July 18, 2025 • 12 mins
Nick Kirby of Chatterbox Sports joined Todd Walker to look at the Reds situation as the All-Star breaks comes to an end.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Reds are back in action tonight at the Mets.
Of course, we'll have it for you right here, and
we're going to talk Reds now with Nick Kirby from
Chatterbox Sports, and of course so you hear him on
the Reds pregame show every night. And I guess kind
of familiar territory for the Reds over the last I
don't know, decade and a half, the All Star break.
Sometimes there is a chance to think that you're out
(00:23):
of it and you could be sellers or a chance
where you could be buyers coming up. And right now,
I don't think we're really sure, are we, Nick?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, the Reds are right snack dab in the middle ground.
They're two and a half back, though, I mean they
it's how they got to this point is it's kind
of hard in some ways to comprehend, but they're right there.
It's going to be a quick, quick trip to the deadline.
I mean, you really have probably ten games before you
(00:55):
have to make a decision because obviously just can't you
wake up trade deadline, Dan Day, Let's take some trades now.
I mean, these things typically take some time to get established,
so we'll see. But Todd I got a wild stat
for you the red coming out of the All Star break.
They were swept in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty three,
(01:16):
and twenty twenty four. So hopefully this is the end
that that changes.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, I definitely need to get off of that stat
line and trend line. Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports is
with us, So you know, I talked with Chris Welsh
about the Reds yesterday and we talked about how some
of the guys at the plate haven't really lived up
to their historical norms to this point. So maybe the
offense will get better if guys just sort of reach
(01:43):
their level. What's your thought on the offense. Is there
much room to grow here?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah? I do think there is. I mean I think
Led of the Cruise is probably the one everyday player
that significantly outperformed most of any expectations, you know, realistic
expectations on him. Obviously, Josi Travigno's performed well but hasn't
played every day, and then TJ Friedo has played well,
(02:14):
probably a little bit better than his Outside of those
guys who's actually played better than what their expectations were,
there's two players for me that I think had the
chance to be be the biggest significant rises in the
second half, and just because they did it last year.
Tyler Stevenson was incredible in the second half. He's had
a pretty mediocre first half offensively. And then the other
(02:36):
guy is Gavin Lux. Gavin Lux, his paucious at the plate,
has looked really good, just hasn't really gotten the full
results over the course of the year. And the Reds
that they sold this line hard when they acquired him,
and it was true. Gavin Lux last season was one
of the best players in baseball in the second half. Now,
last year he was coming off of a major injury.
(02:58):
I think a lot of people thought that would maybe
the reason for the slow start and the second half
is him more becoming him. But maybe he just is
the second half guy. And those are two players that
I think I had the chance to really elevate the team.
Well Nick.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
On the other end of things, the pitching, the red
starting pitching has been pretty good, even though Hunter Green
can't seem to get through rehab with his groin injury
or leg injury, whatever it is. But the bullpen seems
to be really overworked. If the Reds do make a move.
