Sunday, July 20

NEW YORK -- Are the Reds buyers? Will they become sellers? For a Cincinnati club trying to stay in the postseason hunt, questions abound on which direction they will take as the July 31 Trade Deadline gets closer. 

“I could see there being some of both," general manager Brad Meador said on Saturday. "We want to try to push in to win this year. We also have this model that we draft and develop, and we’ve talked about sustainable success. That is still the goal. We’re not going to do something that sets us back over the next five years right now.”

Cincinnati has needs for later-innings bullpen help and a run-producing bat for the middle of the order. The Reds are willing to part with prospects to make trades, but won't completely empty the farm system.

On the other hand, the Reds also have several players with contracts that expire after this season. Nick Martinez, Emilio Pagán, Austin Hays, Scott Barlow and Taylor Rogers are veterans who could be in play if there's full or modified selling.  

At 52-47 entering Sunday's series finale vs. the Mets, the Reds are third in the National League Central division race, 7 1/2 games back. In the NL Wild Card chase, though, they are just 1 1/2 games out. After the Mets, Cincinnati finishes the road trip at Washington before going home to play the Rays and Dodgers before the Deadline.

“We’re certainly talking to every team right now," Meador said. "We’re trying to see what the options will be. We have to keep playing well to be able to think about adding. That being said, we’re always going to look at both short term and long term. What that means right now, I don’t really know."

Finances could also come into play. It remains to be seen how much salary the Reds can add to their 2025 payroll with trade acquisitions. 

“We’re working through it. We hope to have more information in the coming days to know exactly where we are," Meador said.

During his first All-Star experience, Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott had his family close to his heart both literally and figuratively. Not only did he have more than 30 people at the game in Atlanta on Tuesday, the lining of the jacket inside his custom-made All-Star suit for the red carpet walk featured 12 photos -- mostly of family.

Included were Abbott's parents, his sister, friends, himself as a young kid, his dog, his pitching coach back home and Hall of Fame reliever Billy Wagner, who was a mentor and coach on his travel team growing up in Virginia. 

“People who kept me sane, kept me level-headed and helped me get to this point," Abbott said on Friday. 

Abbott enjoyed the behind-the-scenes of the All-Star experience -- especially with the fellow players.

"Talking to all the guys down there, learning just about the game and from their eyes," Abbott said. "Seeing the spectacle of the Home Run Derby, seeing the swing-off for the first time and being involved was just fantastic. The family had a blast, too, so it was great all the way around.”

Abbott's goal before the game was to meet and talk to Dodgers pitching great Clayton Kershaw. And that was a mission accomplished as well. 

"We ended up talking for like 5-10 minutes," Abbott said. "I know he had kids there so we kept it kind of brief. Just watching him warm up, watching him go through his routine and obviously learning from a future Hall of Famer is fantastic. He was open. He was inviting. You hear stories about him but to be there with him and actually go through it, that was pretty cool.”

Abbott pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning for the National League squad when he got into the game. He admitted to being nervous in the bullpen warming up, but felt no nerves once he took the mound.

“Getting in the game was my individual No. 1 moment, pitching and having a good outing," he said. "Right after the game when we had the swing-off and we won, that celebration with the guys was great. Then bringing the family out for the photos and stuff after the game meant a lot to me.”

Last Sunday, Reds players held a brief celebration for manager Terry Francona when he picked up career win No. 2,000 with a victory over Colorado. On Friday during a team meeting, they presented Francona with a special gift. They gave him a Rolex Daytona Oyster Perpetual watch with an engraving in the back that marked his achievement.

Francona showed his appreciation.

“The other day, they kind of got together after the game and I had a hard time keeping it together, so I kind of ran out quick," he said. "So at least I got to tell them today kind of how I feel.”

Center fielder TJ Friedl tied a Major League record held by many others on Friday when he was hit by a pitch three different times on Friday in an 8-4 Reds win over the Mets. Friedl was hit on the forearm in the third inning and on the left foot in the fifth. In the eighth, a pitch caught the side of his left hand. 

“That one stung," said Friedl, who said he would be OK.

The last time a Reds player was hit by pitches three times was Derek Dietrich vs. the Brewers on June 21, 2019.

Friedl was hit by three different pitchers in the game, but had a record all the same.

“That’s what I was told. It’s a painful record, but it’s a record," Friedl said.

The Reds signed their 2025 Draft first-round selection on Friday, shortstop Steele Hall. The 17-year-old Hall, who was taken ninth overall, received a $5.75 million bonus that was below the $6.51 million slot value for the pick.

To keep up with the Reds Draft pick signings, check out the Draft tracker. 

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