The Cincinnati Reds’ long-shot bid to remain in the National League wild-card race resumes on Friday, when they begin a critical 10-day, nine-game trip with a matchup against the Colorado Rockies.
Eight games out of the final wild-card spot, the Reds are 23-41 since May 1 and will likely be sellers ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.
The situation is clearer with the Rockies, who will certainly be sellers after entering the All-Star break with a National League-worst record of 39-59.
The Rockies will need to go 24-40 (.375) in order to avoid their fourth straight 100-loss season.
The looming trade deadline has led to speculation that several Colorado players could be on the move, including outfielder Mickey Moniak, who is batting .278 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs.
“It’s just where your feet are at all times,” Moniak said. “I don’t have any control whether I get traded or not. Nobody in this clubhouse has any control whether they get traded or not.
“You know, I love being a Rockie. I love being in Colorado. I love this team, and you know that it’s a place I would love to be for the rest of my career.”
The Reds also have a number of players who could be on the move if the team falls out of contention. Tyler Stephenson, Eugenio Suarez, Nathaniel Lowe, Caleb Ferguson, Brock Burke, Brady Singer and Pierce Johnson will all be free agents at the end of the season.
One player who won’t be traded is right-handed starting pitcher Chase Burns, who reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension with Cincinnati on Thursday.
Closer Emilio Pagan acknowledged the uphill battle ahead but expressed confidence in the Reds’ ability to stay in the race.
“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves,” Pagan said. “We’re definitely behind the eight-ball in where we should be at this point in the season, but we’re capable of a big run.”
The Reds will send right-hander Singer (3-9, 4.72 ERA) to the mound in the opener of the three-game series against Colorado rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-0, 3.00).
Singer, 29, turned in one of his best outings of the season last Thursday in a 1-0 home loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed one run over a season-high 7 1/3 innings while throwing 89 pitches.
“From the very get-go, he was establishing strike one and his breaking ball was probably as good as we’ve seen. He got a lot of early outs,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “I thought he pitched his heart out.”
Over his last seven starts, Singer has posted a 2.79 ERA with 40 strikeouts against 15 walks in 38 2/3 innings while going 1-4.
Willi Castro is a career 5-for-21 (.238) with two home runs against Singer, who is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts versus Colorado.
The Rockies will counter with Hughes, who made his first major league start last Wednesday, allowing three runs over six innings in a no-decision against the host Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hughes, 24, retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced in his second career appearance. He tossed three scoreless innings in relief against the San Francisco Giants on July 3 to earn his first save.
The right-handed Hughes was taken 10th overall by the Rockies in the 2022 MLB Draft.
–Field Level Media
