January 28, 2025 • 15 mins
Tony and Austin talk with Mark Sheldon about the Reds signing Austin Hays and what else to look out for during the Reds offseason, on ESPN 1530.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Cincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part
(00:05):
by Cinci Shirts. Cinci Shirts, All Cinci all Day. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back. Since he three to sixty, it's our two
thanks to Cinci Shirts on the home of the Bengals,
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. We have spent a
large majority of today talking Cincinnati Reds. Let's continue that
conversation today with a man covering the Cincinnati Reds for
MLB dot Com joining us right now, Mark Sheldon, Mark,
how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Great? Good afternoon? How are you Mark?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A couple noteworthy pieces today. The Reds have made a move.
Austin Hayes is a Cincinnati Red. You look at the
production numbers from an outfield standpoint, I don't think the
power hitting bat that a lot of fans thought that
the Cincinnati Reds still need. Nonetheless, how does Austin Hayes
fit into this Red squad?
Speaker 5 (00:59):
Well, it seems like he could identify, assuming he passes
the physical, as a bounce back type of candidate.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
He was a twenty twenty three All Star with Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Last year, he suffered from a couple of leg injuries,
a kidney infection, and he got traded to Philadelphia and
he just sort of had a rough year in general.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So assuming he's healthy, his right handed hitting and he.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Hits well against left handers, could make him a successful
guy at Great American Ballpark. He's definitely in a more
of a hitter's park than Baltimore has been the.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Last few years. So we'll see. It allows, you know,
them to have a right handed hitter to.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Go with Benson and Frehley and Friedo, and maybe it
moves Spencer Steer back to the infield.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
When you look at this team and the needs everyone
talks about, you know, a power back, one of those
corner outfield spots. But when you start to dive in,
we talked about the bullpen a little bit last week.
This bullpen. Do you feel like, as is right now,
is ready to go or are they still use an
upgrade in the bullpen? Almost as much as folks think
(02:04):
they could use a power back.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
I certainly could use some bullpen help. And certainly the
Estevis the free agent has been rumored as a back
end option and it's certainly I guess so still possible.
But they haven't necessarily made up for the loss of
Fernando Cruise yet. But at the same time, I think
bullpen help is one of those things that you can
get it pretty easily, especially when once camps opened and
(02:31):
guys are still looking for jobs. You could they've read
have had a pretty good track record of getting guys
on minor league deals and or on cheap, you know,
one year deals and then having success.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And you know one of them is the guy like Alex.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Young who was actually gonna be back in camp this
year on a minor league deal. So there are guys
that are coming in will compete for jobs, and.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
If they still have some good stuff, they could be successful.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Graham Asscraft is a is a name a lot of
folks have talked about this offseason moving from starter to bullpen.
I know Terry Francona values pitchers going deep into the games.
Graham Ashcraft has not been that as of late. Does
Graham Ashcraft serve this team better in a bullpen rolling?
Do you think that's where he ultimately ends up.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I think it's very possible. He's certainly going to compete
as a starter going in. They have several guys kind
of competing for those last two spots in the rotation,
and Ashcraft's is one of them. I think his stuff
presents well as a potential late inning closer type of reliever.
He's got he throws one hundred miles an hour, he's
got that nasty cutter, and if they can get a
(03:35):
sinker right.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
That'd be a good two pitches for him.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
That's what's what he needs, and he's got the mentality
for so I think, yes, he would serve them as
a reliever, but he also don't want to give up
on necessarily as a starter yet, being that he has
had some good moments and good stretches as a starter.
It's not like he's been a terrible starter. He's had
some really strong stretches where he was their best pitcher,
and he's had some really defunks, which is, you know, unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
So he needs to find consistency. He's going to stay
in the rotation.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Staying on the rotation. I don't know if it's been
under the radar or just not talked about as much
for any different reasons, But right now, when you look
at the MLB pipeline, the top one hundred prospects, the
leader for the Reds at number twenty six. Is Chase
Burns the number two overall selection we've seen in today's
baseball it doesn't take as long for those college draftees
(04:25):
to make it to the big leagues. What do you
feel is the correct outlook for Chase Burns on when
he eventually starts to make an impact for the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
I mean, it certainly going to depend on how he does,
and it's certainly also going to depend on the Reds' needs.
If you recall last year, Red Ladder came up in
August thirtieth and made the last six starts in the
big leagues after only twenty two minor league starts, and
there was a huge need because the rotation was battered
(04:56):
with injuries, and so it kind of worked out really well.
