End of the Road 2015: Cincinnati Reds
After the Chicago Cubs swept a double-header against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night, the Cincinnati Reds have been mathematically eliminated from the MLB postseason, meaning that they’ve effectively come to end of the road in their 2015 season. As we’ll do with each eliminated team this season, let’s give them a send-off that would make Boyz II Men proud.
[On this week’s StewPod: Jose Altuve joins us to talk about the surprising Astros.]
We’ll look at the high and lows of their season, what bright spots their future might hold and what questions need answering as they prepare for 2016.
HIGH POINT: Well, this is sad, but the last time the club was in first place this season was all the way back on April 14. The team was 5-3. Since then, it’s been downhill. Given that things have been mostly bad for the team most of the season, we’re going to point out one player here. Joey Votto’s second half has been amazing. Since the trade deadline, Votto has hit an incredible .325/.523/.617 over 172 plate appearances. The 32-year-old is guaranteed owed $199 million over the next eight seasons, so a return to his MVP numbers has to make fans feel better.
LOW POINT: Bringing this up again certainly doesn’t help the Reds, but it has to be Bryan Price’s 77 F-bomb tirade back in April. It all started after Price was asked about Devin Mesoraco. Mesoraco had been dealing with an injury at the time, and wasn’t with the team. Price was upset that the team’s opponent knew Mesoraco would not be available for that particular game, and lost his mind. Price didn’t have any other major outbursts this season, probably because this one featured enough curse words to make it through the entire year.
BEST HIGHLIGHT: Todd Frazier had a lot of great moments, but how can you beat his performance in front of the hometown fans in the Home Run Derby. The new format was fantastic, and the fans went absolutely nuts for Frazier. Even if you don’t root for the Reds, you were probably pulling for Frazier at the end.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: Votto isn’t young, but his return to putting up MVP-type numbers is encouraging. Both Raisel Iglesias and Anthony DeSclafani are young, and had effective rookie seasons in the rotation. John Lamb and Brandon Finnegan were acquired in the Johnny Cueto trade, and both could be useful next year. Robert Stephenson pitched well in the minors despite some injuries, and outfielder Jesse Winker had another productive season.
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QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING: Will Bryan Price survive after two subpar seasons at the helm? He’s been hit with injuries a fair amount during his tenure. Votto and Bruce missed time in Year 1, while Homer Bailey and Mesoraco missed a lot of time this season. Even with those guys healthy, it’s unclear whether the Reds will really be in contention next season. Price’s background is in pitching, and he could help bring along a young staff, but we’ve seen plenty of managers fired after two down years.
Footnote: The San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics are the next teams in line to be eliminated.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
