I love this team, I am happy they are a game over .500, only 3.5 games out of 1st place and have a +18 run differential. But what I am not happy about is that over the last 10 games the Reds had a chance to move up in the standings, and they failed to do so.

If you look at the two teams they trail in the National League Central Division, the Cubs and the Brewers; in their last 10 games the Cubs went 6-4 and the Brewers went 5-5. But, the Reds went a worse 4-6 in the same 10 game span. I attribute most of this to the mismanagement of the 1st base position by the Reds front office.

Alright, so who on the current Red’s 26 man roster can play first base?

Candelario, CES, Nick Martini, Spencer Steer India and Tyler Stephenson. Let’s look at everyone’s last 15 games, Stephenson is hitting .239 with only 1 more hit (11) than strikeout (10), India is hitting .204 with 17 K’s (granted his last 7 days have greatly improved) Steer is hitting .182 with 1 home run, Martini is giving the Reds a .111 batting average, 0 home runs, 1 walk, and 11 strikeouts, Candelario, the big off-season acquisition has 20 K’s and 11 hits in his last 50 at bats. Lastly, CES is a mirage, he has all the potential in the world but his numbers are terrible for the season.

In 102 total at bats, he has 2 home runs, 3 walks, and 31 K’s. He looks over-matched, and he has minor league options, so you can send him down without any threat of losing him to a waiver claim, so does Martini. CES just got hit on the hand, as well as Stephenson, in Texas. The Reds really played with 24 available players for the entire Padres series instead of 26. This was the perfect time to send CES down to AAA Louisville and possibly hit the reset button, but they chose not to. Why?

No one who plays first base for the Reds is hitting…….on the major league club. Enter Mike Ford. Remember him? The guy who hit .455/.486/.727 with 3 home runs in only 31 plate appearances in Spring Training, yet was not good enough to make the team because Nick Martini was a good clubhouse guy. So, the Reds signed him to a minor league deal and had him report to AAA Louisville. So what has he done in Louisville? Only .297/.381/.538 with 6 home runs. He has an 11.4% walk rate and I will give you he also has an elevated K% at 19.4%.

To add insult to injury, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Ford has triggered the opt-out in his minor league contract. This means the Reds will either need to add him to the 40 man roster, or lose him to free agency. Why in the world would the Reds do that?

According to ESPN this season all first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds have had a total of 131 at bats in 31 total games. As a team they have a total of 3 walks, 3 home runs, 27 hits, 37 strikeouts and a .218 batting average. The Reds need to add Mike Ford to this team, and he should get every at bat against left-handed pitchers because of his .268/.343/.577 slash line in 108 plate appearances alone.

Now, if you don’t want to send CES down to the minors, afraid that it may steal some of his confidence, alright. And if this front office is sold on the importance of the clubhouse makeup of Nick Martini, fine. I don’t agree with either of those assessments, but I actually have a third solution. Ian Gibault, according to the Reds MLB site had to be shut down from his rehab for the second time in AAA Louisville. He was placed on the 15 day IL (it may have actually been the 10 day) on opening day. Today would be day 32, and it looks like he is not close to returning. Place him on the 60 day IL and open a spot on the 40 man for Ford.

Stats from; ESPN, MLB, and MLBTradeRumors.com

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