He was and great in the minors and showed that
he deserved to call up and there was a need
at the time. So it looks like at the moment,
Chase Burns has kind of following that same trajectory. He
didn't play at all the year he got drafted last year,
like Rhet Lauder, did not play at all in twenty
twenty three, and then he made the major leagues in
(05:20):
short orders, So I think that's certainly possible for Burns,
who throws harder.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
He's got more electric stuff maybe than Louder, So I
wouldn't rule anything out. Let's put that on.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Ellie de la Cruz is a cover athlete for MLB
the Show, certainly one of the big faces of baseball,
the young up and coming faces of baseball. You pair
him up with Terry Francona and his opportunity to develop
Ellie de la Cruz. When you start to think expectations,
where do you start those with Ellie de la Cruz
going into really year three, you get the sophomore year
(05:52):
last year. I think this is a big year to
determine where these guys are going to slot in as
those cornerstone Pece says of the team, how do you
view success going into twenty twenty twenty five for Eli
da la Cruz.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Well, certainly he's gonna have to get more consistent from
both sides of the plate, left handed down right handed.
But I'd say paramount to everything is cutting down strikeouts,
and he's gonna have a new hitting coach and Chrystal Leaka,
who is a big on contact kind of coach and
has that track record in Cleveland. And so if day
La Cruise can cut down the strikeouts and be on
(06:29):
base more, whether it's through the walks or through hits,
the immediately becomes a bustill s thrent for pitchers because
they have to they have to deal with him and
they know he's there. And a lot of times when
he reaches first base, no matter how he does it,
he winds up on third usually before you know the
next two at bats are over.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
So, uh, if that's the best best thing he can do.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Is cut down on strikeouts and be more, you know,
put the ball in play more and get on base more.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
How would you answer that question for Matt McClain, who
obviously first onto the scene but misses a whole year.
What do you expect? Because I think that's one of
the great unknowns. What are your expectations from a guy
in twenty twenty three that hit two ninety with sixteen
home runs? How do you set the bar of expectation
for Matt McClain.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
I don't think there's as much mystery except for the
fact that he has to stay healthy. So far that's
been a difficult thing for him. He hasn't been able
to do that, But if he could stay healthy, I
don't see why he can't repeat that kind of production.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
For them because he's got the skills.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
He's got a short compact swing, he's a baseball rat,
he's a gamer. I see him being a guy that
could go out and immediately help them, assuming he's healthy.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
That's the big question mark.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What do we know about Spencer Steer and what the
plan has been for him this offseason, what he's working on,
and what exactly the plan will be for him this year.
Do we expect to see him much at all in
the infield or is it going to be basically he's
an outfielder most of the time.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
You know, honestly, with all this news today that's kind
of coming up, it's kind of remains to be seen.
I think it's certainly one of those things. His versatility
allows him to play just about anywhere. You could put
him at first base, you could put him at third base,
he can still play left field. I don't rule anything out.
I think having a guy like that is certainly valuable.
(08:22):
But I don't know where he's gonna go, Because you know,
first base, you would imagine that would be either in
Carnassio Strand or jam or Candelario. But I could argue
that Spencer Steer is probably better at first base than
both those guys defensively, so.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
We'll have to kind of see how that shakes out.
That's a mystery right now.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
What about the rest of the outfielders. I mean, I
feel like we're kind of forgetting about Jake Frayley, maybe
forgetting about Will Benson. How do you see those competitions,
especially for the corner spots shaking out.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Assuming Hayes goes into left field at this point, I
guess right field would be down to Benson and Freyley,
and I would think but right now, you know, Freyley
had a solid year. Not his power went away, but
he had overall a solid year. Benson is just gonna
have to reinvent himself. He had a dismal season, but
(09:17):
he showed so what he did so well in twenty
twenty three he couldn't repeat in twenty twenty four. So
I and he's got the makeup and he's got the
work ethics, so I don't see why he can't do it.
But at this point he has to go out and
do it, and he has to prove himself to earn
a spot on a team. I don't think his spot
on the team is guaranteed. I think last year he
(09:37):
probably could have done with some time in Triple A
to kind of, you know, reset himself, and that would
have helped him a little bit more. But here we are,
and we'll see what he does for Terry Francona. Certainly
he knows him from being in Cleveland, so and so
does christ Malakas, So I'm sure they could work with
him very well.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
You mentioned Terry Francona, how much can you expect in
today's baseball man to make up from a wins lost standpoint.
I know that they want to be better on the bases.
