Reds standing pat for now

[missionhockey21]

Reds standing pat for now, O'Brien says
But changes may come in a month
By Marc Lancaster
Post staff reporter

Three or four weeks from now, the Reds could very well be in unloading mode.

Veterans with reasonably priced, short-term contracts could be on the move, as could one of their more lucrative chips - an outfielder or first baseman Sean Casey.

For now, though, the front office will stand pat. General manager Dan O'Brien said Thursday that the team is not looking to trade anyone.

"No, we're not," he said. "Ask me that question a month from now (and the answer might be different), but no, not right now."

Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Braves at Great American Ball Park dropped the Reds to 26-40, the second time this season they have fallen 14 games under .500. They also tied a season-high division deficit in slipping to 15 ½ games back of the idle Cardinals.

The Reds last glimpsed the .500 mark on April 26, when they improved to 10-10 after beating the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The next day, they embarked on an eight-game losing streak. The Reds returned Wednesday night from Boston as losers of their last eight road games, a season-high skid. It's been more than four years since Cincinnati dropped nine in a row away from home.

As seemingly everyone involved with the club has noted at one point or another this year, the Reds have significant problems in every aspect of the game - starting pitching, relief pitching, hitting and defense.

They have made some moves to address various issues, such as designating Danny Graves and D'Angelo Jimenez for assignment and sending Austin Kearns to the minors, but never have been able to get on a roll. The team still hasn't produced a four-game winning streak.

But the Reds also haven't had all the pieces they anticipated in place at once. Luke Hudson, a pre-spring favorite to make the rotation, has started only two games this year. Josh Hancock, another expected cog somewhere on the pitching staff, remains on the disabled list and will make his third rehab start for Louisville tonight.

Anderson Machado, penciled in last fall as a middle infielder, played in the second game of his rehab stint for Louisville on Thursday as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.

Hancock should be ready soon, either in the bullpen or as a starter - possibly taking the struggling Eric Milton's spot? Machado also will be up to speed within a couple of weeks.

It sounds as if the Reds will hold things steady until they see exactly what they have.

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[Jr's Boy]

Here we go again!Lets rebuild for the future,then a few more years we'll again rebuild for the future,and then a few more years........does it ever end?BTW Dano why dont you put yourself on the trading block,and take Allen and the rest of the front office with you.I really feel for all the old timers in Cincinnati having to see this team go to waste after so many great Reds teams of the past.

[missionhockey21]

"I still feel that there are some components that haven't been in place long enough to make an overall evaluation of the team," O'Brien said. "We're still going to see what Luke getting the ball every fifth day looks like, we're going to see what Josh Hancock looks like when he's here and what he might be able to do to help us. We will assess it when all of those hopefully healthy pieces are here."

Wait, so we can't determine this team stinks just because Hudson, Machado and Hancock havent been healthy?!?! Seriously, stop feeding the BS to us Dan O. Hudson is the closest to being a an impact player of those three but plenty of teams lose big players and are able to determine where they stand. This quote shows how inept Dan O is at this position and anyone with the power in this organization needs to get the stones to fire him, the sooner the better.

That ESPN Insider article Kraw posted had something along the lines of "Rigor Mortis is starting to set in." If that's not the case, I don't know what is.

[missionhockey21]

Here we go again!Lets rebuild for the future,then a few more years we'll again rebuild for the future,and then a few more years........does it ever end?BTW Dano why dont you put yourself on the trading block,and take Allen and the rest of the front office with you.I really feel for all the old timers in Cincinnati having to see this team go to waste after so many great Reds teams of the past.

It's ok to rebuild, we should do it. The problem is, these rebuilding plans have been under guys who just can't do it. They can't draft, develop and make smart signings and trades. Look at the Brew Crew, they took their years as a the laughingstock and they will soon be a powerhouse becaue they did all those things I mentioned.

Dan O needs to go as soon as possible. Fire him and put Kullman in charge of trades. Or whatever. Anything is better than this joke of a GM.