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Where do the Cincinnati Reds stand heading into the Field of Dreams game?

Luis Castillo, Brandon Drury, Tyler Mahle and Tommy Pham are gone. But the Reds are loaded with young talent such as Nick Lodolo, Jonathan India and Alexis Díaz.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The Cincinnati Reds are 21 games under .500 at 44-65 as of Wednesday afternoon, one of three teams a far cry from first in the NL Central.

Active sellers at the trade deadline, that doesn't mean the historic Cincy franchise doesn't have a lot to look forward to. The Reds have five of the top-100 prospects, according to MLB.com

  • No. 17 — Noelvi Marte
  • No. 46 — Elly De La Cruz
  • No. 55 — Matt McLain
  • No. 70 — Brandon Williamson
  • No. 90 — Edwin Arroyo

Let's take a closer look at where the team stands heading into Thursday night's MLB Field of Dreams Game against the Chicago Cubs.

Below is a condensed interview transcript with Jeff Carr and Steve Offenbaker of Locked On Reds. To watch an interview Sam Olbur of Locked On Cubs, click here or scroll to the bottom of this story

Local 5 News:  Let's start with where this team is right now post-deadline. Big sellers the Reds were with [Luis] Castillo, [Tyler] Mahle, [Brandon] Drury, Tommy Pham all going away. So a good haul of prospects with Castillo being the most notable headed out to Seattle. So where is this team right now? Was this the plan to sell as much as they could? And in terms of what their roster looks like now? 

Locked on Reds: This has definitely been the plan I think, so far as the offseason is concerned. It really didn't help matters when you're talking about buying and selling whenever they started April 3 of 2019 that just kind of cemented their idea of selling. They traded away Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez to Seattle well before the season even started. They traded away Sonny Gray, they got rid of a number of guys from last year's team, whether it just be expiring contracts or they handed Tucker Barnhart to the Detroit Tigers and they handed Wade Miley to the Chicago Cubs. So there's been a lot of just tearing down ever since the beginning of this past offseason. 

But it was good to see because we were a little bit worried they might stand pat. We were kind of worried that they would hang on to some guys where the trades of Castillo and Mahle really brought in some young talent that has the future of the Reds looking good. I mean, the Reds themselves aren't going anywhere this year. As much as it kind of stinks to be in the Field of Dreams game and be fighting for third place, the Reds themselves still have a lot of future hopes based on some the guys they got back like Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, guys from the Twins like Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. So I'm really excited to see what those guys bring to the table on a team that there are lots of opportunities moving forward. 

Jeff Carr

You know, even though they did trade away talent — you talked about Castillo now gone, Tyler Mahle now gone, and Brandon Drury gone and Tommy Pham gone — there is some excitement to watch on this roster right now. You know Jonathan India is in his sophomore year. He's a defending National League Rookie of the Year, definitely a fun guy to watch. They've just called up José Barrero who's now going to get an extended look at shortstop the rest of the way this season. He had a two-homer game just the other day. He's an exciting guy to watch. And then we've got Joey Votto in this lineup, where he's having a sneaky quiet, great season since May. We talked about this on our show this week. If you look at his Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) since May 1, he's performing about 33% above league average, he's at 133. So he's still doing some things. It's not MVP Joey, but he's definitely playing above average and, I'm looking forward to maybe seeing him plant one in the corn during this game there. Even though the Reds are in third place, even though they dealt, they are exciting to watch. And there's a lot to be hopeful about with this team and a lot to dial in on as you watch them on a national stage.

Steve Offenbaker

Local 5 News: With the young talent, is there a case to be made that even sitting in third in a five-team division that this is not actually terrible? Or is this just "Hey, we're just gonna have to wait and see, don't even assess anything right now" in terms of their long-term prospects?

Locked on Reds: If you had asked me on May 1 if I thought this team would be fun to watch at all, as we are screaming through August, I would have told you "no." They had an absolutely horrible April, they won three games in the entire month of April. And since then, they've really turned the corner and they've continued to get better and better. And credit to David Bell for keeping this team fighting when it would have been very easy for them to just give it up. I've said for months now that this team could actually compete for a Wild Card next year, with a couple of tweaks in the offseason. So there's a lot of fun talent. 

