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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Reds find themselves in the thick of the race at the trade deadline
CINCINNATI — Up until the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds were never more than four games above .500, nor more than four games under .500. They won the first two games after the break to put them at 52-47 before losing their next three. But Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays put them a season-best six games over .500 at 56-50. Advertisement Entering the week of the trade deadline, the Reds have moved from a team that was on the periphery of contention to fully in contention, just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the third spot in the National League wild-card race. The Arizona Diamondbacks, 51-55, have already started selling, and the floundering St. Louis Cardinals have gone 3-7 since the break and could begin selling off their assets. That leaves the Reds in a prime position to try to improve their roster at the deadline. 'Wins at any time of the year are super important, but especially right now when decisions are being made,' Reds closer Emilio Pagán said after recording his 22nd save of the season Sunday. 'Some of the conversations I've had with (general manager) Brad (Meador) and (president of baseball operations) Nick (Krall), they're just as pumped as we are. They want to do something special here, too. This has been building now for a few years. I think the city and the organization is aware of that. We didn't do what we wanted to last year, but we're playing good baseball right now, and hopefully we can put ourselves in a spot to do something pretty cool.' The Reds expect starter Hunter Greene to return next month, which could help bolster a starting rotation that has been good of late. Right-hander Brady Singer added to the recent run of strong pitching performances Sunday against the Rays, allowing a run on three hits in 7 1/3 innings to improve to 8-8 on the season. Singer was one of the players with playoff experience that Krall and Meador brought in this past offseason, along with catcher Jose Trevino, outfielder Austin Hays and infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux. They also hired Terry Francona as manager. His resume includes three pennants and two World Series championships. 'We have a group of guys that are looking to make a push in the playoffs,' Singer said. 'The city deserves the playoffs as well.' Your Cincinnati Reds have won 10 of the last 14‼️#ATOBTTR — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 27, 2025 The Reds haven't made the playoffs since 2020, haven't made the playoffs in a full season since 2013 and haven't had a home playoff game since 2012. They haven't advanced in the postseason since 1995, and their last World Series title came in 1990. Only one player on the team was born when the Reds last won a World Series. Starter Nick Martinez was born Aug. 5, 1990, just months before the Reds swept the Athletics for the franchise's fifth title. Advertisement As far as deadline needs, the two things the Reds need the most are a power bat, preferably right-handed, and at least one more bullpen arm. Where will those come from? It's tough to say. It's unlikely Krall would mortgage the franchise's future to take a chance on this year's team, but he'll need to do more than the last time the team was in this position, 2023, when the biggest addition was lefty reliever Sam Moll. Though the Reds play their home games in one of the best home-run ballparks in the game, they rank 20th in total homers this season with 109. The Reds' slugging percentage of .393 ranks 18th in baseball. Francona has leaned heavily on the bullpen pieces he has, with Tony Santillan tied for the big-league lead with 51 appearances this season, including all three games against the Rays, and Scott Barlow's 49 appearances tied for seventh. Pagán also threw in all three games against the Rays. Francona has said he'll never publicly discuss team needs because that would be telling his current players that he doesn't think they're good enough. He has been the beneficiary of deadline deals before, however. In 2004, Francona was in his first year with the Boston Red Sox when the team dealt franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and got shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Minnesota Twins. Those two played large roles in the franchise's run to its first title since 1918. In 2016, Francona's Cleveland squad added left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees. Miller won the MVP of the American League Championship Series and set a record for the most consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever, with 15. He also struck out a record 29 batters in that postseason. So, although the Reds like what they have in the clubhouse, upgrades can pay big dividends. Advertisement In hockey, there's a 'Gordie Howe hat trick,' which consists of a goal, an assist and a fight, three things the Hall of Famer was known for. In Friday's game against the Rays, Reds center fielder TJ Friedl had a bunt single and a home run, the sixth time in his career he has done both in a game. How 'bout stealing a couple runs, @RedsCowboy? @TjFriedl1 — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 26, 2025 So, what would make a Friedl hat trick? 