It would seem to me that adding to the bullpen
(03:34):
might be the most realistic thing they could do. How
about you.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, I mean, no question about it, and it's the
one thing may prove and they've been able to do
with the trade deadline. You know, they've acquired relievers each
of or three of the last four years of the deadline,
So that's something I think. Yeah, definitely they can. I mean,
they do have some solid options. They're wild cards. They
just haven't been able to find any consist see in
(04:01):
terms of being able to throw strikes. But I'd be
hardbreast to find a trio of relievers at Anyone's Triple
A affiliate that I think have as much upside as
Luise may Zach Maxwell and Connor Phillips. Now, can they
become big league believer they can be consistent. That's yet
to be seen. But they do kind of have those
(04:23):
cards still in their back pocket pods that they can
deploy at some point at least to give themselves maybe
a better chance.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah. As the Reds begin the second half, to we
chat with Nick Kirby from Chatterbox Sports, I've seen it
pointed out the first half as the schedule was probably
much easier than the second half. I mean, you've got
the series with the Dodgers and the Cubs out there
and other good teams ahead of the Mats. Of course
here right now, what about the analysis of the schedule
(04:54):
here the rest of the way. Does it do the
Reds any favors or is it a hindrance?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Definitely into the Reds any favors. There's a website called
tankapon and they say the Red to have the single
most difficult schedule and the Padres as the team they're
chasing as the twenty eighth most difficult schedule. So no,
not going to be easy. Now. Having said that, I
mean there's still plenty of opportunities where they are going
(05:21):
to play some teams in the second half that I
think likely will move a lot of pieces and might
be significantly weaker Red It's felt a lot of times
this year that doesn't matter who they're really playing schedule wise. Now,
I think over the more sample you get, I think
you definitely want to play weaker teams. I think that
that eventually shakes itself out, and some of that just
(05:43):
maybe some weird baseball quirkiness and small samples. But yeah, no,
the schedule is not easy for them at all, which
is for me, Todd, if I'm speaking openly here, that's
why I really want to see the Red lead holding
a playoff spot if I want to make significant moves
(06:03):
of the trade deadline. If they're two back, I mean
they're not just two back, They're two back with a
very difficult schedule. I think you have to add that
into your equation in terms of how aggressive you'd be
at the trade deadline or how aggressive you'd be at
not selling and trying to improve your team for the future.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, and as of right now, there are two teams
between them and that last spot while they are two
games back, So that's also something you have to figure in.
We're talking with Nick Kirby from Chatterbox Sports talking about
the Reds. Are there any players at the lower level
that we haven't seen yet that might get a shot
this year? And not just because somebody gets hurt or
(06:42):
something else. Is there anybody ready to break through?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You think, Well, the most exciting player in that group
would be south Stewart just got promoted to Triple A,
hasn't actually yet to play at Triple A. Got promoted
during the weekend he was at the Futures Game, played
at the Old Star Game on Saturday. A player that
has just hit and hit and hit. He has been
(07:08):
incredibly impressive. The Reds have pretty much put him at
third base, so it kind of feels to me todd
like if I'm reading between the lines here, the Reds
are saying, all right, Noelbe Marte, you have your chance
now to not just hit, but prove that you can
play third base defensively. And if you don't, well, we're
(07:29):
gonna bring up stalth Stewart and we're gonna give him
a chance, and you'll have to figure out a spot
somewhere else, whether that be they move him to the outfield,
or they only the h of this year, or they
patchwork him the rest of the year. I'm not I'm
not a guy that by any stretch the imagination has
given up on the Elbie Marty. I still believe in
him a lot. I feels like he's one of the
I think he's the second best player behind Elie in
(07:52):
terms of long term future. But Sal Stewart, they're definitely
it feels like they're definitely gearing up for him if
he performs well. Triple A after he gets promoted to
get a shot in the big league. That soel that
Marte stumbles more defensively at third dase.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
All right, Nick, what about the return of Hunter Green?
Is that are you getting more pessimistic like me that
it's going to happen or are you more realistic than
me and figure it's going to happen at some point.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
He's just he's kind of reached that level where I'll
believe it when I see it. I mean, I'm not
going to count on him, So when I'm talking with
people about what's my applications with the Reds in the
second half right now, I'm just not expecting Hunter Green.
And I'm not not being that disrespectful to Hunter. It's
just that that's unfortunately kind of where it's gone. So yeah,
(08:40):
I just I'll believe it when I see him, you know,
step on a mound in a in a legitimate rehab game.
I think he's rehabbed down in Arizona in the Complex League.
But if he goes back down and you know, there's
a rehab game with either Louisville or Chattanooga, whichever one's
more easy to jump on, that that's what I'll believe
he's really coming back from Until then, you know, you're
just gonna have to I'm assuming you're gonna have to
(09:02):
figure out figure out how to handle it without him.
And it's hard to really see this Red team being
able to get to the playoffs without Hunter Green pitching
well for them down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, Nick, final thought of the managerial prowess of Terry
Francona through about one hundred games, So what have you
liked and what have you seen? It's been a big
positive with him.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Well, I think he has helped navigate this team in
terms of being able to move on to the next day,
and he's preached that every day. There's been a lot
of tactical things that I certainly have had a hard
time agreeing with. But the Red guy has some brutal
losses and they've had some brutal stretches for men. They
(09:45):
felt like this season was going to fall off the rails,
and I tell you what, to their credit, they have
found the way to pick themselves up off the mat.
