January 15, 2026 • 19 mins
Mo is joined in studio by Reds pitchers Andrew Abbott & Emilio Pagán to reflect on the 2025 season, look ahead to 2026, and preview Redsfest.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports. All Right, there you go, it's
six after three. This is ESPN fifteen thirty on mo Edgar.
Thank you for listening. Hopefully had him an awesome Thursday afternoon.
We are because we have Andrew Abbott and Emelio Pagan
in studio to start the show, getting set for Reds Fest,
which runs tomorrow and Saturday at the Cincinnati Convention Center.
(00:25):
Two of the faces of the twenty twenty five and
twenty twenty six Reds two of the faces of Redsvest
and a Emilio's case sitting in the exact same chair
he was in last year. And look what he did
last season. Thirty two saves had a great year. Andrew
Witherson studio. Gentlemen, it's awesome to have you guys.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
How are we doing, Yeah, doing great, Thanks for having
us on, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
The All Star Andrew Abbot's let's look back before we
look look ahead, and I'll start with you, Andrew. You
have an all Star season. But I was I was
talking with TJ. Friedel yesterday about you know, those games
in September, and there were so many of them were
at felt like, boy, if they don't win tonight, it's
gonna go the other way. One of them was the
game in San Diego where you guys win two to one,
(01:07):
you go eight, And it was one of and there
were a bunch of just awesome pitching performances down the stretch.
So reflect on what it was like to play in
all those high leverage games and then have the payoff
of finally getting to the postseason.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, the San Diego game, it was after a rough
stretch for me, two or three bad starts back to
back to back, So I fell a little chip on
my shoulder that I needed to kind of go back
to myself, earn that kind of you know, respect again.
But you know, with these guys backing you up the
whole time, team's playing well, so just going out and
doing your job at the end of the day. But yeah,
playing those games down the road, I mean it was
(01:41):
a lot of fun. I mean, ep smiles. All those
guys kind of elluded that we were, you know, in
the race, like we just needed to stay loose like
they had been in the situation, like just keep playing,
keep doing what we've been doing all year, and you know,
things started to click. We won the games we needed
to win, and there we were in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
A lot of high leverage outs for you last year, Emilio,
both in September and then across the course of the season.
And I remember you sitting with me here last year
and you talked about like having something to prove twenty
twenty four, Dinco the way you wanted, I would say,
in that regard, mission accomplished.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, I mean kind of. I mean yeah, you know,
I individually, I had a pretty good year. We made
the playoffs, but we didn't win the World Series. So
you know, that's what we're in this industry, force is
to win at trophies, and you know, you don't get
a trophy for being the last team into the playoffs.
So you know, I was happy to put a better
(02:33):
product on the field. I felt like I you know,
like I told you last year, I felt like I
let the city down, let the organization down in twenty
twenty four by not being out there as much as
I normally am in my career. And so putting a
better foot forward for me and and and really for
the team was my main focus. And so I was
glad to be able to go out there and throw
(02:55):
as many times as I did.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
And for what it's worth, Reads made it official today
what had been reported over the week, and Pierce Johnson
so another reliever that's been an area of emphasis. And
it feels like going into spring training, we know what
your role is going to be, but it's a little
bit easier to define who is supposed to do what
because of who they've acquired this offseason and who you
bring back.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, I mean it can in theory, but you know,
in theory last year, there's no way I was gonna
be throwing the ninth inning. So things change, you know,
injuries happen, Results don't always, you know, go our way.
As players, you know, there there is a look factor
in this game, and so you know, on paper, yeah,
(03:36):
for sure, our bullpen looks like it's going to be
a strength which is backing up and even stronger starting rotation,
and so the pitching side should be fun to watch.
You know. I'm excited to watch our our our unit,
our group as a whole and what we're able to accomplish.
I think we've got a super talented group and excited
for what we can do moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Andrew an All Star season right and coming into the
year it's let's let's let's hope that all these guys
stay healthy, and that wasn't the case. But you kind
of put the rotation on your back for a while
early in the summer, and you get rewarded by getting
a chance to go to and pitch in the All
Star Game. When you think of that season, what things
come to mind.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
That's a dream come true for me personally, you know,
being able to represent the team, my teammates, being able
to represent Cincinnati, my family in that game was you
know what dreams are made of. Like I said, it's
you know it was it was. It was just amazing
to get the call to get told to go tell
my family that it happened. But yeah, like I said,
I'm not I'm a product of everybody around me. I
(04:38):
had amazing defense from TJ and everybody in the outfield,
saving runs, you know, doing all that so I could
be successful. You know, ep Tony, all those guys in
the back end closing down games to give me wins
and stuff. So like a lot of it took. It
takes a team effort to get you there. So it's
remiss to say it's all you, because it's really not.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, you talk about the defense, then they go and
get you the best, maybe the best defensive player in
the sport to play third ba.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
M hm, that's he's a vacuum cleaner over there third base.
