The second half

[Hit-n-Run]

The Cubs and Pirates are making a run at the division. The Brew Crew is sputtering and even the 4th place Cards are only 4 GB.

I'd guess most of the money would be bet on the Cubs winning the Central, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Pirates were to sneak in there.

 

[JohnU]

The Cubs and Pirates are making a run at the division. The Brew Crew is sputtering and even the 4th place Cards are only 4 GB.

I'd guess most of the money would be bet on the Cubs winning the Central, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Pirates were to sneak in there.

I see this as a 3-team race with the Brewers coughing it up. If the Cards plan to make a run at it, they have to get to 3rd place before they can get to 2nd. I don't see the Parrots as being a contender despite their record. Cubs have a steady lineup as a rule and have the means to get another pitcher.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I'd agree the Brewers are not going to win the division. We've see this upstart team faltering scenario many times before.

Every team in this division could use another pitcher. The Brewers and the Pirates are the least likely to trade prospects for a pitcher. The Brewers have the top rated farm system in the NL- c, but I think they're eyeing the future and value their prospects.

I like seeing teams in the division part with top prospects to acquire rental players. It narrows a team's resources to compete in later years.

 

[eburg5000]

The AS break came at the right time for the Cubs, and at a bad time for the Brewers. It broke the Brewers who were playing well, momentum, and the Cubs who were playing bad.

I figure the Reds will trade Cozart and get something like what they got from the Yankee's when the traded Chapman. nothing. That way they can at least get some players to fill their minors. Unless they decide to give him a contract, which I would think is very doubtful. Hell they may might even trade Scooter. He's do for arbitration, and he will probably get a hefty raise. That the Red probably won't want to pay.

But if they trade Scooter there may be a fan rebellion, because he is very popular with a lot of fans

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

I reached my breaking point. I love you Reds, but shit. I had enough for this season lol.

 

[JohnU]

I reached my breaking point. I love you Reds, but shit. I had enough for this season lol.

I am like the guy who tried 45,000 times to quit smoking. I will keep watching because it's what I do. But I am long past the point of giving a damn if Cingrani can get people out. If the dugout staff hasn't figured it out, no point in my saying anything. (And I think they HAVE decided that Cingrani is a lost cause.)

 

[eburg5000]

I'm retired and there just isn't much else to do.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I don't think this is a 3 team race. I*MO, It's always been a 1 team race and the Cubs aren't intending on breaking a sweat to the finish line "racing" against teams that can't play .500 to the finish. The Cubs underperformed all year, and compensated by adding some arms and ridding themselves of a 2nd string catcher that pointed out that Arietta allowed 7 SB's a game not him...Maddon has allowed the Cubs to have fallen into the all too familiar mode of winning followed by the idea that all it takes is showing up to do it again... unfortunately in this dead end division, they may be right...because they are the only team in the NLC that can pitch enough to win.

 

[Redsfan1507]

speaking of pitching, or lack thereof, not many teams have much pitching this year. The Astros are beating everyone with a starting rotation full of guys most would have expected to be pushing a 5.00 ERA's.

I think bullpens have become more important this year, even as closers have been less reliable than ever... many frontrunners have crappy pens too- Dusty's Nats have good SP, and bad BP..but enough bats and SP to at least get a 4 run lead. Ditto the offense but opposite (thin SP, deep BP) for the Yankees. I don't think it's coincidence the Giants have sunk without Bumgarner, Melancon and with Cueto pitching like Homer Bailey.... the Mets have finally run out of pitching miracles salvaged by TJ. The Cardinals don't appear to be intent on buying help, The Marlins can't, and I don't expect the Dodgers to thrive without Kershaw, or smoke and mirror surprises like the D-Backs or Brewers to come out on top, so I'm still picking those un-hurried Cubs in the NL... The NATS SHOULD win the NL, but I have zero confidence in Dusty's ability to stay out of the way long enough to win a post season series, with ANY team...and he's in that all too familiar last year of a 2 year deal, so watch out... He's likely to attempt a triple steal with 2 outs or go with a 2 man rotation in the NLCS ;/

I can't make an AL winner prediction yet, but whoever it is, I'd bet on them winning the WS. I haven't seen a lot of AL this year, but what I've seen in the NL makes me think the AL home WS advantage is more than is needed to trip up the NL this year.

