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Hey, very delightful, good evening to you, and welcome in to the Budweiser reds Hot Stove League presented by you DF and we are live of the bed MGM Sportsbook Back inside Tom's watchbar at the Banks and the band's back together with Jim. Tommie throws. Great to be with you talking Reds baseball for the next hour, and we've got plenty to discuss on the show today. We've got a great lineup of guests. We will have Chris fialaka red Sitting Coach, joining us at the bottom of the
hour and coming up very shortly. Red's outfielder TJ. Friedel will be on with us Jim. There were a few things that came out of the news over the last week since the show last aired. Probably most notably is the trade for left handed reliever brock Burke, is part of a three team deal that sent Gavin Lux to the Rays. One of the things that the Reds wanted to do this offseason was improve the offense, certainly, but also make sure that they had a few more weapons
in the bullpen. They've done a good job. I feel like this offseason of certainly improving the bullpen. They have certainly done their work in the bullpen. And what this does when you add a brock Burke. Obviously it's a.
Left handed arm and the Reds were lacking that, but adding him and Caleb Ferguson and Pierce Johnson. It really lengthens out the bullpen because there are only so many high leverage type guys, so you don't have to rely at least on paper. At least on paper, you don't have to rely on Tony Santion right and Emilio Pagon and Graham Ashcraft every single day.
You've got other guys now that have been in high leverage.
Situations, have had success in high leverage situations for several years. So it really not only lengthens it out by numbers, but it lengthens out the guys you can trust in high leverage situation.
One of the things, and we just had Reds Fest this past weekend, and I'm sure many of you listening today were at reds Fest and had a chance to check in on some of the q and a's. I did one with Nick Crawl, Brad Metter, and Terry fran Conen.
One of the things that really stood out to me that that Tito said is, look, having more weapons in the bullpen means that you have the luxury to go out and chase some of those wins when you might be down a run or two, as opposed to just kind of having to punt because there are games and this is one of those things that can be tough to understand because you think, well, why don't you try to win every game? You're only down a run, maybe two,
why don't you go for it. Well, because if you're already trailing and you go out and you use your best relievers chase that win and you don't get that run or two to come back, well, now you've just burnt those relievers for.
The next day.
Perhaps this gives you the luxury to be able to do that, which might be able to net you a couple more wins throughout the course of the season.
Yeah, welcome to life as a big league skipper.
Because the moves that you make are obviously affecting that game, but it also affects you seven days in the future as well.
Particularly with the bullpen.
There's no more effect on a long term effect one move can make on a bull than the bullpen. So completely agree. I think there are solid moves and hopefully the Reds have reached their goal. Who knows, they might not be done, but right now the bullpen on paper is a pretty good one.
It sounds like there are more moves to be made. They definitely are trying to still improve the lineup. A couple other headlines this week, Ellie de la Cruz has been announced will not be playing in the World Baseball Classic as initially intended. Also a report that he turned down a Reds record offer last spring, which have made him the highest paid Red of all time.
But he turned that down.
Really, Jim, when you look at it, this is a guy that's eligible to be a free agent after the twenty twenty nine season. It's not a huge surprise, but it also shows the Reds made an effort to try to invest in in Elly long term.
Yeah, not a big surprise, and I think a bigger deal is being made of it because I would like to just concentrate on the four years they have him under control, and hopefully they can put a roster around him to win while he is here, and who knows, You don't know what the future holds. He's banking on himself, and if he becomes the player we all think he can be, then he's going to exceed that offer that he got. But we'll see you're banking on yourself.
It's gonna be a big bank if he's a big bank pun intended he reaches that potential. Well, we've got TJ Friedel on the line, Red's outfielder as we continue to talk Reds baseball and we welcome in TJ.
TJ.
Great sceni this weekend. How's your offseason been, my friend?
Yeah, great scene you guys, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it. And Sea has been good. Just a lot of family time, just hanging out with my wife and the boys and being a stay at home dad for a short period of time. But you know, I've been ramping up for a while now, and I think having read Fast this past weekend was great because they got everyone excited for spring training, and you know spring
trains right around the corner. I'll be heading now in a couple of weeks, so just kind of got everyone excited. You have to see the boys again and everyone got to be together. So all season has been good, but now it's time to ramp up.