I mean, just last week, you lose those first two games,
and that to the Marlins at home in a crucial
homestand yes, four and three was not spectacular. I still
wanted to see more than that. But to win four
(10:05):
at your last five and get to the All Star
break and give yourself your team a chance, I mean
that that's significant. So he definitely preached that, and you
hear the players in their postgame interviews. You know, we're
citing that as well. So they definitely bought into that
mindset moving on to the next day. And that's what
you have to do. You can't be a fan. You
can't be a fan and let the day before, you know,
(10:28):
go into the next day if you're trying to be
a big league baseball player. And the Reds just team
to do that this year.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Nick, to circle back to one of your points on that,
do you think the strategic blunders as you would see
them or disagreements are part of him learning what his
team is capable of in certain situations. I don't want
to say experimentation, but maybe some of the choices he's
made as him sort of pushing and prodding to see
what each guy is capable of in certain situations.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, it's possible. You know, there's always you know, decision
behind the curtain have other ramifications that we don't know.
I tend to give give managers a lot more grace
with with for leavers because you never know who's available
and who's not. So I try to be very careful
on being critical about that because you just you don't know,
(11:16):
and that's a really hard job to do. Yeah, I
think some of it that. I also think some of
it might be I'm gonna do it my way and
I'm not gonna gonna follow you analytical nerds. We'll see that.
The one that's really just I've had a hard time
understanding is the Noelve mart Day pulling him, you know,
(11:37):
after six sittings every night, Like I understand there might
be sometimes, you know, if it's a one run game
or whatnot. It was a couple of games with the
Reds of like a six run lead, and it's like
the market is the future, like we need he needs
to get better. So that's when the one of the
hardest ones recently that I've had a hard time buying on.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
That's Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports. You can find them
of course on social media, and you'll hear him on
the pre game show later tonight here on the Reds
Radio Network. Nick, we appreciate you checking in.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, thanks Toop for having me appreciate it.
The Reds are back in action tonight at the Mets.
Of course, we'll have it for you right here, and
we're going to talk Reds now with Nick Kirby from
Chatterbox Sports, and of course so you hear him on
the Reds pregame show every night. And I guess kind
of familiar territory for the Reds over the last I
don't know, decade and a half, the All Star break.
Sometimes there is a chance to think that you're out
(00:23):
of it and you could be sellers or a chance
where you could be buyers coming up. And right now,
I don't think we're really sure, are we, Nick?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, the Reds are right snack dab in the middle ground.
They're two and a half back, though, I mean they
it's how they got to this point is it's kind
of hard in some ways to comprehend, but they're right there.
It's going to be a quick, quick trip to the deadline.
I mean, you really have probably ten games before you
(00:55):
have to make a decision because obviously just can't you
wake up trade deadline, Dan Day, Let's take some trades now.
I mean, these things typically take some time to get established,
so we'll see. But Todd I got a wild stat
for you the red coming out of the All Star break.
They were swept in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty three,
(01:16):
and twenty twenty four. So hopefully this is the end
that that changes.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, I definitely need to get off of that stat
line and trend line. Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports is
with us, So you know, I talked with Chris Welsh
about the Reds yesterday and we talked about how some
of the guys at the plate haven't really lived up
to their historical norms to this point. So maybe the
offense will get better if guys just sort of reach
(01:43):
their level. What's your thought on the offense. Is there
much room to grow here?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah? I do think there is. I mean I think
Led of the Cruise is probably the one everyday player
that significantly outperformed most of any expectations, you know, realistic
expectations on him. Obviously, Josi Travigno's performed well but hasn't
played every day, and then TJ Friedo has played well,
(02:14):
probably a little bit better than his Outside of those
guys who's actually played better than what their expectations were,
there's two players for me that I think had the
chance to be be the biggest significant rises in the
second half, and just because they did it last year.
