The Reds went into the year with plenty of optimism. Their young core had surprisingly threatened for a playoff berth and finished above .500 in 2023. The front office followed up by committing more than $100MM — including nearly $62MM in 2024 salaries alone — on the free agent market. Cincinnati was a trendy choice to take what looked like a wide open NL Central (and would’ve been my pick to win the division before a couple key Spring Training injuries).
While it’s too soon to write them off entirely, the Reds haven’t come close to the heightened expectations through the season’s first two months. They’re eight games below .500 and above only the Marlins and Rockies in the National League. A lineup loaded with talented young hitters should drive this team to success. Thanks to a combination of injury and a handful of key players underperforming, they’ve instead had one of the worst offenses in the majors.
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