The Cincinnati Reds Roster is Set for Spring Training

[0] Nick Kroll has spoken.

[1] The Reds likely have the team that they are taking to Goodyear.

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[8] And I'm Steve.

[9] He's Jeff.

[10] And we are all mixed up on this Tuesday live show.

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[12] Anyway, we're lifelong Cincinnati Reds fans.

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[14] Been talking a lot about these Cincinnati Reds.

[15] On today's show, Nick Kroll has said that the Reds roster is largely set.

[16] So, how do you do?

[17] We'll grade the offseason to begin today's show.

[18] In a few minutes, we'll look at why the bullpen has exactly two open spots and who may be the favorites to land those open spots on the pen.

[19] And later on, we will get to your questions and comments on this podcast that is brought to you by FanDuel.

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[24] And where we will get started here, Steve, is that the roster.

[25] is said it's it nick crawl didn't like 1000 confirm that there are no more moves to be made he left the door open if something were to materialize basically if another team wants to give them a player like the giants gave them taylor rogers they're open for it but He said that the roster is largely set whenever he was talking with reporters on a Zoom call just this past weekend.

[26] No, I think we're probably in a spot where this is your team going to camp, and if we make another move, then it's going to have to be something we discuss internally.

[27] But I think, look, you're always looking to make some moves.

[28] I'd love to bring, you know, a couple more NRIs in just to compete for spots.

[29] I think the competition's really good.

[30] You know, you're always looking to some ways to make your club better.

[31] And this is no different, you know.

[32] It's probably don't have as much flexibility as obviously as you did last week.

[33] But, you know, I think there's some to add some NRIs and see what happens.

[34] So NRIs, non -roster invites to spring training.

[35] Minor league deal type things, yeah.

[36] You know, Jeff, here's the thing.

[37] I think that I can kind of see where Nick's coming from.

[38] You know, he's done, quite frankly, he's done kind of a lot with a little, if we're being honest.

[39] He had a little bit of money to spend.

[40] He did that.

[41] He managed to bolster the bullpen.

[42] He managed to bring in guys without really dipping into the prospect capital.

[43] That's been the thing that we've talked about, you know, when do they reach the point where they have to trade, you know, the prospect capital, the, the guys that are coming up in the system in order to bring somebody in.

[44] And I feel like he did a pretty good job in the players that he brought in.

[45] Now we didn't get our right -handed 40 home run hit and outfielder.

[46] That's really my wishlist.

[47] The only thing that was on it that did not materialize.

[48] It's the only thing that he didn't manage to go out and get.

[49] And for me, um, you know i've teetered on that you know what grade to give this team what grade to give this roster and you know last time we talked about this you know i was sitting at like a 79 .9 on the old -fashioned grading system where you know it's gonna round to a b minus but i still kind of wanted to score to see now that's before the deal with the giants that was basically cost the reds nothing as you say so now that that's done i'm i'm a solid mid b to b plus easy um i see somewhere in the chat someone reluctantly nathan here It says he's feeling generous and he's going to give them an A minus.

[50] I can't quite bring myself to go into an A because I didn't get my outfielder.

[51] And I really, that was the move that was going to make this off season a home run.

[52] That was the move that was going to make this roster really feel to me like it was built and ready to compete.

[53] And they didn't quite get there, but they did do good things.

[54] So B to B plus, I think is where I'm at right now, Jeff.

[55] I like the way that this roster is constructed.

[56] There's still a whole lot of, I hope.

[57] associated with it that's just the way that it's going to be and i hope that nick cross hope is placed in the right places and this team actually performs well your hope and my hope and everyone's hope and hope and hope but you know i i agree with you i think it's a b i think that sure the reds could have gotten better but i think they had a solid off season i've seen a lot of different criticisms on social media in the comment section and all kinds of stuff, talking about why didn't the Reds go get Anthony Santander?

[58] Why didn't the Reds, why aren't the Reds going to go after Pete Alonzo or Alex Bregman?

[59] And here's the deal.

[60] Nick Kroll was given.

[61] a budget.

[62] He was not given a blank check.

[63] He was told to go to the grocery store and he had to keep it within a certain amount of dollars.