Tyler Stevenson was incredible in the second half. He's had
a pretty mediocre first half offensively. And then the other
(02:36):
guy is Gavin Lux. Gavin Lux, his paucious at the plate,
has looked really good, just hasn't really gotten the full
results over the course of the year. And the Reds
that they sold this line hard when they acquired him,
and it was true. Gavin Lux last season was one
of the best players in baseball in the second half. Now,
last year he was coming off of a major injury.
(02:58):
I think a lot of people thought that would maybe
the reason for the slow start and the second half
is him more becoming him. But maybe he just is
the second half guy. And those are two players that
I think I had the chance to really elevate the team.
Well Nick.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
On the other end of things, the pitching, the red
starting pitching has been pretty good, even though Hunter Green
can't seem to get through rehab with his groin injury
or leg injury, whatever it is. But the bullpen seems
to be really overworked. If the Reds do make a move.
It would seem to me that adding to the bullpen
(03:34):
might be the most realistic thing they could do. How
about you.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, I mean, no question about it, and it's the
one thing may prove and they've been able to do
with the trade deadline. You know, they've acquired relievers each
of or three of the last four years of the deadline,
So that's something I think. Yeah, definitely they can. I mean,
they do have some solid options. They're wild cards. They
just haven't been able to find any consist see in
(04:01):
terms of being able to throw strikes. But I'd be
hardbreast to find a trio of relievers at Anyone's Triple
A affiliate that I think have as much upside as
Luise may Zach Maxwell and Connor Phillips. Now, can they
become big league believer they can be consistent. That's yet
to be seen. But they do kind of have those
(04:23):
cards still in their back pocket pods that they can
deploy at some point at least to give themselves maybe
a better chance.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah. As the Reds begin the second half, to we
chat with Nick Kirby from Chatterbox Sports, I've seen it
pointed out the first half as the schedule was probably
much easier than the second half. I mean, you've got
the series with the Dodgers and the Cubs out there
and other good teams ahead of the Mats. Of course
here right now, what about the analysis of the schedule
(04:54):
here the rest of the way. Does it do the
Reds any favors or is it a hindrance?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Definitely into the Reds any favors. There's a website called
tankapon and they say the Red to have the single
most difficult schedule and the Padres as the team they're
chasing as the twenty eighth most difficult schedule. So no,
not going to be easy. Now. Having said that, I
mean there's still plenty of opportunities where they are going
(05:21):
to play some teams in the second half that I
think likely will move a lot of pieces and might
be significantly weaker Red It's felt a lot of times
this year that doesn't matter who they're really playing schedule wise. Now,
I think over the more sample you get, I think
you definitely want to play weaker teams. I think that
that eventually shakes itself out, and some of that just
(05:43):
maybe some weird baseball quirkiness and small samples. But yeah, no,
the schedule is not easy for them at all, which
is for me, Todd, if I'm speaking openly here, that's
why I really want to see the Red lead holding
a playoff spot if I want to make significant moves
(06:03):
of the trade deadline. If they're two back, I mean
they're not just two back, They're two back with a
very difficult schedule. I think you have to add that
into your equation in terms of how aggressive you'd be
at the trade deadline or how aggressive you'd be at
not selling and trying to improve your team for the future.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yeah, and as of right now, there are two teams
between them and that last spot while they are two
games back, So that's also something you have to figure in.
We're talking with Nick Kirby from Chatterbox Sports talking about
the Reds. Are there any players at the lower level
that we haven't seen yet that might get a shot
this year? And not just because somebody gets hurt or
(06:42):
something else. Is there anybody ready to break through?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You think, Well, the most exciting player in that group
would be south Stewart just got promoted to Triple A,
hasn't actually yet to play at Triple A. Got promoted
during the weekend he was at the Futures Game, played
at the Old Star Game on Saturday. A player that
has just hit and hit and hit. He has been
(07:08):
incredibly impressive. The Reds have pretty much put him at
third base, so it kind of feels to me todd
like if I'm reading between the lines here, the Reds
are saying, all right, Noelbe Marte, you have your chance
now to not just hit, but prove that you can
play third base defensively. And if you don't, well, we're
(07:29):
gonna bring up stalth Stewart and we're gonna give him
a chance, and you'll have to figure out a spot
somewhere else, whether that be they move him to the outfield,
or they only the h of this year, or they
patchwork him the rest of the year. I'm not I'm
not a guy that by any stretch the imagination has
given up on the Elbie Marty. I still believe in
him a lot. I feels like he's one of the
I think he's the second best player behind Elie in
(07:52):
terms of long term future. But Sal Stewart, they're definitely
it feels like they're definitely gearing up for him if
he performs well. Triple A after he gets promoted to
get a shot in the big league. That soel that
Marte stumbles more defensively at third dase.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
All right, Nick, what about the return of Hunter Green?