Well, we'll certainly get into the baseball side of it. But you mentioned the two boys that you are chasing around now. Is parenthood different now that you guys are in a man to man defense as opposed to Yeah, two on one zone yeah, exactly.
That's that's so funny, excepts that's like commonly referred to as man and man defense, and it's a lot. Man, you've got a four year old running around at home and he wants to plan it back you already wants to play baseball, and you got to manage the newborn. He's five months old now, so it's like you got to keep an eye on him, can't leave him alone.
So it's and then the four year old wants to play with our newborn Jonah all the time, and he's trying to explain to him, hey, you can't really do much, not yet. Soon you guys can play together, but right now he just kind of sits there. So but it's great, it's special and for me getting to have this time with them, I just try and soak it all in, you know, be present as much as I can. It is difficult though, playing the man to make coverage is difficult, that's for sure.
Well, it was great seeing them running around and of course Dad was chasing them all the time at the time that you did have free at Redsfest, So it was great and it's going to be great to see them grow up on the baseball side, We've heard so many guys they trying to learn their major league body, if you will. Some guys were put on weight and they're like, Okay, that didn't work, I'm gonna take off weight.
I worked on my legs. Okay, that didn't work.
You're kind of deeper into it now, have you figured out what you need to work on to get ready for a season and what is that specifically this offseason?
Yeah, I've been. I mean, I put on weight, didn't like it, felt slow, went back down weight. But like I'm pretty consistent with where I'm at now over the last three years. Comes with where I'm at way wise, and being able to keep it on during the season and build strength and then carry that strength throughout the whole season. For me, I kind of like to set simple,
realistic goals in the off season. So like hitting wise, for me, I'm not changing anything in my stance, not changing anything mechanically, But for me, I'm working a lot on early count approach and aggressiveness early on in the account and just being more aggressive and honting certain pitches. So it's more approach based than anything for hitting wise.
But the biggest focus for me this offseason has been defensively and it's a lot of it's been working on like an imaginary ten foot circle, like a ten foot radius circle around my body, and it's really working on how fast I can explode ten feet in every direction. So it's just like the initial burst off the bat, covering ground in every direction because that's an area that I can improve on in something that will help me
with my angles and with the route efficiency. But if I can really explode out of the first ten feet, and this is stuff that means. CC went over towards the end of the year and he's been great. Him and FuMO are string coach. I have been great kind of working with me and giving me drills and things to do in the off season to really maximize my work when I'm doing those kind of things. So it's been good.
Is there an element of getting a read off the bat that goes along with that too.
Yeah, for sure, and that'll that comes just you know, with experience. A lot of it is just instinct and with experience, and those are things that like you work on that when it's fung goos, they're during BP, right, if guys are out here hitting BP, I'll go out in the center field and I'll shag and that's we'll really get the best work of just getting a true read off the bat. But with that, it is like the intent of how fast can I be out of
this ten foot circle? And sometimes there's like when I'm working on it, there's times where I explode too quick in one route and then I got to recorrect. But if I can explode out in that certain direction, it gives me time to make that correction without being late to the ball.
Well, TJ, We've got plenty more to ask you about just getting started here with TJ Friedel. We've got to get to a breakdough, So stick around and we'll have
more with TJ. Friedel when we come back. It's the Budweiser reds Hot Stove Lea presented by UDF Live, the bet MGM Sports Book, Inside Tom's Watch, Martha Banks on the Reds Radio Network, Welcome back into the Budweiser reds Hot Stove Lake presented by df Live, the bet MGM Sports Book and Side and Tom's watchbar Ats Banks, Jim Day, I'm Tommy Throw great to be with you and we've got TJ. Friedel on the line talking some Reds Baseball
and TJ. You were talking about your offensive approach there a little bit, and there was a point, especially through the first couple of months of the season, where you were one of the best hitters on this team.
For you, when things are going.
Really good for you offensively, what is it that's working for you and what did you kind of experience when you struggled a little bit.