I know they want to be better with the fundamental
things on the baseball field that this team lacked in
so many ways last year. But when we talk about
in today's statistics war or the you know, the wins
above replacement or what a manager can do, how much
(10:17):
can Terry Francona make up for with where this team
was compared to where they want to be under Francona.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Well, that's no secret that the team disappointed last year.
There were some things that they did not execute very well,
and accountability seemed to be the buzzword of what they
were missing.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I think he checks those boxes.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
He will not let guys get away with things that
maybe they got away with in the past. And I
think if players were performing poorly, whether it's because they're
not executing well or they make a mistake, I think
that'll be addressed a little bit more directly under Francona.
And I think that his resume automatically lends to guys saying,
(10:58):
we better pay attention to this guy. He's been around,
he's one World Series, He's done about everything you can
do in baseball. And then you also look at the
fact of the acquisitions they get, including today with Hayes.
Everybody they've signed this offseason has playoff experience, and as
recently as last year, Gavin LUs Brady, singer Terry Francne
(11:20):
has been in the playoffs in the past, and then
you have Austin Hayes was with the Phillies and Orioles.
So it's there's no reason why that influence can't help
the younger player mark.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
When you look at the NL Central as a whole,
certainly the Milwaukee Brewers have lost some key pieces. The
Chicago Cubs seem to be moving in the right direction.
Saint Louis is in this weird no man's land in
my opinion. Pittsburgh, I think, is still a little bit away.
How do you view the NL Central from a competition standpoint?
And where do you slot the Reds in the NL Central?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (11:57):
I guess you have to make the Cubs the team
to beat to space in the But you know they
went last year. They all they did was change managers
and they made no real roster improvements and they finished
with the almost the It's not the exact same record
two years in a row. So I think with the
improvements with Kyle Tucker and now they have Ryan Pressley
and they've made some other moves, they look pretty strong.
The Brewers, I just can't count them out, even though
(12:18):
they lost a Domas and Devin Williams.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
It's they always seem to be in the mix of it.
They have a way of finding replacements and they have
a really good manager. So I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (12:32):
Count them out, but you got to probably you look
at them as the second place team, and right now
the Reds would probably be third, but maybe they're third
with a bullet and they can move up a little
bit based on the moves they've made.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
They've been.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
You know, a lot of people are complaining the Reds
haven't done a lot, but I'd argue, and I know
that I think MLB Network had something about it. They've
been one of the most friskier teams this offseason other
than the Dodgers, and have you know, made moves to
address their weaknesses. Now, they may not be the moves
everyone loves, and they may be less sexy than adding
and you know Santander or Lonkoto obviously.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Because it's not those guys.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
But but they've made moves to try to address their
weaknesses and we'll see if it can get them over
the hump. But I agree with you about Saint Louis.
They they are clearly in rebuilding mode. And the Pirates
don't seem to have a direction right now, but they
do have Paul Schemes, so they have some guys to
work with, so we'll see if that's enough. But I
think the top three teams are, in some order, the Cubs, Brewers,
(13:26):
and Rents.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Mark Sheldon, covering the Cincinnati Reds for MLB dot Com.
Mark always very appreciative of your time. What's the easiest
way to get followed along with everything you got going
on with the Reds this offseason as we get nearer
to pitchers and catchers.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Reporting, Well, definitely.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Sheldon MLB is my Instagram and I have I'm on
the Blue Sky now so you can look at me
at Blue Sky as well.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
What's it like over there? I haven't gone to Blue
Sky yet?
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Is it fun?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
It's peaceful, good, good people and not as much anger yet.
I love it. Mark.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Thank you for your time, man. We'll talk again soon,
all right, have a great day, Yes, sir, that is
Mark Shelton. Mark's a great guy man, very informative. I
think that's how everyone kind of use it right now
with the n Central, Cubs, Brewers, Reds somewhere in that order.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Yeah, I guess so.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
I mean, and I don't think a big margin between
any of them.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
It kind of scared me what he said about you know,
the Cubs just switched managers and did basically the same thing.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, I know, I was right council last year.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Yeah, I know that the Reds have done more than that,
But it doesn't necessarily feel like that. Maybe I'm wrong,
but yeah, I'm to watch out for Yeah your talkbacks.