'I don't know, maybe robbing a homer,' said Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, who has played most of his professional career with Friedl. The home run was Friedl's 10th of the season and the 50th of his career. The bunt hit, in the fourth inning, was his big-league-leading eighth of the season and the 34th of his career. In 2023, Friedl had 17 bunt hits and 18 home runs. Francona said sometimes a bunt can help get a player going, as it did for Friedl. 'He wasn't feeling good swinging the bat,' Francona said of Friedl's performance Friday. 'But he found a way to be productive, got a bunt down and kept the line moving. And they can say what they want, you can talk numbers all you want, but mentally, it's like when a basketball player shoots a layup early, because then you start to feel it. I think there's something to that.' Heading into Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline for MLB Draft picks to sign, the Reds have inked 17 of their 20 picks from this month's draft to contracts, all but three high school players who were the team's final three picks. The unsigned picks are shortstop Ethan Moore from Illinois, RHP Myles Upchurch from Washington, D.C., and catcher Leamsi Montanez from Puerto Rico. Moore, a switch hitter, has committed to the University of Tennessee, where the Reds' top pick, shortstop Steele Hall, had committed before signing with the Reds. Upchurch, a 6-foot-4 pitcher, signed with the University of Alabama. Montanez, a left-handed hitter, is uncommitted. Advertisement After a disappointing series loss on the road to the Washington Nationals, the Reds rebounded to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays at home, finishing the week 4-2. It was their fifth series sweep of the season. Since May 15, the Reds have the fifth-best record in baseball, at 36-26, but just the third-best record in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers (40-20) and Cubs (36-24). Not only do the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for three games beginning Monday (with Shohei Ohtani starting opposite Nick Martinez on Wednesday), but the trade deadline is also Thursday at 6 p.m., with the Reds beginning their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. After a rare Friday day game, the Reds will head to Bristol, Tenn., to take on the Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Speedway Classic. • RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) is scheduled to make a start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday in Omaha, Neb. He is scheduled to throw 55 pitches and then pitch again Saturday. • RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) has begun playing catch and is scheduled to throw a bullpen later this week. • LHP Wade Miley (left flexor strain) has extended his throwing to 120 feet and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday. • RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) will miss the rest of the season and have elbow surgery soon, although the date has yet to be determined. • Triple-A Louisville (45-57): 3B Sal Stewart went 4-for-4 with two homers and a double (11 total bases) and scored three times Saturday. In nine games at Triple A, he has gone 10-for-36 (.278) with three homers. OF Héctor Rodríguez, who was promoted at the same time, is 14-for-34 (.411) with a home run and four doubles since being called up to the Bats. Rodríguez also has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) in his first 41 plate appearances, giving him an on-base percentage of .512. Advertisement • Double-A Chattanooga (52-40): RHP Trevor Kuncl, signed as a minor-league free agent from Mexico this past offseason, recorded his 14th save in Sunday's victory. Kuncl, 26, is 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA and has converted 14 of his 15 save opportunities. Over 29 appearances and 33 innings, he has allowed just 22 hits and four earned runs while striking out 31 and walking 12. • High-A Dayton (30-62): In an up-and-down season, RHP Luke Hayden had nearly identical back-to-back starts, including Friday's start against South Bend, when he allowed a run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. In his previous start, July 18 against Great Lakes, he gave up a run on two hits in five innings with three strikeouts and three walks. Hayden combined to throw just four innings in his first two starts of the month, allowing eight runs, including five on six walks on July 3 against Lake County. Overall, he's 2-5 with a 4.09 ERA, but batters are hitting just .204 against him. However, he has 51 walks and 61 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. • Class-A Daytona (43-50 before Sunday night's game): 3B Alfredo Alcantara made his Class-A debut Friday after being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. Alcantara, 19, had a pair of hits in each of his first two games with the Tortugas, including a double, a home run and three RBIs on Saturday. In Arizona, he hit .315/.444/.443 with two homers, 33 walks and 44 strikeouts in 44 games and 189 plate appearances. (Photo of Brady Singer: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
C. Notes: Reds find themselves in the thick of the race at the trade deadline