Yeah, I think early on in the especially in the first half, you know, I was able to handle that fastball at the top of the zone, which I know only get a lot, and there was mostly just kind of sticking to that approach of driving the ball to left center, especially whe they're shifted, trying to drive the ball to left center in that area, and then if they come in or they come in with an offspeed, then it's just reactionary for me because I know I could pull the ball, so I'm not going to try
and do that. But for me, it's just reacting to that and letting the rest take care of itself. And I think once I kind of got into the second half and I started trying to push the ball that way in a sense instead of just sticking to that
approach and letting it travel. I think I tried to overcorrect and do a little too much and trying to go that way and started kind of flaring the ball to left field and getting under especially those heaters at the top of his own I started barrel started dropping just a little bit, and then that's really all it needs,
and then it turned into a pop up. So I think for me, like the biggest focus is just having a feel for one hundred and sixty two games for the whole season, where when things aren't feeling the best or maybe my top hands getting a little tired, having certain drills to fall back on and certain things that do and me and Val talked about this at the end of the season, just having some drills and they all season to work on, especially like more top hand
dominance of staying on top of the heaters, especially now in the game, because so many pitchers from ninety nine with ride at the top of the zone and that's so hard to handle. Even if your bat drops the tiniest amount, that's all it takes to you is swinging
this or pop up. So I've been really like hammering down, implementing top hendrows and doing some Velo machine which is my top hand, and then using that as my feel for July and August once you get to the dog days where maybe the body's a little tired that day, but having a feel to go back to to help simplify the approach.
If you guys go into the season with who you have now, it'll basically be about the same group as last year.
How do you think you.
Individually or even collectively, you guys can score more runs consistently.
I know that's a loaded question.
It's easy for me to ask, it easy for me to answer, But how.
Do you see it?
You know? I feel like for us as an offense, I think it's just feeding off of each other. And there were times last year, especially in the second half, where there was a lot of us kind of pressing to get that big home run, to get that big hit instead of just when we play our best, it's just one after another and just keeping the line moving. You know, last year we took a lot of pride and being tough outs, and we wanted to get up in the box and just be a tough out, whatever
that meant. But put together good at bat, be a tough out, hit the ball hard, and then I think you know, as once we got in the second half, I think, you know, myself included, I'm guilty of it as well, pressing in some situations and just forcing trying to force that big hit, trying to force that that whatever it may be, and that's hitting's already hard, right and doing that on top of it and trying to force that only makes it harder for us as an offense.
Like you said, a lot of us are returning. It's going to be a very similar lineup, plus a few really good pieces that we picked up, and I think it's just going to be keeping the line moving for us offensively. It's not a one man effort, right, But it's thirteen guys. We got thirteen guys, thirteen hitters out there, and it's one through thirteen no matter what. And that's their mindset, and I think that helps take the pressure off individually so that we can all go perform.
You touched on something right there, and I want to talk to Chris Valka about it a little bit later on from a coaching perspective, but you talked about, you know, you guys are trying to hit the big home run at times, and I think fans look at this team and they see that this group doesn't hit a ton of home runs. You've talked about it before that you don't look at yourself as a home run hitter. But how difficult is it to avoid the trap of trying to hit a home run in a key moment?
Because you can hit home runs. I mean it's not like you can't hit them.
You've hit several throughout the course of your career, almost at a twenty home run season a few years ago.
But how.
Difficult is it to resist that temptation and stay within yourself when you know that's not deep down your game?
Yeah, And I can tell you one thing's for certain. I've never hit a home run when I'm trying to hit a home run. And I don't know many baseball players out there that do hit a home run every time they try and hit a home run. But you know, I think, for me, right, especially like you said, I'm not a home run hitter. But it'll come, and I
know it'll come. But for me, my home runs come when my approach is hitting the fastball, squaring the fastball up to left center center field, and then anything else that hangs or anything soft. And I can go poolside with it and then the rest takes care of itself. But I think the trap is trying to hit home runs. That's the trap. And I think that's the trap as a baseball player, league wide, no matter if you're young
or if you're the MLB. Trying to hit a home run, trying to lift the ball in the ears the hardest thing to do. That's why nobody hits one hundred home runs in a season. That's not But I think if you have a line driver, gap to gap approach, then your homers come, and that's what our offensive identity is. And just let the home runs come.
How are your legs right now?
At times the coaching staff or the manager said we got to protect TJ a little bit. You've had some injuries along the way. Do you think that some off days, some more off days will help you in that regard? And where are you at right now with I guess we'll say you're getting up there now, TJ.