I kind of always expect the Cubs to just urinate
down their leg. The Brewers, I expect to just somehow
last year I felt ninety games.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Last year, I felt like with the Brewers, it was
like all year, well, they can't keep this up, they
can't keep this correct, they can't keep this up. And
then they did, We'll take a break, We'll come there
lost again because they're always Yeah your Talkbacks. Next ESPN
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Cincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part
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Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome back. Since he three to sixty, it's our two
thanks to Cinci Shirts on the home of the Bengals,
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. We have spent a
large majority of today talking Cincinnati Reds. Let's continue that
conversation today with a man covering the Cincinnati Reds for
MLB dot Com joining us right now, Mark Sheldon, Mark,
how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Great? Good afternoon? How are you Mark?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A couple noteworthy pieces today. The Reds have made a move.
Austin Hayes is a Cincinnati Red. You look at the
production numbers from an outfield standpoint, I don't think the
power hitting bat that a lot of fans thought that
the Cincinnati Reds still need. Nonetheless, how does Austin Hayes
fit into this Red squad?
Speaker 5 (00:59):
Well, it seems like he could identify, assuming he passes
the physical, as a bounce back type of candidate.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
He was a twenty twenty three All Star with Baltimore.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Last year, he suffered from a couple of leg injuries,
a kidney infection, and he got traded to Philadelphia and
he just sort of had a rough year in general.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So assuming he's healthy, his right handed hitting and he.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Hits well against left handers, could make him a successful
guy at Great American Ballpark. He's definitely in a more
of a hitter's park than Baltimore has been the.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Last few years. So we'll see. It allows, you know,
them to have a right handed hitter to.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Go with Benson and Frehley and Friedo, and maybe it
moves Spencer Steer back to the infield.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
When you look at this team and the needs everyone
talks about, you know, a power back, one of those
corner outfield spots. But when you start to dive in,
we talked about the bullpen a little bit last week.
This bullpen. Do you feel like, as is right now,
is ready to go or are they still use an
upgrade in the bullpen? Almost as much as folks think
(02:04):
they could use a power back.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
I certainly could use some bullpen help. And certainly the
Estevis the free agent has been rumored as a back
end option and it's certainly I guess so still possible.
But they haven't necessarily made up for the loss of
Fernando Cruise yet. But at the same time, I think
bullpen help is one of those things that you can
get it pretty easily, especially when once camps opened and
(02:31):
guys are still looking for jobs. You could they've read
have had a pretty good track record of getting guys
on minor league deals and or on cheap, you know,
one year deals and then having success.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And you know one of them is the guy like Alex.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Young who was actually gonna be back in camp this
year on a minor league deal. So there are guys
that are coming in will compete for jobs, and.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
If they still have some good stuff, they could be successful.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Graham Asscraft is a is a name a lot of
folks have talked about this offseason moving from starter to bullpen.
I know Terry Francona values pitchers going deep into the games.
Graham Ashcraft has not been that as of late. Does
Graham Ashcraft serve this team better in a bullpen rolling?
Do you think that's where he ultimately ends up.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I think it's very possible. He's certainly going to compete
as a starter going in. They have several guys kind
of competing for those last two spots in the rotation,
and Ashcraft's is one of them. I think his stuff
presents well as a potential late inning closer type of reliever.
He's got he throws one hundred miles an hour, he's
got that nasty cutter, and if they can get a
(03:35):
sinker right.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
That'd be a good two pitches for him.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
That's what's what he needs, and he's got the mentality
for so I think, yes, he would serve them as
a reliever, but he also don't want to give up
on necessarily as a starter yet, being that he has
had some good moments and good stretches as a starter.
It's not like he's been a terrible starter. He's had
some really strong stretches where he was their best pitcher,
and he's had some really defunks, which is, you know, unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
So he needs to find consistency. He's going to stay
in the rotation.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Staying on the rotation. I don't know if it's been
under the radar or just not talked about as much
for any different reasons, But right now, when you look
at the MLB pipeline, the top one hundred prospects, the
leader for the Reds at number twenty six. Is Chase
Burns the number two overall selection we've seen in today's
baseball it doesn't take as long for those college draftees
(04:25):
to make it to the big leagues. What do you
feel is the correct outlook for Chase Burns on when
he eventually starts to make an impact for the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
I mean, it certainly going to depend on how he does,
and it's certainly also going to depend on the Reds' needs.
If you recall last year, Red Ladder came up in
August thirtieth and made the last six starts in the
big leagues after only twenty two minor league starts, and
there was a huge need because the rotation was battered
(04:56):
with injuries, and so it kind of worked out really well.