[64] And he went for the deals.

[65] He went for the sort of manager specials in some cases to bring in some more talent to this roster.

[66] Is it better?

[67] Yes.

[68] The team is getting healthier and the team added some talent.

[69] Did they add as much as we would have hoped?

[70] I would say no, but I don't.

[71] belabor that point like i think that nick crawl did the best with what he had like you said i give him a b and i also look at the fact like the the taylor rogers deal the gavin lux trade that nick crawl did a very good job of taking advantage of situations where teams were not necessarily giving away players but they weren't really looking to trade for a whole lot the white socks by all reports want everything for louise robert Anthony Santander wanted a five -year deal.

[72] Teoscar Hernandez wanted to go to LA or bust.

[73] So you really would have had to convince him otherwise.

[74] Pete Alonzo's wanting like 20 to 25 million.

[75] And there's a lot of people that think he's just going to go back to the Mets anyway.

[76] So there's so many different situations out there that Nick Kroll would have had to overpay and maybe stretch the envelope too much.

[77] And I understand why he didn't do that.

[78] The Reds, as much as we...

[79] Hate this term.

[80] It is reality.

[81] They are not a money bag team.

[82] So you've got to work with what you're given.

[83] You can't play poker with someone else's hand.

[84] And that's what Nick Crawl is doing.

[85] He's got his cards.

[86] And I feel like he played them very solidly this offseason.

[87] You know, I go back to that graphic that our buddy can obscure X red shared earlier in the off season.

[88] That was from Forbes, where if you look at percentages, if you look at percentages of revenue spent income spent, I can't remember how it was broken down, Jeff.

[89] It was either revenue for the team or income for the team.

[90] Some, some Mark that Forbes used and you compare the reds to the Dodgers there at the time that that graphic was produced.

[91] They were about the same.

[92] us percentages go right like obviously not obviously not total dollars but as percentages go the reds were spending the same percentage of the income as the dodgers were spending percentage of income on the roster on the roster so that kind of says a lot you know we talk about big markets small markets and we want to dismiss that but there is some reality to the fact of you can only spend what you have and for me um you know we've we've talked about how we wish the reds would have not sold from the lender group when they did like that lender would have hung on to him a few more years because the ownership group that would have been able to afford the team then would be much better positioned than the ownership group that owns the team now so those are the differences that's where we are but you're absolutely right in that nick crawl has done you know his job with what was handed to him and I can think of several really crass analogies that I can't use right now about polishing things and making them shine.

[93] But Nick Kroll did a fairly good job.

[94] I mean, if we review what he went out and did, some of the moves, I think that the Brady Singer -Jonathan India trade was a great trade.

[95] It brought a proven, healthy talent to the starting rotation.

[96] It's not a, it wasn't a hold up the Jersey press conference type of move, but it really solidified that group of starting pitchers.

[97] And it gave you some flexibility with Graham Ashcraft.

[98] It gave you some flexibility with louder and petty and chase and not having to push guys to be better than they really are in the moment because you have a dire need.

[99] I love that move.

[100] I love what he's done with this bullpen.

[101] Now the guys that he's brought in, the guys that he's brought back.

[102] There's still some tinkering to be done out there.

[103] And I think Graham Ashcraft is part of that tinker.

[104] And I think this bullpen is going to be much better off for sustainability purposes, for the amount of innings they're going to need to cover.

[105] That bullpen is going to be much better situated for that in 2025 than it was in 2024.

[106] Position player wise.

[107] They addressed the outfield.

[108] They didn't do it the way we all think that they should have.

[109] And they didn't really address that power hitting team need, but they did go out and get somebody from the outside, which we were all starting to wonder, would they do that?

[110] Well, they did.

[111] So there's upgrade there.

[112] And the dominoes from that, that we talked about a week ago, Jeff, freeing up Spencer steer to play on the infield.

[113] Some allowing yourself to have a spare part.

[114] If the Stuart Fairchild half of.

