The Cincinnati Reds are heading into the second half with little margin for error and a whole lot of frustration, but Emilio Pagán isn’t ready to call it quits.
Cincinnati sits at 43-52 after a first half that went off the rails, leaving the club 15 1/2 games out in the National League Central. That kind of hole has already pushed plenty of fans to the edge, but Pagán says the clubhouse hasn’t stopped believing the team can still put something together before the trade deadline.
“We’re not quite in as good of a spot as we were last year, but we weren’t in a good spot last year either. We’re sticking together," closer Emilio Pagán told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon in his latest Newsletter.
"We still believe in each other. We’re caring for each other and we’re doing our best to pick each other up on the tough days.
But that doesn’t mean that we’re not frustrated. Out of respect for our fanbase, I know they’re frustrated.
We’re just as frustrated, if not more.
"We didn’t make it easy on ourselves. We’re definitely behind the eight-ball in where we should be at this point in the season, but we’re capable of a big run.”
That’s the message from the bullpen, even if the math is brutal. If the Reds are going to keep postseason hopes alive, they’ll need to rip off something close to 15 wins in their next 20 games just to get the conversation going again.
The second-half schedule starts Friday night at Coors Field, where Cincinnati opens a three-game set against the Rockies. The pitching plan is Brady Singer in game one, Rhett Lowder in game two and Hunter Greene in game three, a choice that stands out as a questionable decision. After that, Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns are lined up to start the first two games in Seattle against the Mariners.
While the big-league club tries to claw back into relevance, two Reds prospects are making noise in Dayton. Tyson Lewis, the organization’s No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has jumped to High-A without much trouble. In his first 10 games with the Dragons, he’s hitting .295 with two home runs, going 13-for-44.
Peyton Stovall has been even hotter for a longer stretch. Since May 30, he’s been one of the toughest outs in the Midwest League, batting .330 with seven home runs, seven doubles, three triples, 27 RBIs and a 1.074 OPS. That OPS ranks fourth in the league over that span.
If those bats keep humming, Lewis and Stovall will be two names worth tracking closely over the rest of the season.
In Other News...
Reds Could Have A Yankees Trade Chip Fans Arent Expecting
With the August 3 deadline drawing closer, the Reds are in a position to listen on several players with expiring contracts, and the catching market has started to look especially interesting. New York is known to be hunting for a right-handed bat behind the plate, and the fit makes sense on paper because the Yankees have not gotten enough offense from Austin Wells to feel comfortable standing pat.
For Cincinnati, the appeal is that one of its more movable veterans brings both offensive indicators and defensive value that contenders tend to covet at this time of year. The bigger question is whether the Yankees can turn that interest into a deal without giving up the kind of prospect package the Reds would want, especially with other catching options around the league already looking difficult to pry loose. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Wont Like Where This Hunter Greene Rumor Is Going
Jim Bowdens latest take on Hunter Greene only adds to the noise around a Reds team trying to balance the present with what comes next. The former Cincinnati general manager noted that the club has not confirmed any plans to move its hard-throwing right-hander, but he also framed the conversation in the broader context of a roster that could be headed toward a deadline sell-off as the front office maps out future contention.
For Reds fans, Greene remains one of the most important pieces in the organization, and his season has offered both flashes of dominance and enough unevenness to keep the speculation alive. Bowden also pointed to Cincinnatis rotation depth, including Chase Burns, as part of the bigger picture, which is why the chatter around Greene feels so uneasy even before the deadline really heats up. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Steer Just Made The Reds Deadline Tension Even Worse
Spencer Steer keeps making the Reds front office decision even harder. In Tuesdays win, the versatile infielder went 2-for-4 with two home runs, including an inside-the-park shot that only added to the sense that he is doing exactly what a contender wants from a player in his spot. With the August 3 deadline approaching, Cincinnati still has to decide whether it is shopping pieces or trying to preserve the group that has kept this season from drifting into obvious seller territory.
The bigger question may not be about this week so much as 2027, when the Reds have to decide whether this core is built to matter in the long run. De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, Chase Burns, Hunter Greene and Sal Stewart are all under control for at least three more seasons, which makes a full teardown feel unlikely, but it also leaves the club with a tricky line to walk if it decides Steer is the kind of player it can afford to move. [Read more 🡒]