He was and great in the minors and showed that
he deserved to call up and there was a need
at the time. So it looks like at the moment,
Chase Burns has kind of following that same trajectory. He
didn't play at all the year he got drafted last year,
like Rhet Lauder, did not play at all in twenty
twenty three, and then he made the major leagues in
(05:20):
short orders, So I think that's certainly possible for Burns,
who throws harder.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
He's got more electric stuff maybe than Louder, So I
wouldn't rule anything out. Let's put that on.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Ellie de la Cruz is a cover athlete for MLB
the Show, certainly one of the big faces of baseball,
the young up and coming faces of baseball. You pair
him up with Terry Francona and his opportunity to develop
Ellie de la Cruz. When you start to think expectations,
where do you start those with Ellie de la Cruz
going into really year three, you get the sophomore year
(05:52):
last year. I think this is a big year to
determine where these guys are going to slot in as
those cornerstone Pece says of the team, how do you
view success going into twenty twenty twenty five for Eli
da la Cruz.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Well, certainly he's gonna have to get more consistent from
both sides of the plate, left handed down right handed.
But I'd say paramount to everything is cutting down strikeouts,
and he's gonna have a new hitting coach and Chrystal Leaka,
who is a big on contact kind of coach and
has that track record in Cleveland. And so if day
La Cruise can cut down the strikeouts and be on
(06:29):
base more, whether it's through the walks or through hits,
the immediately becomes a bustill s thrent for pitchers because
they have to they have to deal with him and
they know he's there. And a lot of times when
he reaches first base, no matter how he does it,
he winds up on third usually before you know the
next two at bats are over.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
So, uh, if that's the best best thing he can do.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Is cut down on strikeouts and be more, you know,
put the ball in play more and get on base more.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
How would you answer that question for Matt McClain, who
obviously first onto the scene but misses a whole year.
What do you expect? Because I think that's one of
the great unknowns. What are your expectations from a guy
in twenty twenty three that hit two ninety with sixteen
home runs? How do you set the bar of expectation
for Matt McClain.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
I don't think there's as much mystery except for the
fact that he has to stay healthy. So far that's
been a difficult thing for him. He hasn't been able
to do that, But if he could stay healthy, I
don't see why he can't repeat that kind of production.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
For them because he's got the skills.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
He's got a short compact swing, he's a baseball rat,
he's a gamer. I see him being a guy that
could go out and immediately help them, assuming he's healthy.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
That's the big question mark.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What do we know about Spencer Steer and what the
plan has been for him this offseason, what he's working on,
and what exactly the plan will be for him this year.
Do we expect to see him much at all in
the infield or is it going to be basically he's
an outfielder most of the time.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
You know, honestly, with all this news today that's kind
of coming up, it's kind of remains to be seen.
I think it's certainly one of those things. His versatility
allows him to play just about anywhere. You could put
him at first base, you could put him at third base,
he can still play left field. I don't rule anything out.
I think having a guy like that is certainly valuable.
(08:22):
But I don't know where he's gonna go, Because you know,
first base, you would imagine that would be either in
Carnassio Strand or jam or Candelario. But I could argue
that Spencer Steer is probably better at first base than
both those guys defensively, so.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
We'll have to kind of see how that shakes out.
That's a mystery right now.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
What about the rest of the outfielders. I mean, I
feel like we're kind of forgetting about Jake Frayley, maybe
forgetting about Will Benson. How do you see those competitions,
especially for the corner spots shaking out.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Assuming Hayes goes into left field at this point, I
guess right field would be down to Benson and Freyley,
and I would think but right now, you know, Freyley
had a solid year. Not his power went away, but
he had overall a solid year. Benson is just gonna
have to reinvent himself. He had a dismal season, but
(09:17):
he showed so what he did so well in twenty
twenty three he couldn't repeat in twenty twenty four. So
I and he's got the makeup and he's got the
work ethics, so I don't see why he can't do it.
But at this point he has to go out and
do it, and he has to prove himself to earn
a spot on a team. I don't think his spot
on the team is guaranteed. I think last year he
(09:37):
probably could have done with some time in Triple A
to kind of, you know, reset himself, and that would
have helped him a little bit more. But here we are,
and we'll see what he does for Terry Francona. Certainly
he knows him from being in Cleveland, so and so
does christ Malakas, So I'm sure they could work with
him very well.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
You mentioned Terry Francona, how much can you expect in
today's baseball man to make up from a wins lost standpoint.
I know that they want to be better on the bases.
I know they want to be better with the fundamental
things on the baseball field that this team lacked in
so many ways last year. But when we talk about
in today's statistics war or the you know, the wins
above replacement or what a manager can do, how much
(10:17):
can Terry Francona make up for with where this team
was compared to where they want to be under Francona.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Well, that's no secret that the team disappointed last year.