It's it's it's really nice to know that he's back there.
I mean, he can speak about it too, but when
it's a hard hit ball or like there's a chance
for some crazy play to happen, he's making routine plays.
He's making these diving plays getting up. His timing is
elite with like throwing guys to go and throw in
the first space to get him out. And he's just
(05:22):
a nice dude too. He's a great character in the
locker room and he's a great leader for our team.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Neilio, last year we talked about you kind of wanting
to pivot from what was a little bit of a
lost twenty twenty four. Everybody gathers in good year and
you hear about the vibes, and the vibes were based
on guys like yourself with something to prove. Were guys
who wanted to bounce back from you know, having an
injury in twenty twenty four, but also a lot of
new guys, newness with manager, coaches, guys brought in from
(05:48):
other organizations, and I think brought in in large part
because they had won before. What do you guys, I'll
throw this to both of you, what do you guys
anticipate the vibe being like when you guys gets a
good year in a couple of weeks. This year is
compared to last year.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think the biggest difference between our team now compared
to you know, when I first got here in twenty
twenty four. When I got here, there was a lot
of hope. You know, there was a lot of you know,
we got this this young core that has come up,
and these guys are going to be the guys that
steer the ship for this organization moving forward. And while
that's still true, I think that hope has turned into
(06:24):
now belief. You know, like we believe, like we belong,
We believe like we're one of the better teams in
the league. It's hard to truly believe it if you
haven't gotten your foot in the door and played in
the playoffs. And so now a lot of our best
players with who are our young guys, have been there,
have tasted it, have seen what it takes to go
the one sixty two to deal with ups and downs,
(06:44):
the struggles of successes and still get to a chance
to play for a trophy at the end of the season.
And so now that our guys who hadn't experience that
have there's a there's a different you know, while the
word is very similar, you go from hope to belief,
there's a different urgency that comes along with that, you know,
like we believe, like we belong. Now it's just go
and execute as at high a level as we can
(07:06):
and hopefully win a division and give ourselves some home
playoff games for this city and this fan base.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Similar sort of answer from you, Andrew.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, I mean I just did that. I would just say,
like being resilient, being confident as well, knowing that we
have what it takes to get there, but knowing that
we still have the job to go out and do that.
Improving on small things, refining, we constantly learn, we constantly
get better at this game. So just taking that to
hard at spring training and then using spring training as
a springboard into the season.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Everybody is asked about the Tito effect, and from a
position player standpoint, maybe it's a little bit different than
a picture because you had the same pitching coach, right,
which I think you guys are grateful for in Derek Johnson.
So acknowledging that from your guys perspective, where was where
was the biggest way where Tito had an impact that
maybe we as fans don't get a chance to see.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
To me, it's how calm me stays. You know, it's
everybody talks about trying to stay levelhead and let your
emotions get the best of you. Obviously in professional sports
everything's magnified. There's especially in today's world where there's social media,
there's radio, there's media at all times.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah. Radio is always nice to here.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, And so you know, having Tito around where he's
not gonna get too down with the downs, he's not
gonna get too up with the ups over the course
of one sixty two that that's extremely important because we're
all going to struggle. You know, we're gonna have our
days where we go out there and give up four
or five runs. We're gonna have or not us personally,
but our teammates are gonna have stretches where they don't
(08:33):
get a hit for a series or two. Having a
guy that's been there for so long seen so many
teams get to the playoffs and have a chance to
play for a World Series, and then ultimately he's won
a few World Series. You know, having that is invaluable.
It's hard to put a word or a level of
importance on it. And seeing how calm he stays, it
(08:55):
helps our young guys stay calm and just understand like, hey,
we're good enough to be here and and make a difference.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Felt like Andrew that that was the strength of this team.
We kept calling you guys cockroaches, right because it was.
There were so many games last year that didn't go
your way, and as fans and as like weathered fans
that have been through some tough seasons, you're sort of
thinking like, all right, that's that's the loss that's gonna
send them into a downward spiral. And you guys bounce
back every time. And it always felt like after every
(09:23):
game win or lost, the message from Tito was flush it.
