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February 10, 2026 14 mins

Pat Brennan of Cincinnati.com is in Goodyear covering Reds spring training. He joined us on ESPN1530. 

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:03):
Just entered this nationwide keyword on our website. Friend.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
That's friend entering.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Now, Yes do on fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
They're taking physicals and good year. They're gonna work out tomorrow.
Red's gonna play a game in eleven days against the Guardians.
Spring training underway, which is awesome. You know, there's a
conversation that we kind of kind had an allusion to
just a few minutes ago that this baseball season, if

(00:31):
you're a Reds fan, you better hope we have. We'll
get to that coming up a little bit later on.
And can the Bengals pull off with the Reds?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Couldn't.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
I'll make that make sense a little bit later on.
We can't make our guy wait. Pat Brennan is in Arizona.
He is covering the Reds for the Inquirer and Cincinnati
dot Com, and it's always a treat when we get
a chance to spend some time with him.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Pat. How's it going, Oh, well, it's great to talk
to you. Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Awesome to talk to you as well. How is I
gotta It's it's a cliche, but you have to do it.
I have to ask what the weather is like in Goodyear,
even though it's warmish today here.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh boy, I did hear that it was pretty decent
relatively speaking in Cincinnati, but uh, I don't know. I
came on. I didn't want to harass you too much
on this particular call because it's been a while for
doing me. But it's beautiful, kind of hazy blue skies.

(01:29):
We're in the low eighties here. It's real nice in
the shade. And I'm watching the grounds crew with the
Reds Player Development Complex go to work right now, which
means we're obviously in a climate where grass can grow.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
So I think so, And you're not correct. I don't
even know what grass looks like anymore. Well, yeah, I
appreciate the opportunity I asked. I had to know. It's
not a spring training interview. If you don't ask how
the weather is, it's it's mandatory, truly, truly, truly, it

(02:04):
truly is all right what has to get sorted out
with this team over the next few weeks.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh, that's a good one. I think we've had two
sessions with Terry Francona so far, yesterday and today. I
thought it was interesting that uh while while people are
talking about what the impact of a Uhaneo Suarez could
be on players like Elie de la Cruz and others,

(02:33):
Terry Francona said yesterday he's really looking at the you
know what we perceived to be the two hole in
the in the in the batting order, which was I
think he would probably I'm guessing the Reds would like
that to be occupied by Matt McLean, but his name
didn't come up in that conversation yesterday. So breaking up

(02:54):
t J. Friedel and Elie de la Cruz in the
two hole there is going to be a work in progress,
I think throughout this spring training camp. So that's one thing,
you know, and then you've got this incredible wealth of
arm talent, pitching talent, and I think there's a lot

(03:16):
to be decided about what you do with that. There's
only five spots in the rotation. Obviously, the bullpen is
look look, in my opinion, the bullpen is at least
as good as last year's was, and possibly better. So
I'm thinking of guys like Ret Louder, Chase Burns, and

(03:39):
maybe to a lesser extent, Chase Petty. Where do they
wind up to start the year and how do they
look in camp. So it's that that's a good problem
to have, but it is going to be a serious
consideration for these guys over the next six weeks.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
How many roster spots are legitimately open.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
That's a good question too. You know, I've said for
a while now, and I that this has kind of
been calcified for me since I've been down here. Not
a lot, very few. It feels less like competition and
more of shuffling guys around. I you know, Terry did

(04:25):
say has already said platooning is okay, but you don't
want to do it at too many positions. I think
you know, first base, third base, the corner apt but
both corner outfield spots potentially those are areas where you
know platooning could be an option, and they'll two different

(04:47):
degrees look at it in those spots. But it again,
you have a core group of two or three players
in mind for all of those positions, and yeah, yeah,
I mean it's it's just a lot of these spots
are going to be spoken for, including the pecking order
for any platoon situations. So I think there there's there's

(05:12):
some uh, there are some possibilities there, particularly if you're
a left handed bat like but but even there, I
feel like Will Benson's got a leg up so on
on filling that role for this team. So yeah, and
you know, someone pointed out today, Actually it's funny you asked,
because in the Reds clubhouse here in Goodyear, there are

(05:37):
there aren't a ton of empty locker room stalls, but
there are a lot more empty for this, you know,
being this being the early stage. Yeah, in camp that
it is compared to last year. And I think that
just tells you that Terry Francona knows what he has,
he knows what he's working with, and he knows what
he wants. And back to what I already said, I uh,

(06:02):
probably not a ton of open spots to compete for
on this roster, which I think is a net positive
for this Reds team. I would agree.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
I guess this is this is how I view it,
and you're more informed than me, but I go, boy,
there's there hasn't been like the run of like minor
league camp invitees, you know, or minor league contracts who
get invited to big league camp. There's always like those dudes.
Not a lot of those, not a lot of like
positions where you're like, you know what, there's a legitimate
competition to be the starter. Maybe there's you know, platoons

(06:34):
that are going to play out. It even feels like
in the bullpen, like you kind of have a good
sense of who's going to fill out what role, and
maybe the competition for the fifth starter is going to
impact that. It just it feels like there's more set
than usual. But I feel like if a team has
that much set, I should feel better about its chances
to win the division.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
That's definitely yes, you should. And if you don't, that
would indicate that maybe, you know, they have a false
sense of security about the guys they have in mind
for these things. That's possible too, right, Like you can,
you know, you can want to hug and hold on
to guys.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Like Matt McClain and others. But maybe maybe that isn't
the right answer for some of these spots. But I'll
tell you what, I do think they feel good about.
Going back to what I said, I do think the
lack of competition is reflective of a net positive for