There were some things that they did not execute very well,
and accountability seemed to be the buzzword of what they
were missing.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I think he checks those boxes.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
He will not let guys get away with things that
maybe they got away with in the past. And I
think if players were performing poorly, whether it's because they're
not executing well or they make a mistake, I think
that'll be addressed a little bit more directly under Francona.
And I think that his resume automatically lends to guys saying,
(10:58):
we better pay attention to this guy. He's been around,
he's one World Series, He's done about everything you can
do in baseball. And then you also look at the
fact of the acquisitions they get, including today with Hayes.
Everybody they've signed this offseason has playoff experience, and as
recently as last year, Gavin LUs Brady, singer Terry Francne
(11:20):
has been in the playoffs in the past, and then
you have Austin Hayes was with the Phillies and Orioles.
So it's there's no reason why that influence can't help
the younger player mark.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
When you look at the NL Central as a whole,
certainly the Milwaukee Brewers have lost some key pieces. The
Chicago Cubs seem to be moving in the right direction.
Saint Louis is in this weird no man's land in
my opinion. Pittsburgh, I think, is still a little bit away.
How do you view the NL Central from a competition standpoint?
And where do you slot the Reds in the NL Central?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (11:57):
I guess you have to make the Cubs the team
to beat to space in the But you know they
went last year. They all they did was change managers
and they made no real roster improvements and they finished
with the almost the It's not the exact same record
two years in a row. So I think with the
improvements with Kyle Tucker and now they have Ryan Pressley
and they've made some other moves, they look pretty strong.
The Brewers, I just can't count them out, even though
(12:18):
they lost a Domas and Devin Williams.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
It's they always seem to be in the mix of it.
They have a way of finding replacements and they have
a really good manager. So I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (12:32):
Count them out, but you got to probably you look
at them as the second place team, and right now
the Reds would probably be third, but maybe they're third
with a bullet and they can move up a little
bit based on the moves they've made.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
They've been.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
You know, a lot of people are complaining the Reds
haven't done a lot, but I'd argue, and I know
that I think MLB Network had something about it. They've
been one of the most friskier teams this offseason other
than the Dodgers, and have you know, made moves to
address their weaknesses. Now, they may not be the moves
everyone loves, and they may be less sexy than adding
and you know Santander or Lonkoto obviously.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Because it's not those guys.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
But but they've made moves to try to address their
weaknesses and we'll see if it can get them over
the hump. But I agree with you about Saint Louis.
They they are clearly in rebuilding mode. And the Pirates
don't seem to have a direction right now, but they
do have Paul Schemes, so they have some guys to
work with, so we'll see if that's enough. But I
think the top three teams are, in some order, the Cubs, Brewers,
(13:26):
and Rents.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Mark Sheldon, covering the Cincinnati Reds for MLB dot Com.
Mark always very appreciative of your time. What's the easiest
way to get followed along with everything you got going
on with the Reds this offseason as we get nearer
to pitchers and catchers.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Reporting, Well, definitely.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Sheldon MLB is my Instagram and I have I'm on
the Blue Sky now so you can look at me
at Blue Sky as well.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
What's it like over there? I haven't gone to Blue
Sky yet?
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Is it fun?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
It's peaceful, good, good people and not as much anger yet.
I love it. Mark.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Thank you for your time, man. We'll talk again soon,
all right, have a great day, Yes, sir, that is
Mark Shelton. Mark's a great guy man, very informative. I
think that's how everyone kind of use it right now
with the n Central, Cubs, Brewers, Reds somewhere in that order.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Yeah, I guess so.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
I mean, and I don't think a big margin between
any of them.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
It kind of scared me what he said about you know,
the Cubs just switched managers and did basically the same thing.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, I know, I was right council last year.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Yeah, I know that the Reds have done more than that,
But it doesn't necessarily feel like that. Maybe I'm wrong,
but yeah, I'm to watch out for Yeah your talkbacks.
I kind of always expect the Cubs to just urinate
down their leg. The Brewers, I expect to just somehow
last year I felt ninety games.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Last year, I felt like with the Brewers, it was
like all year, well, they can't keep this up, they
can't keep this correct, they can't keep this up. And
then they did, We'll take a break, We'll come there
lost again because they're always Yeah your Talkbacks. Next ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to our friends at
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Speaker 3 (15:24):
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Speaker 2 (15:27):
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