The Cincinnati Reds are set to take on the New York Yankees in a massive weekend series at Yankee Stadium. After taking the series against the New York Mets earlier this week, the Reds have a chance to hold bragging rights over the whole city with a strong performance this weekend.
It’s been a roller coaster of a season so far for the Reds. However, lately, it’s been a lot of downtime for the franchise. The series win over the Mets this week was the first series this team has won since they played the Mets back in May. It’s also the first time they’ve won back-to-back games since that same series with the Mets last month. Can they play the Mets every week?
Is this team an actual contender for a postseason spot? If the front office thinks so, then Jim Bowden of The Athletic has the one need the Reds need to address if they plan on being in a playoff race during the second half of the season.
In a piece on the most pressing need for each MLB team, Bowden has listed that the Reds need bullpen assistance.
“The Reds are focused on improving their bullpen and have significant minor-league infield depth to make that happen. They prefer to trade for relievers with control beyond this year rather than rentals, if possible,” wrote Bowdn.
Time and time again this season, the bullpen has let games slip from their fingers. Currently, the Reds bullpen is ranked the 26th best in the league, holding an ERA of 4.95. Simply put, if things stay that way, the team will be able to plan their trip to Cancun as soon as September ends.
But is this front office really going to be buyers at the deadline? Even if they were to add a couple of bullpen arms, the Reds are simply not going to be competitive enough for a postseason run. If anything, a Wild Card spot this season will look exactly like it did a year ago.
You remember? It was fun that the team made the playoffs, but with the Los Angeles Dodgers waiting in the wings, it was more of an “at least they made it” type of season.
Fixing the bullpen is a step in the right direction, but it’s not going to be enough to make this team competitive in 2026. As the trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see how this front office treats the future of the franchise.
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