[115] Frey child is either not ready to go on opening day or gets an injury along the way you've addressed that as well so so there was a gap there where it felt like the Reds weren't doing anything but but Nick Crow really has been kind of moving and shaking at a steady pace throughout the offseason and this team is better positioned to compete in 2025 than it was at the end of 2024 and really that's all you can ask for uh in a smaller market and that's why i give them a b and i i'm i'm ready for baseball jeff let's go when are we going to good let's go to good year what are we doing uh let's go wait not wait get get me back on the diamond but i tell you this you mentioned it and i really feel like nick crawl did a great job making this bullpen feel better, feel deeper.

[116] But I only feel like there are six spots that are spoken for, which gives you two spots to fill.

[117] And I think that we have our favorites.

[118] We'll tell you who they are coming up next.

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[138] All right, Steve, with this bullpen, the Reds have improved it.

[139] I think they did a great job of adding a huge quality arm in Taylor Rodgers.

[140] I wouldn't say that like the rest of the roster, I felt like Nick Kroll did a good job of adding quantity to.

[141] He didn't necessarily add quantity to the bullpen, but he added quality when he brought in Taylor Rodgers because now the top of the bullpen is a two -headed monster between Rodgers and Alexis Diaz.

[142] Hopefully Diaz kind of bounces back a little bit, cuts down on the walks, cuts down on the homers.

[143] And then you are talking about the Alexis Diaz from two years ago and not the guy that we saw in 2024.

[144] And then everything else kind of fills out below them.

[145] I look at this and I think we got six guys that you can pencil into the opening day roster, assuming health.

[146] We're assuming health with all of this.

[147] And then there's two spots that are open for business.

[148] Who are your favorites to land those two spots?

[149] Because there is quite a list of guys that are vying for these seats.

[150] Well, are you counting Graham Ashcraft as just a lock in the bullpen?

[151] Because if you're not, he's my guy.

[152] Then Graham Ashcraft is the guy I want in this bullpen.

[153] I'm still I see the talk out there that the Reds are going to use Nick Martinez like they used him last year.

[154] That is absolutely not going to happen.

[155] He is going to open the season in this rotation, and there's not going to be a spot for Graham Ashcraft.

[156] That's just the way that it's going to be.

[157] Graham Ashcraft, I think I'm 100 % dialed in on the fact that I don't believe that he can be a starting pitcher over the course of a full season the way that he pitches and his maximum effort, inability to dial it back, the kind of guy that he is.

[158] That intensity as an eighth inning guy in this bullpen, as a seventh and eighth inning guy in this bullpen, because he can give you multiple innings, give me that all day long.

[159] Now it will take him a little bit of time to find his lane and find his groove.

[160] And it will be interesting to see how the Reds use him in spring training, because if it were me, I would still stretch him out like a starting pitcher in spring.

[161] And let him go into the season.

[162] Terry Francona said he wants everybody that's a starting pitcher to go into opening day, being able to throw 90 or a hundred pitches.

[163] And I want to see Graham Ashcraft there also, but then use him in the bullpen and already have right out of the gate, a guy that can give you two or three innings immediately.

[164] That's a big deal for this bullpen.

[165] You're absolutely right about Taylor Rogers.

[166] I look at this, this combination of Rogers and Diaz as closer one, a one B. I don't necessarily see them as a one -two punch in the same game, but I'm using those guys opposite days.

[167] I'm always having one of them available to come out of the bullpen.

[168] It just seems to me that that's the perfect back end of this bullpen.

[169] I add Graham Ashcraft, and then everybody else in this bullpen gets put into a role that's more suited for their talents.

[170] Instead of seeing Brent Suter coming in the seventh and the eighth, he's your sixth inning guy now.

[171] He's your first dude out of the bullpen that can give you a couple innings to stretch you.

[172] into the seventh or eighth inning.

[173] And I love that role for him.

[174] I like the way this bullpen is constructed now.

[175] And I think that once Graham Ashcraft settles into that lane, the back end of this bullpen is pretty intimidating.

[176] You get Graham Ashcraft all pissed off and ready to throw hard.

[177] And then you got to go to Diaz or Rogers.

[178] That's a great one -two punch.

[179] Yeah.

[180] And I think that you can kind of lay it out.

