The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have been a member of the National League since 1882 and they were one of eight charter members of Major League Baseball. Despite being arguably America’s most storied franchise, their history has been marred by ineptitude: The only World Series wins came in 1975 and 1990 which accounted for just three total championship titles over nearly 130 years. How will this be different next year with the announcement that Alex Castellanos is now bullpen coach?
The “cincinnati baseball team” is a joke. The Cincinnati Reds have been a laughingstock for quite some time and it seems like they will always be.
Let’s have some fun with a little game. Assume you’re a front office official for a Major League Baseball club. Your team hasn’t won a postseason series in almost 27 years, and your fans are anxious for anything to happen.
You’d undoubtedly go to great lengths to make your team a contender, right?
If you work for the Cincinnati Reds, that is not the case.
The Reds, the MLB’s first club, have a long and illustrious history. They won their first World Series in 1919, and the Big Red Machine dynasty reigned supreme in the 1970s. However, Cincy has been a shambles for over three decades, and ownership seemed unconcerned.
The Reds are effectively throwing it all up again after half-heartedly developing a successful club the previous two years. Despite just having one playoff participation and no postseason victories to show for it, they look to be on the verge of another rebuild.
For decades, the Cincinnati Reds have been inconsequential.
On July 3, 2021, Cincinnati Reds players Eugenio Suarez (left), Kyle Farmer, Joey Votto, and Jonathan India play against the Chicago Cubs. | Getty Images/Jamie Sabau
The last time the Reds won a postseason series was in 1995. They advanced to the NLCS that year, but were defeated 4-0 by the Atlanta Braves.
They’ve been perpetual losers since since.
The Reds have only reached the playoffs four times in the past 25 seasons. COVID-19 prevented supporters from attending games during the 2020 season, and this was one of those excursions. During that time, they have also failed to win a single postseason series and have had a losing record in 20 of the previous 31 seasons.
So, what’s the deal with them being so bad?
They’ll blame it on the fact that they’re a small market club, according to the front office. The Reds have a history of developing good players in their farm system only to release them when the time comes to pay them. Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman are two of the most well-known names that spring to mind.
Cincy, on the other hand, seemed to be adjusting its tactics a few seasons ago. The group began spending money and enlisted the help of a few well-known figures.
However, it turned out to be a deception.
Cincy’s title hopes lasted a total of two seasons.
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden} html,bodyheight:100% img,spanposition:absolute;width:100% ;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyhe spanheight:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow
Between 2015 and 2019, the Reds had six consecutive losing seasons, four of which saw them lose more than 90 games.
However, it seemed in 2019 that they were finally attempting to develop a winning baseball team. They added pitcher Sonny Gray as well as batters Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to their roster. Cincy then traded Puig for Trevor Bauer, an outstanding pitcher.
The next summer, the club made one of the most significant free-agent signings in franchise history. The Reds added Wade Miley to their rotation and signed Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas to four-year, $64 million contracts.
During the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, it resulted in a playoff spot. However, they were defeated 2-0 by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Round.
Cincy had to let Bauer, the 2020 Cy Young Award winner, depart in free agency, but the team showed potential last season. It finished 83-79, almost missing out in the playoffs.
The Reds were just a few pieces away from becoming really competitive.
However, they have subsequently opted to restart the rebuilding process.
Despite tossing a no-hitter last year, the Cincinnati Reds did not take up Miley’s $10 million club option in November, and the Chicago Cubs claimed him off waivers. (Yes, he was a waste of time for the team.) Tucker Barnhart, a Gold Glove catcher, was also sent to the Detroit Tigers.
However, the Reds’ latest moves have been even more baffling.
Gray was transferred to the Minnesota Twins on March 13th. In exchange, they obtained an 18-year-old potential.
Cincy also essentially revealed that it has no intention of signing All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos. On March 12, general manager Nick Krall said the team had not “been engaged with his representatives,” per The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans.
So, why are all of their stars being given away? “We’re matching our salary with our resources,” Krall stated in November (h/t Cincinnati.com).
To put it another way, they’re inexpensive.
The Reds haven’t stopped insulting their supporters.
#Reds fans have been anxiously waiting to see if Nick Castellanos will return to Great American Ballpark
That’s what makes today’s news from Nick Krall hard to swallow. The Reds haven’t had contact with the All-Star’s reps but continue to try and fill out the roster @Local12 pic.twitter.com/C4FhiOGFHn
— Chris Renkel (@Chris_Renkel) March 13, 2022
In 2006, Bob Castellini took over as owner of the Reds.
“We’re purchasing the Reds to win,” he declared at the time (h/t Cincinnati Business Courier). Anything less is unacceptably unacceptable.”
So, why does it seem like he’s doing all he can to lose?
Fans are smarter than he thinks, and they understand that the front office’s personnel changes are just a method of being cheap and not caring about winning. Why would the Reds deal Sonny Gray, a strong starter, for an 18-year-old who is unlikely to play for many years?
Yes, it is tough to compete in a tiny market. That is why clubs in a huge market, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, are constantly competitive.
The Cleveland Guardians, on the other hand, play in a similar market to the Reds and have advanced to the World Series three times since the Reds’ previous postseason victory.
What’s the best way to describe that?
Cash flow is reduced when you lose. You won’t have any money to spend if your followers aren’t interested in your goods. Cincinnati’s head staff, on the other hand, must be attempting to deceive its fans into believing the club is still (slightly) interested in winning.
“We’re attempting to remove peaks and troughs, that’s where we need to go,” Krall stated on March 12 (h/t Cincinnati.com). We need to find out how to keep adding to our player pipeline, player development, and scouting efforts.”
Wait, you want to do rid of peaks as well? So you want to be a mediocre person?
Fans understand simple terminologies, thus to assume that they would skim through “peaks” and concentrate on “elimination” and “valleys” while reading your remark is insulting to their intellect. Either tell them you’re starting again or that you’re going for broke.
Nobody wants to be average.
Overall, the Reds have a devoted support base that has seen them through a lot in the previous 25 years. Cincinnati, on the other hand, has to start striving to win or risk losing all of its followers sooner rather than later.
RELATED: Pete Rose Reveals the Pitcher Who Always Laughed at Him When He Got Him Out