I mean, you know you got aging legs. I'm kidding.
I mean, I don't know about I don't know about you, but I'm twenty five. In my head, I'm twenty five years old. No, but you know like you said, in twenty four, having a couple of injuries, and I was very protective of my body in twenty four because I didn't want to go back on the IO and I didn't want to deal with that again. And yeah, so I was a little too overprotective of what I was
going through. And last year I took a lot of time and spent a lot of time investing in my health, spent a lot of time investing in my body, and last year, recovery was probably the utmost importance than it's ever been in my career. And nutrition and recovery was so important to me, and that's why there were times last year where you know, Tito and Freddy came up to me and wanted me to take a day off,
and I didn't want a day off. I felt good, I felt like I was in a good spot, and for me, it was I just wanted to be available every single day. I wanted to be a consistent name for Tito to write the lineup every single day. And having a healthy season last year, I feel like I know kind of where my body is and what it needs, and I'm able to understand my body better on days where I might not be feeling the best and then how to get my body ready that day to perform.
And so I think that just comes with age and maturity in this game and going through the grind of one hundred and sixty two games for my fourth year, just understanding my body and knowing what it needs. But anyway, I feel great.
Glad to hear that. Appreciate the time, and we'll see in a few weeks out in Arizona.
Yeah, you guys do all right?
Thanks, thanks so much. That is Red's outfielder t J. Friedel.
We're back with Red's hitting coach Chris Pailika next as the Butterweiser reds Hot Stove League presented by UDF continues live the bet MGM Sports Book inside Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks on the Reds Radio Network. Welcome back in It's the Butterwiser reds Hot Steve League presented by UDF. Down here at the pet MGM Sports Book inside Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks with Jim Day. I'm Tommy throw be a part of Red's history. Tickets for the twenty twenty six Reds Hall of Fame Induction Gala on
April twenty sixth at the Cincinnati Convention Center. By the way, it looks great. They're on sale now at Redsmuseum dot org. Join the Reds as they honor the Hall of Fame's Class of twenty twenty six. Speaking of Hall of Fame, big congratulations to a couple of guys that were a lot of fun to watch play the game, especially patrolling centerfield and their big league careers, and that would be Carlos Beltron and Andrew Jones. Those are two guys very
similar in the way that they would go about center field. Now, a few center fielders better at it than Andrew Jones, but both of them when they went after the ball, they first of all, they could run down just about everything, and they made it look far easier than what it was.
Those two guys they just kind.
Of glide across the outfield and float as they'd track down fly balls. Both great defenders, excellent offensive players as well, tremendous Hall of Fame worthy careers, very deserving, So congratulations to both absolutely, and I mean we've both watched a lot of those two guys over their careers.
And they were there to the best.
Oh, Andrew Jones just robbing everything, I mean, he he in particular for me, I mean Beltran, They're both great players, but it seems like head to head a lot.
I watched a lot more of Andrew Jones.
Yeah, yeah, I had a chance growing up in Kansas City, watched a lot of Carlos Beltron, especially early in his career, and both electric players. So congratulations to both of those guys on their induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That, of course, will be coming up later on this summer. Continuing talk Reds Baseball and Red's hitting in particular, as
we welcome in Red's hitting coach, Chris valaika Vu. Thanks so much for being on with us and good to see you as well this weekend at the Convention Center during Reds Fest.
And how's your winter going at this point?
He's good, guys, Thank thanks for having me. Tommy, congrats on on your nuptials.
Thank you.
Yeah, Shot, things are good, good, Yeah, things are good. It was great seeing you guys as well.
Still getting used to the hardware on my left left hand, but we'll get there.
We'll get there eventually.
But good good.
Hey, let's talk.
Let's talk about hitting the off season for a hitting coach, because you know it would be nice and easy to just kick your feet up and relax during the off season. It's not exactly how it goes for a big league hitting coach. How do you make sure that guys are doing what they're supposed to do throughout the off season. You're going to visit guys, what's the what's that process like?
