    In the first matchup of the series, Frankie Montas struggled mightily, giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits in just 4.2 innings. The Reds could only muster a single run on 3 hits against Patrick Corbin, whose ERA over his last 20 starts is 5.35. Cincinnati attempted to rally and scored 4 runs in the top of the ninth, but the rally ultimately fell short. In the second and third games the Reds had razor thin leads but in game 2 Fernando Cruz blew a lead by surrendering a double to Lane Thomas before Justin Wilson allowed the game winning run via a single to Jacob Young. The bullpen again fell apart for Cincinnati in game 3 when, in a tied 2-2 in the 8th inning, Lucas Sims allowed 2 hits (one a bunt single) before being replaced by Justin Wilson once again. Wilson promptly served up a belt-high fastball that James Wood launched for a 404 foot 3-run home run that put the game out of reach.

    It was an ugly sweep that has become a hallmark of a Reds team that has lost ugly games it needed to win, against teams that were (on paper at least) statistically less talented. The usual suspects struggled once again this series. Frankie Montas is 1-4 with a 6.17 ERA in his last 7 starts and is trending in the wrong direction in almost every statistical category. He is a lock for the number 4 position in this rotation for this team and he is not going anywhere as of yet, but he is below the league average in several important categories including ERA, FIP, and WHIP. Fernando Cruz, once known as a high-level stopper who could be dropped into crucial situations to defuse them, has now lost 7 games on the year. Over his last 9 innings pitched he has allowed 10 hits and given up 8 earned runs.

    This was a series that the Reds could ill afford to lose. But to be swept, and to play so poorly at a point in the season when they had a real chance to make up ground in their attempt to get back to .500 is yet another frustrating episode in a season full of them. The Reds are not mathematically eliminated and there are still games to play, but it’s understandable to question whether Cincinnati has the players, the focus, and the drive to make a real push towards postseason relevance in 2024. An upcoming series in Atlanta against the Braves, who currently stand at 54-44 and have the best pitching staff in all of baseball, is hardly an environment conducive to getting back on track. Although the Reds play up to the toughest competition in the league, it’s not a recipe for sustained success. The last thing this team can withstand is a losing streak of any length, and if they leave Atlanta losers of 5 out of their first 6, or heaven forbid 6 straight games to start the second half of the year it might be a hole that is simply too deep to climb out of.

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

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    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • A Look Ahead to the Reds’ Second Half: A Path to the Post-Season

    A Look Ahead to the Reds’ Second Half: A Path to the Post-Season

    Photo of National League All-Stars Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Green in Arlington for the All-Star game by Cincinnati Reds on X

    by Chris Ball

    MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday on FOX (8 p.m. ET)

    Loveland, Ohio – As the first half of the 2024 Major League Baseball season is in the books, the Cincinnati Reds sit at 47-50, 8 games out of first place in the division and 3 games out of the last wild card spot in the National League. Its certainly not the half season that most Reds fans were hoping for, but then again, the circumstances have been far from ideal. When you factor in all of the adversity this team has gone through, sitting just 3 games under .500 and still within striking distance of a postseason birth may not be all that devastating.

    Injuries have undoubtedly played a role in the team’s struggles. TJ Friedl has just 97 at bats, Christian Encarnacion Strand had just 116 before being injured. Ian Gibaut has not yet pitched this year, Matt McLain has not seen the field, and Nick Lodolo has missed several starts. All of this is on top of Noelvi Marte’s suspension, which has unquestionably impacted his ability to contribute positively to this team.

    While it is true that teams like the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers have also been negatively impacted by serious injuries to key players, the Reds are honestly a step behind both those contending clubs in terms of roster depth. A great deal of things were going to have to go right for Cincinnati to be towards the top of the division this year, most of that focusing on staying healthy and having players perform at or above their 2023 numbers. The Reds simply have not been able to do the former this year and with their bench players underperforming and their younger players (for the most part) not yet ready for the major leagues, they have struggled to be consistent, especially hitting.