You know, we may have blown a game, may have
blown a game that we were supposed to have may
have gotten blown out. We may have come back and
orchestrated a great comeback victory. There was always this that's cool,
we'll talk about it, then we're gonna flush it. And
to me again as an outsiders, that message got through
(09:43):
all season long.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, it makes it very simple to us as well,
Like you know, we dwell on stuff like I don't
know about Emilia, but like if I have a bad
start and I give the team a bad beginning of
the game, like I'm gonna dwell on that just for
the game. But then I know, with the confidence coming
from Tito and the rest of my teammates, like, hey,
you're gonna be back out there in four days, like
we need you to go win another one or go
give us another good one. So like you said, I
mean just having him at the you know, captain of
(10:07):
the ship, went around hatt and stuff. Just having him
there with the confidence and the players the traditional mindset
of baseball like just go do it, go compete. It
doesn't go our way, then you know, screw it, Like
let's just move on and go win the next one.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's got to be so much fun for you. The
strength of this team is pitching and and it's got
to be so much fun for you and that and
that group of starters where boy, a lot of you
guys got here roughly the same time you after many
of them, but still all sort of coming of age
at the same time and all enjoying individual and collective
success at the same time. I can't imagine how cool
(10:41):
that is.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, I mean we're all friends, Like I've known Hunter
for years, I've known Dola for years, Burns for years.
Like I mean, you typically you just know everybody. If
you played college, you know them. If you played high school,
you basically know everybody. But you know, like you said,
there's an internal competition between us, like we want to
outdo each other in a friendly matter, like we want
success for each other. But Hunter goes out and deals
like Lodolo's. The next day he wants to go out
(11:03):
and you know, one up Hunter, Let's get one more
out than Hunter. And then I want to do the
same thing. Lodolo and Singer was the same way, and
then Nick Martinez was the same way, and Burns when
he came up with the same way, and that just breeds,
you know, just success, Like doesn't matter what we do.
Let's just give our chance to give the team a
chance to win. And then I just want to beat
that person.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Amelio, you got here in twenty four you weren't pitching
the ninth last year? You did. And you hear commentators
all the time say, like, gu he's you know, he's
good in high leverage situations, but he's not a ninth
inning guy. You were a ninth inning guy last year
and an effective one. Does the mindset change? Do you
pitch the ninth inning differently than he might coming in
the eighth inning one out, two on, one run game
(11:41):
as opposed to the ninth when you've got to get
three outs and there's nobody on.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, you know that. Uh, the answer to that question
for me would have been different a couple of years ago.
You know, I had a couple of chances to close
earlier in my career and I closed in college, and
so I had it on this pedestal, right, like I
wanted to be known as a major league closer for
what what whatever that means.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Because closers get paid whatever you know it.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Is, it's it's a fun roll, right, And so I
had all this emotion tied into it, thinking I had
to be perfect and put so much unneeded stress on myself.
And in the moment, you know, you go out there
and you try to be this this hero, right, now
I would say that I've I've matured enough. I've I've
(12:28):
been around the game long enough that I don't approach
it any differently. To me, it's it's really simple, like
can I execute one pitch? And then if I do,
can I execute the next pitch? And if I do that,
at the end of the day, the results are going
to be what they are, and so I have to
be okay with what that result is. If I'm executing pitches. Now,
the days that I do get upset, whether I get
(12:50):
the job done or not, whether we have a W
next to the team or or a blown say next
to my name. If I'm not executing, then that's the
days that I'm upset, even if we do win, because
I know that that's not sustainable success in this league.
The hitters are too good, the scouting reports are too good.
If I'm not executing pitches, then yeah, sure I might
have got the job done tonight, but you know the
(13:12):
next week might look pretty bad. And so to me,
I try to approach every inning the same way now,
where you know, I'm a couple of years ago, I
would have had a different answer, and I'm glad I've
matured to a point where I just now, it's just
go pitch through.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
A complete game? Last year, right which is you know,
I'm old enough to remember when like Joaquin Andrew Harr
would lead the league in complete games with like seventeen
of them. Right now, if you have two, you're going
to lead the league. But you threw the one in
Cleveland last year, and I you know, as a fan,
you're like, I want to see this guy finish it.
I think you walk the leadoff guy the night. Yeah,
(13:46):
and it's like, man, I want to see him finish this.
He tried this with Hunter in San Francisco early in
the season. At the same time, got a good bullpen.
I got this guy. You know, in this day and age,
are you looking at the bullpen? Are you thinking I
walked the dude? Now he's gonna pull me? Are you
looking to I mean, what is it like? And that's
a weird question. I get it, but we don't see
(14:08):
complete games, especially in one nothing games anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah. I mean just that night in particular, they he
came up to me and said, how do you feel
you have one hundred pitches? Can you go back out
or do you want do you need help?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Do you ever say no, I'm good, No, put the
warm up on right, Yeah, I'd rather end it on
my want the ball.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yeah. But he asked me how I felt. I said,
I'm ready to go. When I walked the guy, I
got nervous. I was like, oh, man, here we go.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Then you turn around and you see Emilio moving up
and you're like, oh, he's gonna come in with traffic.
