Ron Marinaccio’s trip through the NL Central has turned into a strange little snapshot of where the Pirates and Reds are right now.
Pittsburgh picked up the right-handed reliever from the Padres on July 23, used him in four games, and then designated him for assignment before watching Cincinnati claim him on Aug. 6.
In between, Marinaccio allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Pirates. His last appearance in black and gold came on Aug. 2 against the Reds, the same game that helped underline just how fast the division’s mood had changed.
By the time Marinaccio got into that one, the Pirates were already down 7-1. They had lost two of three to Cincinnati, were 6-9 since the All-Star break, and were hanging onto postseason hope at 3 1/2 games back of the final Wild Card spot.
The Reds, meanwhile, were sitting in the division cellar. Pittsburgh went on to lose 10-2, and that game now feels like it could end up being one of the defining blows to the Pirates’ playoff push.
Marinaccio himself isn’t likely to swing the race one way or the other on pure performance. His -6 run value and the fact that this has been the worst season of his career say plenty about where his game is right now. What matters more is what his move says about the moment both clubs are living in.
At the deadline, the Pirates overhauled their bullpen to chase a postseason berth. The Reds mostly held their ground even after a disappointing season. Less than a week later, the picture looks flipped: Pittsburgh can be framed as the deadline loser, while Cincinnati suddenly looks sharp for standing pat.
There’s also a longer view here. Marinaccio is on a pre-arbitration contract, which means the Reds could control him for three more seasons before free agency.
He’s out of options, so if Cincinnati keeps him, he has to stay on the big-league roster. If that happens, the Pirates may end up facing the very reliever who arrived as part of a short-lived experiment and wound up serving as a reminder of how quickly a season can turn.
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