[181] I mean, Diaz, Rogers, you've got Brent Suter, you've got Sam Maul.

[182] Uh, you've got Emilio Pagan and you've got Tony Santino or the six that I'm penciling.

[183] And I agree with you.

[184] I think Graham Ashcraft is perfect for the bullpen.

[185] And I kind of think of him as like a Tony Singrani or an Amir Garrett, where it was like, yeah, he started out in the rotation, but we figured out he was much better in the bullpen.

[186] And I think that's what we're going to find out about Graham.

[187] Same like Tony Santino, right?

[188] Yep.

[189] Yep.

[190] Tony Santino as, as well.

[191] Like there's, there's plenty of.

[192] of different examples that we can kind of point back to and I think that Graham Ashcraft is another guy that we're going to add to that list but I don't necessarily think of it as a bad thing because think of what happened to guys like Singrani and Amir Garrett I know Amir Garrett kind of fizzled out there the last couple of years but for a few years he was a lockdown relief pitcher and I feel like we could see that from Graham Ashcraft's repertoire as well which means that last spot It's probably going to be a little bit of a debate because the Reds added Ian Jabot on a non -roster invite.

[193] Nick Kroll said very plainly, and I forgot to clip this.

[194] I should have clipped it.

[195] But he said very plainly that he expects Ian Jabot to compete for a spot on the 26 -man roster during spring training.

[196] So he is on the list.

[197] Brian Shaw was brought in here about a month ago on a non -roster invite.

[198] I mean, a really good working relationship with Terry Francona was on the Cleveland roster whenever they went to the World Series in 2016.

[199] He's been around.

[200] He hasn't been very good for a couple of years.

[201] Maybe he finds something and kind of dials the clock back a little bit.

[202] I kind of look at him as my favorite to land that last spot.

[203] There's some other younger guys that are interesting, guys like Jasper Zulueta or a Zach Maxwell and a long shot of Luis May. Nick Kroll was also asked about Luis May, and he expects him to begin the year in Louisville and maybe come up at some point.

[204] But I really feel like the Reds are spoiled for choice here in this last bullpen spot.

[205] And I think ultimately they will give it to a veteran, but we'll see plenty of the young guys throughout the season.

[206] What do you think happens with Alex Young?

[207] That's another name that we didn't talk about, but another guy that's been brought back.

[208] He's been really good at times.

[209] There was a stretch.

[210] that he was money out of the reds bullpen and you know he has some talent i don't know that i can see him unseating any of the other lefties that are in the bullpen right now but what about four lefties in the bullpen that'd be fine that would be something if half of your bullpen is left -handed that would be almost unprecedented but uh i don't know who you would i don't know who you would give a spot to for him uh but talk about a really good insurance policy If he just kind of hangs around with the team and is willing to go to Louisville to kind of start things off, what a great insurance policy.

[211] If I remember right, and I'm looking this up so that I don't sound completely foolish, which I do often, but I try to win every now and then.

[212] He doesn't have super hard and fast splits.

[213] He can only throw to left -handers and he's horrible against right -handers.

[214] He could be useful in all situations, so he could earn that spot.

[215] Not an old -school loogie, as it were.

[216] Exactly.

[217] And I think that, honestly, the way that the game has evolved, you can't be an old -school loogie anymore.

[218] You've got to be able to pitch to both because you're going to face at least three batters.

[219] And if you can't face at least three batters, you're not going to have a job in Major League Baseball anymore.

[220] But I think that the other part of this is whoever they end up choosing, if it's Shaw, if it's Young, if it's Jabot, if it's one of the young guys, I think that they are likely to sit down with all these guys and say, look.

[221] we're going to use you at jump point.

[222] That's just how this goes.

[223] All of these guys, should they stay in the organization could possibly see time in the big leagues.

[224] And it will be up to them to make the decision of, do I want to be the guy in Louisville that's break glass in case of emergency emergency, and they can bring me up.

[225] And then maybe I earn, you know, a longer stay in the big leagues, or do I want to go somewhere else and start over?

[226] I think that that's kind of kind of be the situation that is presented to them.