It's not going to be an easy you're an easier
type situation.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
For the record, when they're throwing like that and they
get to the ninth, I want them to finish it. Like,
he's clearly our best option today. Let's let's just let
this guy go finish the game so you're not waving Yeah.
Hunters thrown the way he did in San France, and
when he's throwing the way he did in Cleveland, it's like, man,
those were not a better option down here today. Let's
let these guys finish the game. Show that game was
(15:01):
awesome to watch, and I would just piggyback off that.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I mean, when we know it's such a long season
and you know EP's been in a lot more than
I am, but helping out the bullpen, giving him an
extra day. Like if we can throw six seven innings
in a game and save two of those guys just
for whatever situation that comes in the next few games,
then that will matter down the stretch when they have
to throw back to back to back or back to back,
(15:23):
you know whatever it may call them. And I mean,
he can speak to it a lot better than I can.
But just knowing that you play a role in that
kind of mini success, that limited success is big for us.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know, there's a generation of us tonight. I still
when I see I'll see the pitching matchup that night,
I think of being a kid or a younger guy,
and it's like, you know, Jose Rio is going to
pitch against Greg Maddox, and you're thinking, Okay, those guys
are going to go eight, maybe one's gonna go nine.
Maybe they're both going to go nine, and that's what
you're gonna watch for the night. So you're thinking, those
guys are approaching their job going I'm pitching nine innings tonight.
(15:56):
Given the fact that we have a scarcity of complete games.
When you take the mound, what length are you thinking about?
Are you thinking I'm going seven? Are you thinking? Man?
You know what if I'm afishing I can get to nine? Like,
what's what are you planning on throwing that night?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Honestly, just try to get out, yeah, you know, however
many it may be. I mean, obviously the goal is
to go six or seven every time, but from the
first pitch until my last pitch, I'm literally just trying
to count out. So I'm like, how can I shorten
this game with a good situation for the team? And
is it the best situation for the team to win? Right?
And if I can do that, then more times than not,
it's going to be a good situation all.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
The way around the off season beyond having to do
this and talk to me and preparing for the season,
Have you guys done anything cool?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Watch my daughters grow up sign.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
A contract as one of them, which is not insignificant
at all.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
No, it's not. But for me, the highlights always what
are my daughters doing? You know, they played they both
played softball, my oldest playing basketball right now. They're both
doing great in school and so we miss so much
of the growth for them as players through that the
season because we're at the field so many hours in
a day. So the off season is all about, you know,
(17:06):
being with them as much as possible. What do they
want to do? And so for me, it's it's been
fun watching them.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Andrew I took the family on a nice beach trip
down the Isle of Palms.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Pretty good there.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So just for a week, you know, give them together
around the holidays and have some fun. But other than that,
just been fixing up the house and getting ready to train.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
When do you, guys, when does training start? Like how
much time do you give yourself where you don't do
anything before you get back at it.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I never stopped throwing, no, no. I took two weeks
off of like conditioning and lifting, and then I was
back into it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I normally start around November first, So okay, you give
it two or three weeks. Yeah, a good deal.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Can't wait for spring training, can't wait for the season
to begin. The contract thing. Congratulations, thank you, thank you.
Was it ever up in the air with Cincinnati always?
You know what I'm signing here? And that's it? Like
what was the process?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Like?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, I mean I knew I wanted to be in Cincinnati,
and I wasn't shy about you know, letting people here
know that, let my agent know that you know, there
was definitely some other teams calling, and that's a super
humbling experience, right.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Now, our dream as kids just to play in the
big leagues, and so when any major league team is
calling and offering you a contract like super humbling experience.
And I don't take that lightly. And I'm very thankful
for those phone calls and those conversations. But ultimately, I
knew I wanted to be here. I knew I wanted
to be with this group, with this coaching staff, with
a chance to you know, do something special for this organization,
(18:33):
in this fan base.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And so.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's always fun. You know, I've been a free agent
now twice and both times I had a good time
and enjoyed the experience. But for me, at the end
of the day, I knew this is where I wanted
to be and I'm glad we were able to get
it done.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Awesome to have you back. Congratulations on an All Star season, Andrew,
Congratulations on a great year.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, it's cool. If you get back, if you get
to the All Star Game together, that'd be that I'll
take credit for it.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Side of work, Red's fast, this is happening this weekend tomorrow,
starting at three o'clock and on Saturday at the Cincinnati
Convention Center. Emilio and Andrew will both be there among
more than eighty current and former Reds players, coaches, and broadcasters.
Reds dot com slash Redsfest is where you can get
your tickets. It's an awesome event. I love it in
(19:19):
January because Redsfest we turn the page. You guys will
be in goodyear. It'll start to get warm here sometime soon,
and opening day will be here before you know it.
I can't wait. I know you guys are excited as well.