You know, it could be a whole lot worse than it is right now. And I tune in every day to watch one of these exciting young guys. We have a great young rotation in Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. The nation is going to get to see Nick Lodolo in this Field of Dreams game. He is a big, exciting lefty, he's got a high-90s fastball with breaking stuff that keeps hitters completely off balanced. He's so much fun to watch every fifth day. And I'm really excited for the rest of the country to get to see what Jeff and I have been watching this season.

—Steve Offenbaker

There's so much to be excited about especially getting to see Nick Lodolo pitch in this game because he's the guy who's really come on this season. And with him on this kind of stage, it's going to be very interesting to see how he responds because he's been pitching well lately. He's had a couple of games where you're just like, "Ah, he's he's kind of been a rookie, he's had some trouble with walks, maybe given up a few dingers here and there." But at the end of the day, he's bounced back every time. And now he gets to face the Cubs and this lineup that they have. So I'm interested to see where he is on this. 

And also, you've still got some guys like Donovan Solano, who are on this team who a lot of people thought were going to be traded at the deadline. But he's kind of taking on the veteran role of teaching the young guys and being a mentor. And actually on the field he's been pretty good too. He's hit the ball well, and he's been one of the most consistent hitters for the Reds, especially since they traded Brandon Drury, who was their best hitter for the first half of the season. So I'm very intrigued as to what the Reds are going to bring to the table lineup-wise. Hitting has been, just enough in the games that they win. Because when they win they pitch really, really well. They're not going outscore team 10 to nine, they're going to beat a team, you know, three to two, two to one, something like that.

—Jeff Carr

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Local 5 News: Do you think the Juan Soto sweepstakes impacted either the haul that they got, or created a bit of a longer wait to see what trade packages were out there? Do you think that a top-tier player like that being on the market impact or trickle down into the other trades that were available? Or maybe two or three teams weren't as interested because they were maybe in on Soto?

Locked on Reds: I definitely think it did. I mean, the Reds were trying to trade Luis Castillo to pretty much the same teams who were interested in Juan Soto. In fact, I almost wonder if that is why the Dodgers just decided to stand pat as a whole because they couldn't land Juan Soto and then the Reds traded Castillo to the Mariners. And so they're just like, "Well, alright, we'll get Joey Gallo and our pitching will figure itself out." Because the Reds were asking for not necessarily the same package of prospects, but a very comparable package of prospects where it was like, you know, two top-10 guys or two top-5 guys or something like that. You know, the nationals were just like, "Give us your top four prospects, period. That's, that's where we start this conversation."

So I think there were a lot of teams that were like, "Okay, so who do we want to get more? Do we need pitching more? Do we need Juan Soto more?" And I think that is where you saw a delay. I don't necessarily think you saw anybody jump out of this sweepstakes for Luis Castillo because of that trade. But I can definitely see the trickle effect down for the Reds as sellers with Juan Soto.

—Jeff Carr

For me, the fact that Drury ended up going to the same place Soto did, both going to San Diego, at the end of the day I still feel like the Reds got really great return on Brandon Drury. You have to understand that Drury cost the Reds next to nothing to pick up. He comes in the middle of spring training, wasn't expected to be very much and comes out and hits 20 home runs the first half of the season. So the fact that Nick Krall, the Reds general manager, was able to flip him to something valuable that can help this team long term I think was amazing.

As far as Luis Castillo goes, what I really liked about that deal is I don't feel like the Soto situation impacted it very much, because Seattle paid a price, not only to get a really great top-line starting pitcher ... but I think they probably paid just a bit of a premium to keep that really great starting pitcher from going to the Yankees, and having to deal with him in the postseason. 

So I feel like this particular trade deadline where the Reds were setting a new way of doing things — and you may question well is selling everybody a new way of doing things — it is for the Reds, because they have never traded players when they are at the height of their value. They've always waited too long, They've always put themselves in a position where they had to make a deal and couldn't get a good return. And the Reds did that this year. They talked about at the beginning of the year, and it was really lost in some of the comments that the Reds ownership group made publicly on Opening Day. It distracted from what they were trying to tell us, which is they were charting a new course. And people didn't believe it, people didn't hear it because of the other noise going on. But what they did is actually what they said they were going to do, which is also something new for the Reds. So it was very exciting to see at the trade deadline, that they actually have a plan and they implemented it and they executed it very well.