[227] And I'll be interested at the decisions that are made because there are plenty of veterans on this list of guys vying for the final spot in the bullpen that some of them could choose that free agency and go elsewhere.

[228] But they're not exactly like knocking down people's doors with their current, you know, last year or two resume.

[229] The Reds have a lot of guys that have done it in the past, but haven't necessarily done it that recently when it comes to their veteran options.

[230] I sort of love that for them in the way that it could all play out this year.

[231] I absolutely agree with you.

[232] I think it's very telling that guys like Alex Young chose to come back to the Reds because, you know, they can look at the same things we're looking at and see what their path to opportunity is.

[233] And I think you're absolutely right.

[234] There's not a lot of other teams beating down their doors and it would be the smart play to just kind of stick around and be the break glass guy because that guy's going to get used.

[235] It will happen.

[236] at some point in time in the season and then they'll get an opportunity and you know maybe if they make the most of it maybe they stick around all right jeff we have reached my favorite part of these shows we're going to dig into the questions and the comments and hear from the viewers slash listeners what they want to talk about we're going to get into all of that right after this All right.

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[239] You can take us to the gym.

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[241] You can take Jeff for a long walk along the river.

[242] Just don't throw him in.

[243] All right, Jeff, let's get into this.

[244] The questions, the comments, what the people want to talk about.

[245] If you have questions in this chat, you guys are amazing, by the way.

[246] It has just been zooming by.

[247] So if you've got something you want to talk about, put it in again.

[248] I'm not going to be able to go back.

[249] and catch up there's just no way you guys have been talking about a lot of things so first thing we'll do is dive in to this from adam this is a good start jeff who gets more at bats candy ces steer or lux um this is more at bats doesn't doesn't qualify it with a position jeff but looking at this list i'm gonna say that spencer steer will lead this list in at bats followed by lux than Candy.

[250] And I think CES gets the least amount of at -bats in this group.

[251] It's interesting because I don't think CES can win the opening day for a space spot, but I think that at some point we'll see him be like the everyday first space.

[252] I think he will win it back, but I still think that that means that Spencer Steer has more than him.

[253] But I think CES has the second most at -bats on this list.

[254] I think it goes Steer, CES, Candy, Lux.

[255] And I think that candy is a lot of DH time.

[256] Like he's not going to play a lot of third base.

[257] It's going to mostly be first base and DH and then Lux will move around.

[258] But honestly, I really, and I'm, I'm, I don't know that I'm going to be standing on a table all spring training yelling this, but I really want the reds to figure out that you play Matt McClain at second or Matt McClain at second, Elliot short and, um, and, um, I'm blanking.

[259] Steer at third.

[260] And you put Steer at third as your everyday third baseman slash he can move around if he need him to to play around with some of the matchups.

[261] I think that's going to be the best version of this.

[262] I think the make -believe version is Lux at second, McLean at short, and Elliott third.

[263] I just don't think that they want to give everyday playing time to Gavin Lux and then have to move Elliott to third.

[264] I think that's...

[265] That your kind of proposal, you're almost there.

[266] You could still do that with Steer because Steer's best position probably is second base.

[267] I mean, his best defensive position.

[268] He's the best first baseman defensively on the team, but his best defensive position is second base.

[269] So you could go Steer at second, McLean at short, Elliott third, and you could plug and play at second base between Steer and Lux and whoever else you need to scoot around.

[270] Santiago Espinal, who we continue to forget about.

[271] He's so far down the death chart now, but he's here.

[272] and he's going to be on the team.

[273] So you've got all those guys that you can plug and play with that for me gives you the best defensive lineup that you can put on the field.

[274] And Terry Francona has said, you know, we're not just hitting boys.

[275] We're going to play defense.

[276] So I think it's a possibility that we see Ellie De La Cruz move around a little bit.

[277] You know, he may not be the everyday third baseman, but I think we see that defensive lineup throughout the season.

[278] I think we see Ellie scoot over from time to time.

[279] Exactly.

[280] And I do remember, too, Charlie Goldsmith, who was on last week with us, was talking about Santiago Espinal may earn some early season playing time at third base.

[281] But I just I don't know.