Absolutely yeah. Emilio Pagan and Andrew Abbott joining us in studio. Gentlemen,
thanks so much. It's twenty five after three o'clock. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports. All Right, there you go, it's
six after three. This is ESPN fifteen thirty on mo Edgar.
Thank you for listening. Hopefully had him an awesome Thursday afternoon.
We are because we have Andrew Abbott and Emelio Pagan
in studio to start the show, getting set for Reds Fest,
which runs tomorrow and Saturday at the Cincinnati Convention Center.
(00:25):
Two of the faces of the twenty twenty five and
twenty twenty six Reds two of the faces of Redsvest
and a Emilio's case sitting in the exact same chair
he was in last year. And look what he did
last season. Thirty two saves had a great year. Andrew
Witherson studio. Gentlemen, it's awesome to have you guys.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
How are we doing, Yeah, doing great, Thanks for having
us on, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
The All Star Andrew Abbot's let's look back before we
look look ahead, and I'll start with you, Andrew. You
have an all Star season. But I was I was
talking with TJ. Friedel yesterday about you know, those games
in September, and there were so many of them were
at felt like, boy, if they don't win tonight, it's
gonna go the other way. One of them was the
game in San Diego where you guys win two to one,
(01:07):
you go eight, And it was one of and there
were a bunch of just awesome pitching performances down the stretch.
So reflect on what it was like to play in
all those high leverage games and then have the payoff
of finally getting to the postseason.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, the San Diego game, it was after a rough
stretch for me, two or three bad starts back to
back to back, So I fell a little chip on
my shoulder that I needed to kind of go back
to myself, earn that kind of you know, respect again.
But you know, with these guys backing you up the
whole time, team's playing well, so just going out and
doing your job at the end of the day. But yeah,
playing those games down the road, I mean it was
(01:41):
a lot of fun. I mean, ep smiles. All those
guys kind of elluded that we were, you know, in
the race, like we just needed to stay loose like
they had been in the situation, like just keep playing,
keep doing what we've been doing all year, and you know,
things started to click. We won the games we needed
to win, and there we were in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
A lot of high leverage outs for you last year, Emilio,
both in September and then across the course of the season.
And I remember you sitting with me here last year
and you talked about like having something to prove twenty
twenty four, Dinco the way you wanted, I would say,
in that regard, mission accomplished.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, I mean kind of. I mean yeah, you know,
I individually, I had a pretty good year. We made
the playoffs, but we didn't win the World Series. So
you know, that's what we're in this industry, force is
to win at trophies, and you know, you don't get
a trophy for being the last team into the playoffs.
So you know, I was happy to put a better
(02:33):
product on the field. I felt like I you know,
like I told you last year, I felt like I
let the city down, let the organization down in twenty
twenty four by not being out there as much as
I normally am in my career. And so putting a
better foot forward for me and and and really for
the team was my main focus. And so I was
glad to be able to go out there and throw
(02:55):
as many times as I did.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
And for what it's worth, Reads made it official today
what had been reported over the week, and Pierce Johnson
so another reliever that's been an area of emphasis. And
it feels like going into spring training, we know what
your role is going to be, but it's a little
bit easier to define who is supposed to do what
because of who they've acquired this offseason and who you
bring back.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, I mean it can in theory, but you know,
in theory last year, there's no way I was gonna
be throwing the ninth inning. So things change, you know,
injuries happen, Results don't always, you know, go our way.
As players, you know, there there is a look factor
in this game, and so you know, on paper, yeah,
(03:36):
for sure, our bullpen looks like it's going to be
a strength which is backing up and even stronger starting rotation,
and so the pitching side should be fun to watch.
You know. I'm excited to watch our our our unit,
our group as a whole and what we're able to accomplish.
I think we've got a super talented group and excited
for what we can do moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Andrew an All Star season right and coming into the
year it's let's let's let's hope that all these guys
stay healthy, and that wasn't the case. But you kind
of put the rotation on your back for a while
early in the summer, and you get rewarded by getting
a chance to go to and pitch in the All
Star Game. When you think of that season, what things
come to mind.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
That's a dream come true for me personally, you know,
being able to represent the team, my teammates, being able
to represent Cincinnati, my family in that game was you
know what dreams are made of. Like I said, it's
you know it was it was. It was just amazing
to get the call to get told to go tell
my family that it happened. But yeah, like I said,
I'm not I'm a product of everybody around me. I
(04:38):
had amazing defense from TJ and everybody in the outfield,
saving runs, you know, doing all that so I could
be successful. You know, ep Tony, all those guys in
the back end closing down games to give me wins
and stuff. So like a lot of it took. It
takes a team effort to get you there. So it's
remiss to say it's all you, because it's really not.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, you talk about the defense, then they go and
get you the best, maybe the best defensive player in
the sport to play third ba.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
M hm, that's he's a vacuum cleaner over there third base.