Yeah, I mean it's a balance. You know they're there. There's respecting the professionalism, there's respecting the off season with guys. You know, we we we have end of your meetings. We we sit down with all these guys, we send them off with programs. Fortunately, got to see a good good number of them in Arizona a couple of weeks ago to check in and then it's it's a lot of phone calls, it's a lot of sharing video. You know,
there's a lot of remote work to it. You know, we're fortunate in the era that that we work in that we can do that. Fortunately, you know, for me and my family haven't had to travel too too much. But you know, it's check ins, nonstops. It's just trying to keep these guys on track and then see how they show up for spring training.
We might as well get the LA daily cruise subject out of the way, so much pressure on Ellie so talented. The last few years, he's been, you know, trying to tweak things, whether it be with his stance or trying to shorten his swing. He's a guy that uses different bats from time to time. Where are you right now, now that you've got a year with him, Where are
you right now? And how can you collectively improve Ellie dala cruise at the plate and get him back to maybe the potential that we were seeking overall, which didn't completely come to fruition last year.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I mean I saw him in November. You know, I think he could play for the Bengals right now. You know, you guys saw him at redsast He looks physical, he looks strong. You know, I think I think him, you know, dealing with that that quad injury, you know, was more than he let on. You know, you flip over the baseball card at the end of the year. I don't think we're gonna we're gonna blink an eye at twenty five to the numbers he put up. But I think we all know there's more in the
tank for him. You know, I was actually pleased, you know, I think I think there was a little bit of a regression in some of the power numbers, but when you see how he controlled the strike zone, he limited the strikeouts, you know, in a way that we felt comfortable with. I think, you know, we can't lose sight of that he's only you know, twenty three, twenty four years old, and the adjustments that he made and the maturity that he's shown, I think he's going to continue
to grow. So I think having a year like last year where where he did a better job controlling the strike zone, earning the strike zone, we're going to see an uptick and a lot of the power numbers with him, you know, taking his walks, but also you know, learning when to do damage, how to do damage, you know, just just because of the experience that he's had over the last couple of years.
It's a phrase I've heard you say before, and I'm a big fan of it, earning the strike zone always.
I always like that one.
I want to I want to get into the power side of this team in a minute, but we've got to get to a break. So if you don't mind, stick around and we'll talk more. Red's hitting when we come back in a moment. All right, we're visiting with red hitting coach Chris Valaika. It's the Budweiser Red's Hot Stove League presented by UDF on the Reds Radio Network. Welcome back to Budweiser Red's Hot Stove League presented by UDF, and we are live down to the bet MGM sportsbook
inside Tom's watch bars. The Banks will be down here for a few more shows before we are off to Arizona for spring training. It is right around the corner. I think we both got our flights book. Now, when are you going out there? Tenth tenth, I'll be there. Well, we have a show that night. Oh yeah, that's right. I'll be here for that show, and then I will be out a couple of days later.
Yea.
So we'll be trying to get some interviews that day with players, and I'll be on with you live at some somehow, someway.
Somehow, someway. It'll happen by the magic of technology. Chris vi Lake is the Reds hitting coach and he's with us right now. And Hey, you were talking about Ellie's power being down, and the health will certainly factor in that bouncing back this year after a quiet second half last year. But when people look at the Reds we were talking about this with TJ Fried a little bit earlier, they see that this is not a big home run
hitting team. And I think the impression is that you are for some reason anti home run and maybe Tito doesn't like home runs. That couldn't be farther from the truth. But talk about the balance of first of all, how difficult it is to hit home runs in the major leagues, and second of all, coaching and creating a game plan, an approach that fits your personnel.
Yeah, you know, I'm definitely not anti home run. I don't think Tito's anti home run.
And we we we definitely aren't preaching that, you know, I think as far as personnel, you know, there's ways to be creative to score runs.
You know, I think our biggest thing is, you know, playing to the scoreboard. You know, obviously we want to find ways to score runs, but we also don't want to be a victim to the Ballparky you know, haven't been on different clubs. It's you know, you come to Cincinnati, you don't leave without a home run. And you know, playing eighty one games there that that doesn't want to be We don't want that to be our identity. So, you know, we we have to find ways to manufacture runs.
I think there's definitely a way and going into this offseason and into next season that you know, there's going to be situations, there's going to be certain counts there, there's different ways that we can look to impact the ball. But we need to get better again at you know, our foundations, our our situational hitting. I think there was some some some lack of that, you know, towards towards the late innings of games, especially when we're facing leverage arms.