CINCINNATI — Up until the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds were never more than four games above .500, nor more than four games under .500. They won the first two games after the break to put them at 52-47 before losing their next three. But Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays put them a season-best six games over .500 at 56-50. Advertisement Entering the week of the trade deadline, the Reds have moved from a team that was on the periphery of contention to fully in contention, just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the third spot in the National League wild-card race. The Arizona Diamondbacks, 51-55, have already started selling, and the floundering St. Louis Cardinals have gone 3-7 since the break and could begin selling off their assets. That leaves the Reds in a prime position to try to improve their roster at the deadline. 'Wins at any time of the year are super important, but especially right now when decisions are being made,' Reds closer Emilio Pagán said after recording his 22nd save of the season Sunday. 'Some of the conversations I've had with (general manager) Brad (Meador) and (president of baseball operations) Nick (Krall), they're just as pumped as we are. They want to do something special here, too. This has been building now for a few years. I think the city and the organization is aware of that. We didn't do what we wanted to last year, but we're playing good baseball right now, and hopefully we can put ourselves in a spot to do something pretty cool.' The Reds expect starter Hunter Greene to return next month, which could help bolster a starting rotation that has been good of late. Right-hander Brady Singer added to the recent run of strong pitching performances Sunday against the Rays, allowing a run on three hits in 7 1/3 innings to improve to 8-8 on the season. Singer was one of the players with playoff experience that Krall and Meador brought in this past offseason, along with catcher Jose Trevino, outfielder Austin Hays and infielder/outfielder Gavin Lux. They also hired Terry Francona as manager. His resume includes three pennants and two World Series championships. 'We have a group of guys that are looking to make a push in the playoffs,' Singer said. 'The city deserves the playoffs as well.' Your Cincinnati Reds have won 10 of the last 14‼️#ATOBTTR — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 27, 2025 The Reds haven't made the playoffs since 2020, haven't made the playoffs in a full season since 2013 and haven't had a home playoff game since 2012. They haven't advanced in the postseason since 1995, and their last World Series title came in 1990. Only one player on the team was born when the Reds last won a World Series. Starter Nick Martinez was born Aug. 5, 1990, just months before the Reds swept the Athletics for the franchise's fifth title. Advertisement As far as deadline needs, the two things the Reds need the most are a power bat, preferably right-handed, and at least one more bullpen arm. Where will those come from? It's tough to say. It's unlikely Krall would mortgage the franchise's future to take a chance on this year's team, but he'll need to do more than the last time the team was in this position, 2023, when the biggest addition was lefty reliever Sam Moll. Though the Reds play their home games in one of the best home-run ballparks in the game, they rank 20th in total homers this season with 109. The Reds' slugging percentage of .393 ranks 18th in baseball. Francona has leaned heavily on the bullpen pieces he has, with Tony Santillan tied for the big-league lead with 51 appearances this season, including all three games against the Rays, and Scott Barlow's 49 appearances tied for seventh. Pagán also threw in all three games against the Rays. Francona has said he'll never publicly discuss team needs because that would be telling his current players that he doesn't think they're good enough. He has been the beneficiary of deadline deals before, however. In 2004, Francona was in his first year with the Boston Red Sox when the team dealt franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs and got shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Minnesota Twins. Those two played large roles in the franchise's run to its first title since 1918. In 2016, Francona's Cleveland squad added left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees. Miller won the MVP of the American League Championship Series and set a record for the most consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever, with 15. He also struck out a record 29 batters in that postseason. So, although the Reds like what they have in the clubhouse, upgrades can pay big dividends. Advertisement In hockey, there's a 'Gordie Howe hat trick,' which consists of a goal, an assist and a fight, three things the Hall of Famer was known for. In Friday's game against the Rays, Reds center fielder TJ Friedl had a bunt single and a home run, the sixth time in his career he has done both in a game. How 'bout stealing a couple runs, @RedsCowboy? @TjFriedl1 — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 26, 2025 So, what would make a Friedl hat trick? 'I don't know, maybe robbing a homer,' said Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, who has played most of his professional career with Friedl. The home run was Friedl's 10th of the season and the 50th of his career. The bunt hit, in the fourth inning, was his big-league-leading eighth of the season and the 34th of his career. In 2023, Friedl had 17 bunt hits and 18 home runs. Francona said sometimes a bunt can help get a player going, as it did for Friedl. 