It's it's it's really nice to know that he's back there.
I mean, he can speak about it too, but when
it's a hard hit ball or like there's a chance
for some crazy play to happen, he's making routine plays.
He's making these diving plays getting up. His timing is
elite with like throwing guys to go and throw in
the first space to get him out. And he's just
(05:22):
a nice dude too. He's a great character in the
locker room and he's a great leader for our team.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Neilio, last year we talked about you kind of wanting
to pivot from what was a little bit of a
lost twenty twenty four. Everybody gathers in good year and
you hear about the vibes, and the vibes were based
on guys like yourself with something to prove. Were guys
who wanted to bounce back from you know, having an
injury in twenty twenty four, but also a lot of
new guys, newness with manager, coaches, guys brought in from
(05:48):
other organizations, and I think brought in in large part
because they had won before. What do you guys, I'll
throw this to both of you, what do you guys
anticipate the vibe being like when you guys gets a
good year in a couple of weeks. This year is
compared to last year.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think the biggest difference between our team now compared
to you know, when I first got here in twenty
twenty four. When I got here, there was a lot
of hope. You know, there was a lot of you know,
we got this this young core that has come up,
and these guys are going to be the guys that
steer the ship for this organization moving forward. And while
that's still true, I think that hope has turned into
(06:24):
now belief. You know, like we believe, like we belong,
We believe like we're one of the better teams in
the league. It's hard to truly believe it if you
haven't gotten your foot in the door and played in
the playoffs. And so now a lot of our best
players with who are our young guys, have been there,
have tasted it, have seen what it takes to go
the one sixty two to deal with ups and downs,
(06:44):
the struggles of successes and still get to a chance
to play for a trophy at the end of the season.
And so now that our guys who hadn't experience that
have there's a there's a different you know, while the
word is very similar, you go from hope to belief,
there's a different urgency that comes along with that, you know,
like we believe, like we belong. Now it's just go
and execute as at high a level as we can
(07:06):
and hopefully win a division and give ourselves some home
playoff games for this city and this fan base.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Similar sort of answer from you, Andrew.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, I mean I just did that. I would just say,
like being resilient, being confident as well, knowing that we
have what it takes to get there, but knowing that
we still have the job to go out and do that.
Improving on small things, refining, we constantly learn, we constantly
get better at this game. So just taking that to
hard at spring training and then using spring training as
a springboard into the season.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Everybody is asked about the Tito effect, and from a
position player standpoint, maybe it's a little bit different than
a picture because you had the same pitching coach, right,
which I think you guys are grateful for in Derek Johnson.
So acknowledging that from your guys perspective, where was where
was the biggest way where Tito had an impact that
maybe we as fans don't get a chance to see.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
To me, it's how calm me stays. You know, it's
everybody talks about trying to stay levelhead and let your
emotions get the best of you. Obviously in professional sports
everything's magnified. There's especially in today's world where there's social media,
there's radio, there's media at all times.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah. Radio is always nice to here.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, And so you know, having Tito around where he's
not gonna get too down with the downs, he's not
gonna get too up with the ups over the course
of one sixty two that that's extremely important because we're
all going to struggle. You know, we're gonna have our
days where we go out there and give up four
or five runs. We're gonna have or not us personally,
but our teammates are gonna have stretches where they don't
(08:33):
get a hit for a series or two. Having a
guy that's been there for so long seen so many
teams get to the playoffs and have a chance to
play for a World Series, and then ultimately he's won
a few World Series. You know, having that is invaluable.
It's hard to put a word or a level of
importance on it. And seeing how calm he stays, it
(08:55):
helps our young guys stay calm and just understand like, hey,
we're good enough to be here and and make a difference.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Felt like Andrew that that was the strength of this team.
We kept calling you guys cockroaches, right because it was.
There were so many games last year that didn't go
your way, and as fans and as like weathered fans
that have been through some tough seasons, you're sort of
thinking like, all right, that's that's the loss that's gonna
send them into a downward spiral. And you guys bounce
back every time. And it always felt like after every
(09:23):
game win or lost, the message from Tito was flush it.