    The Reds are 26th in batting average, 20th in on base percentage, and 16th in slugging. Their ability to hit the baseball hard has helped them to score 432 runs (good for 14th), and their speed on the basepaths (they lead the major leagues with 134 stolen bases) have kept them in many games this year. Although we all remember the various base running issues that have also cost them at times, the speed of this team is an important component of their success that cannot be ignored.

    You cannot mention speed without acknowledging the potentially generational talent on display in the Reds’ All-Star Elly De La Cruz. At just 22 years old he has an astonishing 4.4 WAR and WRC+ of 127, which is very good in terms of comparable major league players. All of this has resulted in a .256 batting average with 17 home runs (with 42 total extra base hits) and 43 RBIs. And he leads the league with 46 stolen bases and has made plays at shortstop that most players can only dream of executing (he is an amazing 8 outs above average on defense). We are truly watching the creation of a legend for this team if Elly’s progress continues on this trajectory, and he is perhaps the most electrifying Reds player to wear the uniform in the past 20 plus years.

    Photo: Cincinnati Reds on X

    There have been other aspects of the Reds offense to be thankful for, none other than Jonathan India. Many thought it was the same story on Cincinnati’s second baseman to start the year as he filled in for Matt McLain. India batted just .228 in March/April and then .220 in May. But no one could imagine the June that he would have, batting .380 with 16 RBIs. He raised his average over 40 points during the course of his first half, and currently has a 2.4 WAR and a 125 WRC+, numbers that are excellent for a guy many expected to be a platoon bat and not an everyday player.

    There are a lot of honorable mentions to be made, including Spencer Steer (.242/.337/.441) and Tyler Stephenson (.245/.317/.438). Both have shown flashes of great offense at times though they’ve also had their fair share of struggles. Getting a healthy TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley back will no doubt have a huge impact as well.

    But the major wild card in all of these is the level at which rookie phenomenon Rece Hinds can continue to produce in the outfield for the Reds. You’ve heard all the stats and records, but here it is again in brief. 7 games, a .423 batting average, 11 hits, 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 home runs. 11 RBIs and a 1.192 slugging percentage. These are unreal numbers that have generated a 341 WRC+ in that small sample size (as a reference, Aaron Judge has a WRC+ of 207 over the entire season). If Hinds can capture even a small fraction of that lightning in the second half of the season Cincinnati’s major problems in the outfield might get a little less complicated to solve.

    Photo: Cincinnati Reds on X

    Another saving grace of the 2024 Reds’ first half has been its starting pitching. Overall, they are 12th in team ERA and 11th in batting average allowed. Hunter Greene is leading the way in establishing himself as the team ace. Greene is 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA. His advanced metrics show a WAR of 2.6 and FIP of 3.63, both very solid numbers that show he is improving over prior years. His whiff rate (30.1) and strikeout rate (27.6) are very good and not surprising given how powerful he is. Andrew Abbott is right there with him, posting an eye-popping 9 wins in the first half of the year. Nick Lodolo has also made a very strong showing, going 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA.

    The 2023 Reds went on a tear prior to the All-Star break and that break may have cooled them off a bit. In 2024 the story is different, as injuries abound and the rest as a result the Midsummer Classic may aid in their return. When the season starts again, the lineup and rotation are relatively set in terms of the major players who will be there to contribute. The health of those players and whether they can remain consistent from game to game or even series to series will be the most important building blocks of getting back into contention.

    Getting back to .500 is in reach, and getting above that number is absolutely possible if the Reds avoid prolonged losing streaks that plagued them at times in the first part of the year. With so many great starters it means that Cincinnati should almost always at least have a foundation to be competitive on any given day. If the bats can do just enough to get runners on, the team’s speed and power should be enough to get the wins we need to get back into things.

    The Reds face the 15th ranked remaining strength of schedule, in the middle of the league. Their opponents have a .502 winning percentage. While it’s no cakewalk, it does mean that there are favorable matchups ahead that could help them creep back towards a wild card spot.

    Let’s hope the Reds take the rest they need because the second half of this year is calling, and it’s time to throw caution to the wind and go for broke in 2024.

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Can the Reds Save Their Season?

    Can the Reds Save Their Season?