'He wasn't feeling good swinging the bat,' Francona said of Friedl's performance Friday. 'But he found a way to be productive, got a bunt down and kept the line moving. And they can say what they want, you can talk numbers all you want, but mentally, it's like when a basketball player shoots a layup early, because then you start to feel it. I think there's something to that.' Heading into Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline for MLB Draft picks to sign, the Reds have inked 17 of their 20 picks from this month's draft to contracts, all but three high school players who were the team's final three picks. The unsigned picks are shortstop Ethan Moore from Illinois, RHP Myles Upchurch from Washington, D.C., and catcher Leamsi Montanez from Puerto Rico. Moore, a switch hitter, has committed to the University of Tennessee, where the Reds' top pick, shortstop Steele Hall, had committed before signing with the Reds. Upchurch, a 6-foot-4 pitcher, signed with the University of Alabama. Montanez, a left-handed hitter, is uncommitted. Advertisement After a disappointing series loss on the road to the Washington Nationals, the Reds rebounded to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays at home, finishing the week 4-2. It was their fifth series sweep of the season. Since May 15, the Reds have the fifth-best record in baseball, at 36-26, but just the third-best record in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers (40-20) and Cubs (36-24). Not only do the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for three games beginning Monday (with Shohei Ohtani starting opposite Nick Martinez on Wednesday), but the trade deadline is also Thursday at 6 p.m., with the Reds beginning their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. After a rare Friday day game, the Reds will head to Bristol, Tenn., to take on the Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Speedway Classic. • RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) is scheduled to make a start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday in Omaha, Neb. He is scheduled to throw 55 pitches and then pitch again Saturday. • RHP Ian Gibaut (right shoulder impingement) has begun playing catch and is scheduled to throw a bullpen later this week. • LHP Wade Miley (left flexor strain) has extended his throwing to 120 feet and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday. • RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) will miss the rest of the season and have elbow surgery soon, although the date has yet to be determined. • Triple-A Louisville (45-57): 3B Sal Stewart went 4-for-4 with two homers and a double (11 total bases) and scored three times Saturday. In nine games at Triple A, he has gone 10-for-36 (.278) with three homers. OF Héctor Rodríguez, who was promoted at the same time, is 14-for-34 (.411) with a home run and four doubles since being called up to the Bats. Rodríguez also has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) in his first 41 plate appearances, giving him an on-base percentage of .512. Advertisement • Double-A Chattanooga (52-40): RHP Trevor Kuncl, signed as a minor-league free agent from Mexico this past offseason, recorded his 14th save in Sunday's victory. Kuncl, 26, is 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA and has converted 14 of his 15 save opportunities. Over 29 appearances and 33 innings, he has allowed just 22 hits and four earned runs while striking out 31 and walking 12. • High-A Dayton (30-62): In an up-and-down season, RHP Luke Hayden had nearly identical back-to-back starts, including Friday's start against South Bend, when he allowed a run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. In his previous start, July 18 against Great Lakes, he gave up a run on two hits in five innings with three strikeouts and three walks. Hayden combined to throw just four innings in his first two starts of the month, allowing eight runs, including five on six walks on July 3 against Lake County. Overall, he's 2-5 with a 4.09 ERA, but batters are hitting just .204 against him. However, he has 51 walks and 61 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. • Class-A Daytona (43-50 before Sunday night's game): 3B Alfredo Alcantara made his Class-A debut Friday after being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. Alcantara, 19, had a pair of hits in each of his first two games with the Tortugas, including a double, a home run and three RBIs on Saturday. In Arizona, he hit .315/.444/.443 with two homers, 33 walks and 44 strikeouts in 44 games and 189 plate appearances. (Photo of Brady Singer: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Reds to Promote Chase Burns, Former No. 2 Draft Pick