Is that are you getting more pessimistic like me that
it's going to happen or are you more realistic than
me and figure it's going to happen at some point.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
He's just he's kind of reached that level where I'll
believe it when I see it. I mean, I'm not
going to count on him, So when I'm talking with
people about what's my applications with the Reds in the
second half right now, I'm just not expecting Hunter Green.
And I'm not not being that disrespectful to Hunter. It's
just that that's unfortunately kind of where it's gone. So yeah,
(08:40):
I just I'll believe it when I see him, you know,
step on a mound in a in a legitimate rehab game.
I think he's rehabbed down in Arizona in the Complex League.
But if he goes back down and you know, there's
a rehab game with either Louisville or Chattanooga, whichever one's
more easy to jump on, that that's what I'll believe
he's really coming back from Until then, you know, you're
just gonna have to I'm assuming you're gonna have to
(09:02):
figure out figure out how to handle it without him.
And it's hard to really see this Red team being
able to get to the playoffs without Hunter Green pitching
well for them down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, Nick, final thought of the managerial prowess of Terry
Francona through about one hundred games, So what have you
liked and what have you seen? It's been a big
positive with him.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Well, I think he has helped navigate this team in
terms of being able to move on to the next day,
and he's preached that every day. There's been a lot
of tactical things that I certainly have had a hard
time agreeing with. But the Red guy has some brutal
losses and they've had some brutal stretches for men. They
(09:45):
felt like this season was going to fall off the rails,
and I tell you what, to their credit, they have
found the way to pick themselves up off the mat.
I mean, just last week, you lose those first two games,
and that to the Marlins at home in a crucial
homestand yes, four and three was not spectacular. I still
wanted to see more than that. But to win four
(10:05):
at your last five and get to the All Star
break and give yourself your team a chance, I mean
that that's significant. So he definitely preached that, and you
hear the players in their postgame interviews. You know, we're
citing that as well. So they definitely bought into that
mindset moving on to the next day. And that's what
you have to do. You can't be a fan. You
can't be a fan and let the day before, you know,
(10:28):
go into the next day if you're trying to be
a big league baseball player. And the Reds just team
to do that this year.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Nick, to circle back to one of your points on that,
do you think the strategic blunders as you would see
them or disagreements are part of him learning what his
team is capable of in certain situations. I don't want
to say experimentation, but maybe some of the choices he's
made as him sort of pushing and prodding to see
what each guy is capable of in certain situations.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, it's possible. You know, there's always you know, decision
behind the curtain have other ramifications that we don't know.
I tend to give give managers a lot more grace
with with for leavers because you never know who's available
and who's not. So I try to be very careful
on being critical about that because you just you don't know,
(11:16):
and that's a really hard job to do. Yeah, I
think some of it that. I also think some of
it might be I'm gonna do it my way and
I'm not gonna gonna follow you analytical nerds. We'll see that.
The one that's really just I've had a hard time
understanding is the Noelve mart Day pulling him, you know,
(11:37):
after six sittings every night, Like I understand there might
be sometimes, you know, if it's a one run game
or whatnot. It was a couple of games with the
Reds of like a six run lead, and it's like
the market is the future, like we need he needs
to get better. So that's when the one of the
hardest ones recently that I've had a hard time buying on.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
That's Nick Kirby with Chatterbox Sports. You can find them
of course on social media, and you'll hear him on
the pre game show later tonight here on the Reds
Radio Network. Nick, we appreciate you checking in.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, thanks Toop for having me appreciate it.
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