Kyle Schwarber didn’t end up back in Cincinnati, but the Reds clearly made their pitch - and it left an impression.
Before Philadelphia’s three-game series against the Reds, Schwarber spoke about the free-agency conversations he had with Cincinnati and made it clear the interest was real.
“My biggest thing was it wasn’t like they were just ploying. They were serious,” Schwarber told Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
He added, “Everyone was honest,” he said. “At the end of the day, when you walk away, it’s like, I have respect for them, and I feel like they have respect for me. There was nothing bad to say about it.”
For a Reds lineup that has spent much of the season near the bottom half of the league offensively, Schwarber would have been a major fit. Through 87 games, he’s hitting .252/.369/.561 and leads Major League Baseball with 30 extra-base hits. That kind of production would have changed the look of Cincinnati’s offense in a hurry.
In the end, though, the Reds weren’t willing to match the money the Phillies put on the table, and Schwarber stayed in Philadelphia, where he’s been for the last five years.
“I’ve got a place (Philly) that I’ve had a great time at, and I can’t be happier to be here,” he said. “Because there’s also the unfinished-business aspect of it all for me.”
While Schwarber’s offseason ended with a return to a familiar home, Andrew Abbott is building something of his own in Cincinnati.
Abbott had a rough start to the year, but he’s settled in since the end of April. On the season, the left-hander is 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA. Since April 30, that number drops to 2.71 over 66 1/3 innings pitched.
He’s also closing in on a notable milestone. Abbott enters his next outing with 94 career starts and needs six more to become the first Reds left-handed pitcher to reach 100 starts with the club since Tom Browning did it in 1994. Before Browning, the only other Reds lefties to hit that mark were John Smiley, Fred Norman, and Don Gullett.
In Other News...
Reds May Back Away From One Deadline Gamble For A Bigger Reason
The Reds have not tipped their hand ahead of the trade deadline, but the bigger picture around the league may be doing some of the talking for them. With future collective bargaining talks looming and the possibility of a salary cap in the mix, some front offices are already treating prospects as even more valuable than usual, which could make teams like Cincinnati think twice before parting with young talent for a short-term upgrade.
If the Reds drift out of the race, the more obvious move would be to shop players on expiring contracts rather than dip into the farm system. Around the league, names such as Nathaniel Lowe, Brady Singer, Pierce Johnson and Eugenio Surez are the kind of pieces that could change hands, but Cincinnati also has reason to be cautious after last years deadline misfire and may prefer to avoid another costly swing unless the rosters health and standings give it a clearer path. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Will Love Where Lenny Harris Just Popped Up
Lenny Harris turned up in an unexpected place recently, with Fox analyst Darren Fletcher bringing him up during a FIFA World Cup broadcast. For Reds fans, it was a nice reminder that Harris big-league story began in Cincinnati, where he debuted in 1988 before carving out a long career as one of the games most specialized hitters.
Harris still stands as the greatest pinch-hitter in MLB history, finishing with 212 pinch-hits across 18 seasons and eight teams. He also once explained the work behind that role, describing how he stayed ready with a routine built around staying loose and keeping his timing sharp, the kind of behind-the-scenes detail that helps explain how a player like that lasts. [Read more 🡒]