 

[JohnU]

Reds keep trying to tell us they are only one Desclafani and one Finnegan away from having 3 other guys suddenly break out and become the rotation from Heaven. Now they can't trade Cozart and will lose Feldman and Storen, and aren't sure Peraza can actually play every day. Hamilton is a glove without a bat and all the talent in the minor leagues is in Pensacola.

I guess I am still buying into the Cubs since they are basically in first place now. But I think the churn will continue until the 2nd week of September. What it will do is freeze some teams into turning into fools gold. Their fans will keep hoping and they will all get the OK to at least design a playoff brochure. If you are 4 out with 20 to play, it pays to be in 2nd place, not 4th place.

 

[eburg5000]

The offense sense the AS break has been terrible. Maybe it's because of young players not used to the everyday grind of a ML season. There are a lot of 5+ ERA pitchers having career games against the Reds the last 12 games. The big 3 Votto Duvall and Schebler only have 1 homerun between them, And Schebler has about that many hits

I guess if it takes starting Stephenson every 5 day for the rest of the season, for the Reds management to realize that he is a bust. So be it. I think he will be out of baseball in 3 years or less. Then I've been wrong before maybe the light will come on.

 

[JohnU]

I guess if it takes starting Stephenson every 5 day for the rest of the season, for the Reds management to realize that he is a bust. So be it. I think he will be out of baseball in 3 years or less. Then I've been wrong before maybe the light will come on.

I think Price knew from the start of the season that Steveo was a bust but I also think the front office is jamming the guy down the manager's throat, probably for reasons that just say, 'he's our top draft pick from 2011 and we need to be able to evaluate that.' Hopefully, he can at least learn to pitch well enough to make the bullpen. I doubt that since bullpens are basically no longer starters who can't start.

 

[eburg5000]

The Reds make another guy with an ERA over 5.00 look like an ace. Not much good to say about this team right now.
I guess Cozart will remain with the team the rest of this year. Unless something happens today or tomorrow.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Sunday's game featured two starting pitchers traded for one another.

Straily and Castillo both pitched well, but you'd have to think the Marlins might have some level of regret over trading Castillo.

Another interesting name is Chris O'Grady. The Reds drafted him in the rule 5 last year and sent him back to LAA at the end of ST. He's made a couple starts against the Reds and pitched well his 2nd time around Thursday.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Jose Peraza might have finally gotten the message. He's been having some better AB's this week. He's been more patient and selective drawing some walks and subsequently has hit better.

I think he'll hit much better if he remains committed to being more selective at the plate. He's still only 23 years old, so hopefully this is a sign of some maturity as a hitter.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

July ends with a 8-18 mark for the Reds. Another month like that and this team may lose 100 games.

 

[JohnU]

Sunday's game featured two starting pitchers traded for one another.

Straily and Castillo both pitched well, but you'd have to think the Marlins might have some level of regret over trading Castillo.

Another interesting name is Chris O'Grady. The Reds drafted him in the rule 5 last year and sent him back to LAA at the end of ST. He's made a couple starts against the Reds and pitched well his 2nd time around Thursday.

I can't fault them on the OGrady move. Hell, the pitching staff at the time was looking real good.
In an alternate world Miami has Desclafani, Castillo and Jose Fernandez in their rotation. Now they have what we saw. Not much that can be fixed on these pitching staffs.

 

[JohnU]

July ends with a 8-18 mark for the Reds. Another month like that and this team may lose 100 games.

Early on, I was seeing a team that could win 13 games a month, not lose 18.
Price won't survive this because the ownership is getting edgy with the empty seats. They may or may not realize that a flawed roster and horrible pitching are hard to fix. They want profits and Price will pay for it.

 

[JohnU]

Unloading Cingrani only makes me unhappy because the guy never really amounted to anything. I give the Dodgers the rest of the year before they DFA the guy.
The 20-year-old catcher we got may be some useful organizational depth. I imagine Van Slyke was necessary to complete the deal. LA had too many guys on their roster.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think the Reds were going to non-tender Cingrani this fall, so getting a low level catching prospect beats getting nothing.....
I guess?

Why in the hell would any team want Tony Cingrani? Maybe their batting practice pitcher has a sore arm.