—Steve Offenbaker

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Local 5 News: Comparing where we are now post-deadline to the beginning of the year where — fan bases are more optimistic, everyone maybe thinks they have a chance — it sounds like there's at least been some consistency with what the long-term goal is. Do you feel like that's been pretty consistent throughout this year in terms of their plan from the beginning of the season till now?

Locked on Reds: Jeff and I have been talking that we thought this team was in a position from the beginning of this year to really be a contender around 2024. As they rolled out what their plan was going to be, they have taken this farm system into probably one of the top three or four farm systems in all of baseball right now with the moves that they've made. There's a lot of excitement centering around some of the prospects coming up. If you're looking for a good time to watch some baseball, jump into the minor league feeds and watch Elly De La Cruz, watch [Noelvi] Marte in Dayton, watch what's going on with these young pitchers ... lots of talent down there. For me, I feel like they're moving in an exciting direction.

Now the Reds fan base is having to be drug along kind of kicking and screaming on this because they've been hearing the word "rebuild" for a long, long time, and the Reds have not messaged it well and they have not executed it well until this year. And I think that it's going to take a little bit of time for this organization to regain the trust of the fan base. Starting next year, moving into 2024, 2025, this team's gonna get really good in a hurry. And I think that you know, the proof is in the pudding kind of thing. Once they start winning games, people will look back on this time and realize that the Reds did a great job of delivering what they said they were going to deliver.

—Steve Offenbaker

I think it was important to note too that when it came to this deadline, and all of the selling, they added so much talent. It wasn't that they just got rid of bad contracts is that they actually maximized what they had. And the guys that they brought back only add to it, like Steve said. Elly De La Cruz is going to be the kind of guy that we are like basically watching and waiting and marking down our calendars when we think he's going to make the major leagues because he's going to change this franchise, I really believe that. He still needs to develop some parts of his game, but there are many parts of his game that are already top-flight, elite stuff. And then you add that with the pitchers that they've already brought up and guys like Hunter Green — who we probably won't see the rest of this year, he's going to be out for a little bit with some shoulder problems — but he has had an up-and-down rookie season. But we've seen that greatness, we've seen what he can bring to the table on a number of different occasions.

So the future is so exciting with these guys because of the talent that they're going to bring up. And yeah, kind of like you said, they were giving the messaging out early on in the season, whenever everyone only wants to hear "We're making the playoffs" so nobody was ready to hear that. But I think that people have started to get "Okay, well at least sticking to the plan." Because in years past, that hasn't happened.

—Jeff Carr

Local 5 News: Iowa is gonna be the iconic visuals of the Field of Dreams, the full production crew and set up from FOX. Who should people be watching on this Reds team? Who should people really keep their eye on as this might be the most-watched game in terms of either of these teams this year? 

Locked on Reds: I've got three guys, but I'm not going to take all three because I think me and Steve agree on one of them. The first guy I'm looking at in the lineup is José Barrero. Now he's going to bat lower on in the order. But what he brings to the table is power and great contact. When he makes contact with the ball, it's going far. The issue with him is can he handle the low and away pitch? Whether it's a breaking ball or a fastball, there's something about that low and outside pitch that he just doesn't see very well. And Corbin Burns really took advantage of him on Sunday in Milwaukee with his amazing cut fastball and slider. And José Barrero really couldn't get a hold of it down there. So if he gets something middle of the plate, he's going to drive it very, very far. And how does he develop and continue to develop that batter's eye? 

The other guy for me is very likely my favorite Red moving forward, and that's Alexis Díaz. Oh my gosh, every time he comes out of the bullpen, it is electric. He is brought in in high-leverage situations, not necessarily just the ninth inning, and he's got two pitches, and they are both elite: his fastball and his slider. Now he learned both of them from his brother, who we saw in New York with the Mets in Edwin Díaz. But the slider has just come along so greatly over the last probably month, month and a half, to where he can drop it in the strike zone if he needs to or he will drop it way out of the strike zone and just slide away from any batter's bat ... doesn't matter who's in the box. He has the confidence too to attack any hitter. He's not worried about lefty-righty matchups, how he's gonna do it, he just knows he's gonna get you out and he's so much fun to watch.