[282] I feel like Gavin Lux fills the Skip Schumacher role really good on this team.

[283] And the Skip Schumacher role did not get every day at bats.

[284] I think that of that list, he's the fourth.

[285] All right, let's move on to another one.

[286] This is an interesting one.

[287] We didn't talk about this very much, but we should.

[288] Jinx is asking, do you think that the Reds are still interested in Buck Farmer or Jacob Junis?

[289] Sure, but I also don't think there's money or a spot for them at this point.

[290] That last bullpen spot, I think, Jeff, you did a pretty good job of breaking down what the options are.

[291] All those guys would have to fail, and one of these guys would have to be available in spring training for us to see them, I think.

[292] I don't see the Reds going out before they get to Goodyear.

[293] and signing either one of these guys.

[294] I really think Nick Kroll is looking at the same list you were looking at, Jeff, and saying this one of these guys will be our eighth bullpen guy, our last guy to make the team.

[295] And I think both these guys are, have deserved and have earned a contract of like at least six, seven, $8 million or something like that for this year.

[296] And I don't think that the Reds are likely to spend that.

[297] And one of the parts, and we focus mostly on what Nick Kroll said about the roster mostly being set for spring training.

[298] The thing that he said, he's like, if we do make another move, that'll be something we have an internal discussion about.

[299] The internal discussion, what he was saying there was, I'm going to have to go ask for more money.

[300] And I'm not going to do that.

[301] So it's because it's not, he's going to tell me no. And it's just going to be a waste of my time.

[302] So I'm not going to, but yeah, that's what he was saying.

[303] He was like, if we're going to make another move, that's why anybody asking about like Pete Alonzo or Alex Bregman or something like that, like, it's just not going to happen.

[304] There's not 20 to $25 million more that ownership is just going to hand him.

[305] It's going to, it would have to be something like he would have to get rid of Candelario's contract.

[306] And I don't think that that's happening either.

[307] That's funny because Adrian is right there with you.

[308] That's the next question, Jeff.

[309] Would you guys trade candy for the ability to sign Alonzo in a New York minute?

[310] If I could, pun intended.

[311] If one equals the other, absolutely.

[312] Yeah, absolutely.

[313] But there's nobody taking that candy contract without some money coming along with it, which defeats the whole purpose.

[314] There's just no way.

[315] We thought for a hot second that the A's were just going to burn some money this offseason.

[316] They've already burnt their money, so they're not going to burn it on Candelario.

[317] No, absolutely.

[318] This is from Sean Melvin.

[319] What position do we think was upgraded the most?

[320] For me, if I get to count bullpen as a position.

[321] I'm counting bullpen as a position.

[322] I like what the back end of this bullpen looks like now compared to what it looked like at the end of 2024.

[323] I feel like that's a tremendous upgrade by adding Taylor Rodgers as a second.

[324] closer option i mean rogers has had 30 plus saves in multiple seasons the guy can close games we know that he can do that and and that's not me suddenly becoming a fan of having a closer but they're going to have a closer so if we're gonna have a closer i want guys that are good at it and we've got two guys that are good at it assuming alexis diaz last season was a blip and i think that it was so i think the bullpen is the most upgraded position i'm torn because the starting rotation has gotten a lot of pub But every time I think about it, I'm really happy with Jose Trevino, a catcher.

[325] And I get it.

[326] It's 60 games, like whatever.

[327] Last year, I looked at this.

[328] Luke Maley and Austin wins combined to catch 60 games.

[329] And Tyler Stevenson caught the rest.

[330] But I know now that I'm not worried.

[331] about those 60 games.

[332] Like hopefully Jose Trevino is healthy all year.

[333] And it's literally just Tyler Stevenson for most of it, Jose Trevino for the rest of it, because he's a platinum glove catcher.

[334] I feel really comfortable about him behind the plate.

[335] And if Stevenson needs the DH or if Stevenson needs a day off or if Stevenson plays a day at first, whatever that might be, I feel like the Reds aren't adding an automatic out and they're adding a liability in the field.

[336] just because Tyler Stevenson needs a break from squatting for nine innings.

[337] So I'm happy with what the Reds did with Jose Trevino.