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – The Reds season isn’t over, but after being swept by the Detroit Tigers this weekend, the outlook certainly felt bleaker than ever. After taking three straight games from the New York Yankees, one of the better teams in all of baseball, expectations were high that this Reds club had perhaps turned the corner (yet again) and could reach .500 or better by the All Star break. Detroit was 1-6 in its last 7 games prior to this series. But once again the Reds showed that they simply were not up to the task and could not string together any sort of momentum.

    The Tigers beat the Reds in a variety of ways. Whether it was the long ball or hammering the bullpen Cincinnati simply could not find a way to close out Detroit and win any of their three games in the series. Multiple Reds comebacks fell short in those matchups which made each losses all the more frustrating, including Blake Dunn being thrown out at home plate in what was ultimately a very questionable call to send him in contact in the bottom of the ninth.

    Hunter Greene pitched another gem (7 innings, 3 hits and he gave up no earned runs) after struggling in his previous two starts only to see Fernando Cruz and his bullpen implode shortly thereafter to take the loss. Cruz has really struggled of late. In his last 26 innings prior to Monday night’s game against the Rockies he allowed 23 hits and 17 earned runs for an ERA of 5.88, going 2-5 in that stretch. He’s gotten the Reds out of some jams that is true and he’s sent in for very high pressure situations, but the performance just hasn’t been there overall recently. He pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning against Colorado which was a welcome relief and something of redemption as he protected a gem turned in by another young Reds starter in Andrew Abbott who went 7 innings, struck out 8, and allowed just 3 hits, giving up no runs.

    Even Graham Ashcraft did his part in his start in game 3 against the Tigers, giving up just one earned run before the Reds relievers once again let the bottom fall out. This time the culprit was Alexis Diaz who allowed three runs (although none of them ended up being earned) which ultimately put the game out of reach on Sunday.

    It’s been one step forward and two steps back for so much of this 2024 season.

    And yet, at this point the Reds have a lot to be optimistic about. Spencer Steer is having one heck of a July. Going into Sunday he had 3 home runs and a 1.214 OPS in July. But he also hit .280 in June and had a .783 OPS.Elly De La Cruz is an All Star and an absolutely electric player at just 22 years old. He has posted a .251 batting average with 15 home runs, 40 RBI and an .804 OPS. He also has 45 stolen bases. Jonathan India is another bright spot. In his last 30 games the Reds second baseman is hitting an insane .369 with a .451 OBP and a .583 slugging percentage. With the potentially season ending injury to Matt McLain, it’s tough to imagine a better scenario than India stepping in to do as well as he has.

    On Monday night we got to see the stellar debut of Reds outfielder Rece Hinds who did nothing less than launch a galactic 449 foot home run after making an athletic play in the outfield and legging out a hustle double. Elly De La Cruz scored a run on a contact play from third base, a series of events that was nearly identical to the out made by Dunn just a few days ago. It’s a microcosm of this season for Cincinnati: two of the same plays, with an entirely different result.

    The concern is that the flaws in this team are growing too large to reasonably ignore. Injuries or not, Stuart Fairchild, Nick Martini, and Will Benson have been staples in the outfield for large chunks this season. Unfortunately they are batting .224, .212, and .187 respectively. There is simply no way to be a serious playoff contender with those numbers in your lineup on a regular basis. Though trading for a reliable outfield bat would be an important way to show fans that this team is serious about trying to contend, but to be honest one bat may not be nearly enough.

    Things have not gone to plan in 2024, that is an understatement. But this season has shown that the Reds cannot win without more help in the outfield/the bottom third of their order, and significant development from their young players. The good news is that there are two more series against the two worst teams in the National League (Colorado and Miami) before the All Star break that could stop the bleeding.

    And the Reds big win on Monday night could be the start of some good things for this ball club. It had everything that is electric that the fans love to see: breathtaking speed by Elly, home runs by young players just called up, lights out pitching, and an offense that scored when it counted most. In the end though, Reds fans have seen wins that got Great American Ballpark rocking, and they’ve seen sweeps. But they’ve yet to see a real, sustained turnaround from this club. Let’s hope one still might be in the cards because games like last night’s win against the Rockies was the type of baseball this city and its fans truly deserve on a consistent basis.

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    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.