(07:33):
the Reds. They feel good about the guys they have
there are gonna be plenty of interesting things that work
themselves out over the next six weeks. And I mentioned
Matt McClain. I think he's at the top of that list.
For me personally, where you end up, what you end
up doing with South Stewart on a regular basis is
part of that as well. But yeah, I think I

(07:56):
think the lack of competition really does speak to the
fact that the Reds feel good about their chances in
this division and certainly in the wild card race, and
I feel good about their chances in those races too.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
You mentioned Sal Stewart, and I know Tito hasn't wanted
to commit to Sal having a job locked down, right,
He's gonna make him earn it, which is great. It's
hard for me to imagine that in the absence of him,
like forgetting to bring a bat to the plate, that
he's gonna do anything this spring to not earn a gig.
But I do think it's fascinating to think about where

(08:31):
the playing time for him may end up. And so
your best guess, and I know I've made this about
what's gonna happen in goodyear, but assuming he makes the club,
where's your best guess as to where the bulk of
the playing time for sal is gonna come from? And
then what's the ripple effect of that.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Yeah, well, let me say first that I feel like
the addition of a Uhano Suarez takes some of the heat.
I felt like whatever the Reds were gonna be before
they signed Suarez, and I didn't I didn't think they
were going to be terrible, but I didn't think they
were going to be much before that signing South Stewart
figured in to be a big piece of the puzzle

(09:09):
of whatever that was going to be. I like that
the burden of expectation is not as much on South Stuart. Now.
You know, if by some chance he had to start
the year in Triple A just because they don't have
the bats for him at the big league level, that's
okay too. I kind of like that. I just don't

(09:31):
you know. Yeah, the what he did in September and
in two lopsided wildcard games against the Dodgers last Paul,
that was really impressive. But let's not forget how young
this guy was. He was playing in the Futures Game
in Atlanta at the All Star break last year. He
has five weeks of big league experience, and I would

(09:51):
imagine that the NL Central has done some amount of
study on this guy because he was as effective as
he was, so you know, know, the burden on Sal
isn't as great. I like that for him. I feel like, look,
I mean, he played. I went back and watched rewatch
that wild Card series against the Dodgers, actually, and I

(10:14):
liked him at first base, even though that was kind
of the spot where he had the least experience. I
think he could end up being there. The glove is good,
the athleticism is good. Everything people are saying about how
his body has changed in the offseason, they're absolutely right.
I think people started to talk about that at Redsfest,

(10:35):
and I think it looked I think I think he
has improved since then. I think he's lost more weight
since then. He certainly looked like it today. So I
could see Sal playing getting time at either of the
corner infield positions. But I'm not as worried about that

(11:02):
eventuality as I might have been ten days ago, because again,
you've got a bunch of really capable gloves and players.
You know, you've got a gold glove glove at third base,
you have a worthy gold Glove finalist at first base.
And if sal just has to pick and choose his
spots and be ready to come off the bench later

(11:24):
in games into mid you know, late April, mid May,
that's okay. I think that's a possibility, and I think
we should get comfortable with all the different permutations that
could result from this situation.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
On Saturday, I was watching the Phoenix Suns take on
the seventy six Ers in Phoenix, and there was a
guy behind the Sixers bench wearing an Eric snow jersey,
jumping up and down as the seventy six Ers polished
off the Suns.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Was that you? Yeah? Yeah, so you saw me? Yeah,
saw me at the Sun's game. Yeah yeah, that was me?
Was I? I had I had had a few beverages
and in response to what the Sixers had done or
not done at the trade deadline, and I just had
to blow off some steam at the at the Sun

(12:13):
of the Sixers game.

Speaker 1 (12:14):
I understand, well, they they play, they played the nixt tomorrow,
so that'll you know, I mean, I I that'll be fun,
MAXI versus the last game was the last time they played.
It was fun, But I just you haven't come on
in a while and I haven't had a chance to
give a Sixers dig, but they're actually better than a
lot of people expected.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, which is which is okay. I just wish that
you know, they with the with what they have, it
felt like it was really time to go mo. Yeah,
and they didn't go at the trade deadline. In fact,
I think they were backpedaled a little bit. So well, well,
you know, but that's what that's what you get with
the franchise that's been you know, criminally mismanaged for most,

(12:56):
if not all, of my lifetime. Yeah, hey, look, you
know what it is.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
I was going to say, if if, if you want
to see a team that often underwhelms at the trade deadline,
well then uh, b where you are with the team
that you're covering right now in late July, and that's
that's typically.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Part of the course.

Speaker 1 (13:12):
But that's that's a different story and we'll bother you
then yes, please do yes, Uh you're the best. Awesome
to hear your voice, Enjoy goodyear, Thank you as.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
Always, Thanks buddy, great to hear from you.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
That's our man. Pat Brennan covering Red spring training for
The Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com. Follow him at p. Brennan,
E and Hugh. I don't know for a fact that
he was wearing an Eric snow jersey at the Sixers
Suns game. I just I knew they played there and
that's his team. Twenty minutes after five o'clock five point
three seven four nine, fifteen thirty and eight sixty six

(13:46):
seven two three seven seven six. I am begging for
us to spend this summer having this one debate. I'll
tell you what it is next.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

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(14:19):
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Speaker 2 (14:28):
This report

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