You know, we may have blown a game, may have
blown a game that we were supposed to have may
have gotten blown out. We may have come back and
orchestrated a great comeback victory. There was always this that's cool,
we'll talk about it, then we're gonna flush it. And
to me again as an outsiders, that message got through
(09:43):
all season long.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, it makes it very simple to us as well,
Like you know, we dwell on stuff like I don't
know about Emilia, but like if I have a bad
start and I give the team a bad beginning of
the game, like I'm gonna dwell on that just for
the game. But then I know, with the confidence coming
from Tito and the rest of my teammates, like, hey,
you're gonna be back out there in four days, like
we need you to go win another one or go
give us another good one. So like you said, I
mean just having him at the you know, captain of
(10:07):
the ship, went around hatt and stuff. Just having him
there with the confidence and the players the traditional mindset
of baseball like just go do it, go compete. It
doesn't go our way, then you know, screw it, Like
let's just move on and go win the next one.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's got to be so much fun for you. The
strength of this team is pitching and and it's got
to be so much fun for you and that and
that group of starters where boy, a lot of you
guys got here roughly the same time you after many
of them, but still all sort of coming of age
at the same time and all enjoying individual and collective
success at the same time. I can't imagine how cool
(10:41):
that is.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, I mean we're all friends, Like I've known Hunter
for years, I've known Dola for years, Burns for years.
Like I mean, you typically you just know everybody. If
you played college, you know them. If you played high school,
you basically know everybody. But you know, like you said,
there's an internal competition between us, like we want to
outdo each other in a friendly matter, like we want
success for each other. But Hunter goes out and deals
like Lodolo's. The next day he wants to go out
(11:03):
and you know, one up Hunter, Let's get one more
out than Hunter. And then I want to do the
same thing. Lodolo and Singer was the same way, and
then Nick Martinez was the same way, and Burns when
he came up with the same way, and that just breeds,
you know, just success, Like doesn't matter what we do.
Let's just give our chance to give the team a
chance to win. And then I just want to beat
that person.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Amelio, you got here in twenty four you weren't pitching
the ninth last year? You did. And you hear commentators
all the time say, like, gu he's you know, he's
good in high leverage situations, but he's not a ninth
inning guy. You were a ninth inning guy last year
and an effective one. Does the mindset change? Do you
pitch the ninth inning differently than he might coming in
the eighth inning one out, two on, one run game
(11:41):
as opposed to the ninth when you've got to get
three outs and there's nobody on.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, you know that. Uh, the answer to that question
for me would have been different a couple of years ago.
You know, I had a couple of chances to close
earlier in my career and I closed in college, and
so I had it on this pedestal, right, like I
wanted to be known as a major league closer for
what what whatever that means.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Because closers get paid whatever you know it.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Is, it's it's a fun roll, right, And so I
had all this emotion tied into it, thinking I had
to be perfect and put so much unneeded stress on myself.
And in the moment, you know, you go out there
and you try to be this this hero, right, now
I would say that I've I've matured enough. I've I've
(12:28):
been around the game long enough that I don't approach
it any differently. To me, it's it's really simple, like
can I execute one pitch? And then if I do,
can I execute the next pitch? And if I do that,
at the end of the day, the results are going
to be what they are, and so I have to
be okay with what that result is. If I'm executing pitches. Now,
the days that I do get upset, whether I get
(12:50):
the job done or not, whether we have a W
next to the team or or a blown say next
to my name. If I'm not executing, then that's the
days that I'm upset, even if we do win, because
I know that that's not sustainable success in this league.
The hitters are too good, the scouting reports are too good.
If I'm not executing pitches, then yeah, sure I might
have got the job done tonight, but you know the
(13:12):
next week might look pretty bad. And so to me,
I try to approach every inning the same way now,
where you know, I'm a couple of years ago, I
would have had a different answer, and I'm glad I've
matured to a point where I just now, it's just
go pitch through.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
A complete game? Last year, right which is you know,
I'm old enough to remember when like Joaquin Andrew Harr
would lead the league in complete games with like seventeen
of them. Right now, if you have two, you're going
to lead the league. But you threw the one in
Cleveland last year, and I you know, as a fan,
you're like, I want to see this guy finish it.
I think you walk the leadoff guy the night. Yeah,
(13:46):
and it's like, man, I want to see him finish this.
He tried this with Hunter in San Francisco early in
the season. At the same time, got a good bullpen.
I got this guy. You know, in this day and age,
are you looking at the bullpen? Are you thinking I
walked the dude? Now he's gonna pull me? Are you
looking to I mean, what is it like? And that's
a weird question. I get it, but we don't see
(14:08):
complete games, especially in one nothing games anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah. I mean just that night in particular, they he
came up to me and said, how do you feel
you have one hundred pitches? Can you go back out
or do you want do you need help?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Do you ever say no, I'm good, No, put the
warm up on right, Yeah, I'd rather end it on
my want the ball.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yeah. But he asked me how I felt. I said,
I'm ready to go. When I walked the guy, I
got nervous. I was like, oh, man, here we go.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Then you turn around and you see Emilio moving up
and you're like, oh, he's gonna come in with traffic.
It's not going to be an easy you're an easier
type situation.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
For the record, when they're throwing like that and they
get to the ninth, I want them to finish it. Like,
he's clearly our best option today. Let's let's just let
this guy go finish the game so you're not waving Yeah.