—Jeff Carr

For me, I mentioned him a little bit earlier but Nick Lodolo in this game ... the future of this franchise is going to be elite starting pitchers and Nick Lodolo is on his way there. In 43 innings of work so far this season, he's struck out 58 batters, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is getting better and better and better as he moves further into the season. Early in the year he had some problems with nerves. His first start, you could tell he was clearly nervous, and it affected his results on the field. I hope that that doesn't become an issue for him in this game being on a national stage because when he's on, when he's right, he's one of the most fun pitchers in baseball to watch right now. So I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing him dialed in and delivering on a national stage. 

And then for me, as far as hitters go, it's Joey Votto. It's one chance to see you know, probably one of the top three hitters in the history of this Reds franchise. And I'm gonna catch some blowback for that, from some of the old timers from the Big Red Machine era. But Joey Votto's offensive statistical numbers, when you take them as a whole, he's top one, top two in most categories on this franchise history which is the oldest franchise in professional baseball, so that says something. And for Joey Votto to be on a national stage and have the opportunity to deliver, these are the times he steps up and does things interesting. And what we've seen with him as he's gotten a little bit older, as he approaches the end, his personality has really come out. I expect that FOX is probably going to have him mic'd up, probably going to do something special with him in this game. And every time that has happened, every time he has been put front and center, he's done something to deliver, he's done something to show just how great he really is, and how for the longest time now he is the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise. So I'm really expecting kind of something magical from him in this game, whether it's a big home run or a great defensive play or just an entertainment value, that FOX will deliver with this with this special setup that they get for this. This game. I'm really looking forward to that time with Joey Votto.

—Steve Offenbaker

Local 5 News: What should the Reds focus be right? What should they hone in on in terms of not just finishing this year strong, but really setting up the franchise for success in future years?

Locked on Reds: For the rest of the way, they've got to focus on getting the guys who are going to be here — and we've kind of earmarked 2024 — the guys who are going to be here in a couple of years, making sure that they know that they know they're ready. And José Barrero is that first guy. He has been the shortstop of the future for so long, and at some point, you got to be the shortstop of the present. The only way to figure that out is to just let him play. Let him cook, see what he's got. If he sinks, fine. If he swims, awesome, because that's just going to mean great things for this franchise. 

Plus, you've got other dudes: how do they fit into this bullpen? This bullpen has really no established roles. I talked about Alexis Díaz and how excited I am to see him pitch in this game. But just moreover the rest of the season outside of him, nobody excites me. I don't really get that excited about when the Reds have to take their starter out of the game unless they're saying Alexis Díaz is coming in. So who else fits in there? There's been some interesting guys. There's been some guys who have flashed some talent. But there's also been some of those guys that have flashed some really bad games, and that's kind of the nature of relief pitching. But who becomes that other consistent option out of the bullpen?There's a lot that they have to figure out with the roster that goes beyond, you know, whether they win or lose the game. And I think that they've got to start sticking some guys in situations that maybe they're not necessarily comfortable with right now. But they will learn a lot more about that guy whenever they do something like that.

—Jeff Carr

Another guy to keep an eye on as we move forward into this season is Nick Senzel. The Reds spent a lot of time trying to find an everyday home for him. They moved him around a lot. He was your second baseman, he was a shortstop, he was a third baseman. He finally settled in in centerfield. And then, since he's been called up, he's had a lot of injury problems. He's really had a hard time being in this lineup consistently. This season, he seems to be turning a corner on that, and I hope I'm not going to jinx him by talking about him like this. But right now, because of the trades, he has found himself batting second in this lineup behind Jonathan India, and he is really performing. If he can take the rest of this season, this half-season and really be dialed in, be healthy and deliver in that number two hole, I think it locks him in as the centerfielder of this team as we move forward into what should be an exciting time in 2023, 2024, 2025. But he needs to prove it. This is definitely a prove at half season for him because up to this point, he hasn't really done that. Whether it was the Reds kind of bringing him along in a wonky, weird way or injuries sidelining him once he got here. He hasn't had a chance to deliver. And I think he's seizing a hold of this opportunity and starting to do it. And I'm kind of excited to see where it goes for him the rest of this half season.

—Steve Offenbaker

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