[338] I think it's six one half dozen the other in my mind between the rotation and the catcher spot.

[339] This from Jason.

[340] Jason on Lake wants to know, Jeff, where you and I are going to be pre -gaming on opening day.

[341] I will say this.

[342] Jeff and I are working on some things that are a big swing and they may not materialize.

[343] So if they do tell you about it, If they do, we'll tell you about it.

[344] And if they don't, we are really good in the week before about basically publicizing where we're going to be because we love talking baseball with you guys.

[345] So if our big swing misses, we will continue to do that the week ahead of time.

[346] We'll let you know where we're going to be and what we're going to be doing because we do definitely want to see everybody and kick off the baseball season together.

[347] And generally, it's somewhere between Yard House and Smoke Justice.

[348] oh i could stop how many times did we walk across the roebling last year i forgot to turn the little track around for the outdoor walking thing but it was it was a lot we were all over the place gang all right let's uh let's get to another one here from jinx if marty plays really good in marty if marty plays really good jesus steve come on or have him on the mlb roster i don't think he can earn his way I don't know that he can earn his way onto the opening day roster.

[349] I agree.

[350] He has kind of entered himself into the quadruple A category for the moment, and he's got to prove the Reds otherwise, especially with the moves that they made.

[351] Adding Austin Hayes frees up Spencer Steer to play on the infield.

[352] Gavin Lux frees up Spencer Steer to move around, and Gavin Lux can play around.

[353] Even Matt McClain could play at third base if he needs to.

[354] could play at third base so third base is no longer just the land of complete and utter opportunity where nobody else is taking it there's a lot of names that can play that spot now and so it's not as cut and dry as Noel V Marte is our third baseman like last year he had that opportunity and for a couple of different reasons he gave it away and then so now he's got to earn that opportunity back yeah I think the Reds have said the right things like they they haven't used rhetoric that makes it clear that they've moved on from him or that they've given up on him, but their actions say he's going to Louisville and he needs to figure it out.

[355] Um, because I don't know what he could do.

[356] Like, I don't know what that measure looks like that he could do in good year against guys that he should be better than against guys that he should hit 400 against.

[357] So when we're talking about the double a and single a pitchers, I don't know what he could do that would make me think.

[358] Yeah.

[359] that guy is ready to face big league rotations.

[360] I think he's got to go to Louisville, show that his head is cleared, show that he's putting in the work and then wait for an opportunity.

[361] There'll be a time when they need to call somebody up and then he has to come make the most of those moments.

[362] And then if he does that, we have the conversation about, is it time to keep him on the roster?

[363] Is it time to find him playing time and take playing time away from somebody else?

[364] Yes.

[365] And I think that.

[366] honestly the natural like this guy plays less marty plays more is what is jamer candelario doing because if jamer candelario is bouncing back i think marty has got a really tough road to major league playing time but ultimately i i think we see him a lot this year but i don't know that i i 150 at bats might be the most that i expect out of noelphie marty this season just because i think he's not going to necessarily take a hold of it totally this year he's really kind of squandered away and and honestly and the other question you mentioned this too and i want to address this what can he do in spring training i don't think it's anything we're going to be able to see it's going to have to be behind the scenes stuff the the statistics in spring training games do not matter i'm telling you this now i'm just a psa spring training sets don't matter So when you see batting average A or batting average B, whatever it is, don't go crazy over it because it's not going to matter.

[367] There's a lot of other stuff that they do to evaluate guys.

[368] Or you see Amir Garrett strike out every batter that he faces because they were all single A guys.

[369] He should have struck them out.

[370] Neftali Soto batting over 400, you know, things like that.

[371] It's like we can name a lot of great spring training performances and it meant.

[372] absolutely nothing for the regular season but i know this steve keep it tuned to locked on reds every single day we got you covered all things reds throughout the rest of this season which is only a week actually it's less than a week the reds are going to be in camp in six days pitchers and catchers will be and then the full team will be there a couple of days after that we're going to be with you every step of the way talking about this team getting a set for what to expect all throughout spring training leading up to opening day because we are always locked on reds Every single day.