Hunters thrown the way he did in San France, and
when he's throwing the way he did in Cleveland, it's like, man,
those were not a better option down here today. Let's
let these guys finish the game. Show that game was
(15:01):
awesome to watch, and I would just piggyback off that.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I mean, when we know it's such a long season
and you know EP's been in a lot more than
I am, but helping out the bullpen, giving him an
extra day. Like if we can throw six seven innings
in a game and save two of those guys just
for whatever situation that comes in the next few games,
then that will matter down the stretch when they have
to throw back to back to back or back to back,
(15:23):
you know whatever it may call them. And I mean,
he can speak to it a lot better than I can.
But just knowing that you play a role in that
kind of mini success, that limited success is big for us.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
You know, there's a generation of us tonight. I still
when I see I'll see the pitching matchup that night,
I think of being a kid or a younger guy,
and it's like, you know, Jose Rio is going to
pitch against Greg Maddox, and you're thinking, Okay, those guys
are going to go eight, maybe one's gonna go nine.
Maybe they're both going to go nine, and that's what
you're gonna watch for the night. So you're thinking, those
guys are approaching their job going I'm pitching nine innings tonight.
(15:56):
Given the fact that we have a scarcity of complete games.
When you take the mound, what length are you thinking about?
Are you thinking I'm going seven? Are you thinking? Man?
You know what if I'm afishing I can get to nine? Like,
what's what are you planning on throwing that night?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Honestly, just try to get out, yeah, you know, however
many it may be. I mean, obviously the goal is
to go six or seven every time, but from the
first pitch until my last pitch, I'm literally just trying
to count out. So I'm like, how can I shorten
this game with a good situation for the team? And
is it the best situation for the team to win? Right?
And if I can do that, then more times than not,
it's going to be a good situation all.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
The way around the off season beyond having to do
this and talk to me and preparing for the season,
Have you guys done anything cool?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Watch my daughters grow up sign.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
A contract as one of them, which is not insignificant
at all.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
No, it's not. But for me, the highlights always what
are my daughters doing? You know, they played they both
played softball, my oldest playing basketball right now. They're both
doing great in school and so we miss so much
of the growth for them as players through that the
season because we're at the field so many hours in
a day. So the off season is all about, you know,
(17:06):
being with them as much as possible. What do they
want to do? And so for me, it's it's been
fun watching them.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Andrew I took the family on a nice beach trip
down the Isle of Palms.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Pretty good there.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So just for a week, you know, give them together
around the holidays and have some fun. But other than that,
just been fixing up the house and getting ready to train.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
When do you, guys, when does training start? Like how
much time do you give yourself where you don't do
anything before you get back at it.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I never stopped throwing, no, no. I took two weeks
off of like conditioning and lifting, and then I was
back into it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I normally start around November first, So okay, you give
it two or three weeks. Yeah, a good deal.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Can't wait for spring training, can't wait for the season
to begin. The contract thing. Congratulations, thank you, thank you.
Was it ever up in the air with Cincinnati always?
You know what I'm signing here? And that's it? Like
what was the process?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Like?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, I mean I knew I wanted to be in Cincinnati,
and I wasn't shy about you know, letting people here
know that, let my agent know that you know, there
was definitely some other teams calling, and that's a super
humbling experience, right.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Now, our dream as kids just to play in the
big leagues, and so when any major league team is
calling and offering you a contract like super humbling experience.
And I don't take that lightly. And I'm very thankful
for those phone calls and those conversations. But ultimately, I
knew I wanted to be here. I knew I wanted
to be with this group, with this coaching staff, with
a chance to you know, do something special for this organization,
(18:33):
in this fan base.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
And so.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's always fun. You know, I've been a free agent
now twice and both times I had a good time
and enjoyed the experience. But for me, at the end
of the day, I knew this is where I wanted
to be and I'm glad we were able to get
it done.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Awesome to have you back. Congratulations on an All Star season, Andrew,
Congratulations on a great year.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, it's cool. If you get back, if you get
to the All Star Game together, that'd be that I'll
take credit for it.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Side of work, Red's fast, this is happening this weekend tomorrow,
starting at three o'clock and on Saturday at the Cincinnati
Convention Center. Emilio and Andrew will both be there among
more than eighty current and former Reds players, coaches, and broadcasters.
Reds dot com slash Redsfest is where you can get
your tickets. It's an awesome event. I love it in
(19:19):
January because Redsfest we turn the page. You guys will
be in goodyear. It'll start to get warm here sometime soon,
and opening day will be here before you know it.
I can't wait. I know you guys are excited as well.
Absolutely yeah. Emilio Pagan and Andrew Abbott joining us in studio. Gentlemen,
thanks so much. It's twenty five after three o'clock. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Mo Egger News
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