Cincinnati Reds to Promote Chase Burns, Former No. 2 Draft Pick originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Welcome to the majors, rook. Your first assignment? The New York Yankees. Chase Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in in the 2024 MLB Draft, will be called up later this week by the Cincinnati Reds to make his big-league debut. Burns will be penciled in to make his big-league debut against the Bronx Bombers. Advertisement Burns is the No. 12 prospect in baseball, according to ESPN's Top 50 rankings. He is 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 66 innings since being drafted out of Wake Forest. He pitched for Tennessee for a bulk of his collegiate career before transfering. "We're trying to give ourselves every chance to win and be in this, and right now, we feel like Chase gives us the best chance, and it's time to go," Reds general manager Brad Meador told the Cincinnati Enquirer. Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Reds entered Sunday's games with a 39-38 record, in fourth-place in the National League Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs. But Cincinnati is just three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers for the final wild-card spot in the NL. Advertisement Burns will likely take the rotation spot of Wade Miley, who was placed on the injured list Friday with a flexor strain. The spot Tuesday originally belonged to Nick Martinez, but the Reds used Martinez in a relief role Saturday. It's possible Cincinnati keeps Martinez, who carries a 7.52 ERA in June, in a relief role, as well. "Trying to figure out when the time is right is always the toughest part. You never know for sure when a guy's ready," Meador told the Enquirer. "But he's (Burns) obviously pitched as well as you could possibly hope in the first year of professional baseball, and he seems to be getting stronger. Even when a guy's ready, you never know, but he's passed every test. I don't think he's going to be overwhelmed by the situation, for sure." Related: Max Scherzer Sends Uncertain Message After Major Blue Jays News Related: Ex-Phillies Fan Favorite Gets Update on Brewers Future Amid Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Reds to call up top prospect Chase Burns to debut Tuesday vs. New York Yankees
ST. LOUIS – Chase Burns, meet Aaron Judge. And welcome to the big leagues. Just 13 starts into his professional career, Burns, the Cincinnati Reds' polished right-hander drafted No. 2 overall less than a year ago is getting called up from Triple-A Louisville to make his major-league debut Tuesday at home against the New York Yankees. Chase Burns pitching for Wake Forest before the Reds drafted him second overall last year. Burns, 22, has dominated at three minor-league levels this season, going 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings across those 13 starts. He's expected to join the team Monday, on the taxi squad, before being activated Tuesday. Advertisement 'We're trying to give ourselves every chance to win and be in this, and right now we feel like Chase gives us the best chance, and it's time to go,' Reds general manager Brad Meador said. The move comes on the heels of losing Wade Miley the injured list Friday with a flexor tendon tear, and in the midst of a lengthy IL stretch for ace Hunter Greene (groin). 'Our guys have fought back and had a good run here, and then losing Hunter and then losing Wade,' Meador said, 'it might have come a little quicker than we wanted. But I think he's ready.' Burns gets almost as much praise from evaluators for his makeup and competitiveness as for his hard fastball and polished breaking stuff. Advertisement Meador said team officials started plotting possible debut timeframes about two weeks ago. When the more recent need arose over the weekend, the decision started to become clear. At which point, Tuesday's opponent became part of the discussion. 'But we decided that if there's anyone that you can feel can handle it, I feel really good about him,' Meador said. 'He's not going to back down from it, I promise." Burns' timeline from draft to the big leagues is quicker than any draft pick in recent memory. Even Rhett Lowder, the 2023 No. 7 overall pick who debuted last year, didn't make his first MLB appearance until August last year. Chase Burns, right, talks with fellow Wake Forest product Rhett Lowder, center, in spring training. Burns, 22, has dominated at three minor-league levels this season, going 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66 innings across those 13 starts. 'Trying to figure out when the time is right is always the toughest part,' Meador said. 'You never know for sure when a guy's ready. But he's obviously pitched as well as you could possibly hope in the first year of professional baseball, and he seems to be getting stronger. Advertisement 'Even when a guy's ready you never know, but he's passed every test. I don't think he's going to be overwhelmed by the situation, for sure.' Burns spent his longest stretch at Double-A Chattanooga this season, going 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA in eight starts before the last promotion. He started just twice for Louisville since then, earning the win in one of the starts and allowing three runs in 12 1/3 innings (2.19 ERA). Meador said workload management might come into play for Burns as he continues his first year of pro ball one year after a college career-high of 100 innings. 'The one thing that we've talked about that we feel very strong about is getting him to the end of the season and not having to shut him down early because of innings or pitches,' said Meador, who added that might involve creativity this summer. 'We'll see how it goes and get to the All-Star break and talk through it more.' Advertisement After Tuesday's debut, his next start would be against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds debut on tap for top prospect Chase Burns vs. Yankees
