The Cincinnati Reds club that entered May in first place in the National League Central had high hopes of getting a healthy Hunter Greene back in July and putting distance between themselves and the rest of the division.<\/p>\n
Since May 1, the Reds have been one of the worst teams in baseball, and even getting Greene back feels like too little, too late. There\u2019s still a chance that the Reds can at least make a run to one of the wild-card spots, but a lot has to go right, not just on the field, but also at the trade deadline for them to be in position to make a meaningful move.<\/p>\n
Record: 39-43<\/p>\n
Record this time last season: 43-40<\/p>\n
Standing:\u00a0fifth in NL Central<\/p>\n
Playoff odds:\u00a05.0 percent (FanGraphs), 2.7 percent (Baseball Reference)\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the season ended today: Eliminated from playoff contention<\/p>\n
Biggest series between now and the deadline: The Reds start a four-game series against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday.<\/p>\n
Current needs: The bullpen has been the biggest issue for the Reds, even after it was perhaps its biggest strength through April. Closer Emilio Pag\u00e1n is set to return soon, and another offseason addition, Pierce Johnson, was just activated off the IL. However, Tony Santillan, who had just seemed to get straightened back out, just went on the IL.<\/p>\n
History says: The Reds will often make moves at the deadline, but they\u2019re hardly the type that make too big of a headline. The Reds have made those moves as sellers, but there\u2019s nobody the team is willing to trade (Elly De La Cruz or Hunter Greene) that will lead off a national show.<\/p>\n