You know, we we have to find ways rather than just living and dying by the home run. You know, we we definitely have guys that can can impact the ball, but that doesn't need to be our hallmark. You know, when we need it, it's in the tank. But we have to we have to find ways to continuously put up runs when when it matters.
I've heard you say before, and this might confuse the layman fan, but players don't be afraid to strike out looking with two strikes to have that right, what is the thing?
I mean they're behind that for For me, there's situations when the strikeout looking is okay. You know, we if there's nobody on base, the goals to get the first base. So, you know, shrinking our strike zone make making ourselves top outs and you know, the walk is valuable. It's not about looking for the walk's it's hunting our pitch that we want to hit a home run, we want to hit a double. We want to put ourselves in scoring position.
And if you don't.
Get that pitch, then you you you know, if it is a strikeout looking, I just want to stay away from us ending at bats looking following you know, a pitcher's plan and thing goes with a runner on first base, I want to stay out of double plays. So we're going to be more selective in those situations. When it comes to traffic and we have a runner on second, when we have a runner on third, the ball needs to go forward. We need to create chaos. We need
to put the ball in play because things happen. We're going to move runners over, We're going to score runners from third. So it's deth the scoreboard, but it's also playing to the game state or the situation that we're in.
Well, I've always felt since he got to the big leagues and I saw him for the first time that when Spencer Steer is really at his back, he's one of the best hitters, maybe the best pure hitter on this team in my opinion. He had a down year last year. We know he was battling the shoulder, and I think shoulders can be really tricky. Another guy that by and large had a down year offensively last year at least did not reach expectations, as Matt McClain, again
also battling his shoulder. When you look at those two guys, how do you envision those two bouncing back and having bigger years in twenty twenty six than they had in twenty twenty five.
Is it simply a matter of being fully healthy.
I think there's definitely a health component, you know. I think with Spence, I'm really proud of the year that he put together after you know, coming off a tough April and you know, hitting one sixty, one, eighty whatever it was, to end up with twenty plus homers and driving in the runs that he had, you know, that just shows how well he hit, you know, through the year to put him in a position where he finished you know, and then and when it comes to Maddie,
you know, he missed the year and a half. I feel like there's times where we give him a you know analysis that you know, he had ninety games in the big leagues and you know, had some success, but you know where he's at. He missed a year and a half. So he went through that sophomore year, he went through that acclamation period and you know, he learned
a ton in the big leagues. You know, there there's probably a case where he could have been demoted, and we kept him in the big leagues that you know, he continued to learn and help us win games. So I think they're both going to be better for it and looking forward to big things for both of those guys.
Well, well, certainly appreciate the time, Thanks so much, Enjoy what is left of your winner before you have to report to Arizona for spring training.
Thank you, guys. I'm looking forward to seeing you guys out there and getting ready to go to work.
All right, sounds good, Chris, Thanks so much.
That is Red hitting coach Chris Polaka joining us on the Budweiser reds Hot Stove League presented by you DF joined us at Great American Ballpark on Saturday n you Wary thirty first for a special Select a Seat event. You can decide where you want to sit to watch your Reds play this season. Try out different seating locations and pick your seats that work best for you. RSVP
now at Reds dot Com Slash Select. Running out of time on this edition of the Reds Hot Stove League, we wrap it up next from the bet MGM Sportsbook inside Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks on the Reds
Radio Network. Oh, we've spent the last hour talking hitting for the most part here on the Budweiser Reds Hot Stove League presented by UDF and we're back live the bet MGM Sports Book inside Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks with Jim Damn Tommy throwing Jim, I think when it gets down to it, look, I know the Reds wanted to add a power bat, and who knows, maybe
they still will. Time is starting to run out on the offseason, but listening to TJ Friedel talking with Chris Filaka, I still feel like, even if it's the same group that returns buy and large here in twenty six, they're still room there for this team. To get better and score more runs. And I also feel like they're going to do a better job at run prevention moving.
Forward, well or again, we're in the season of hope, Yes we are. So we're hoping that Spencer Steer comes out of the gate quicker because of the lack of injury. We're hoping that Matt McClain can return to form. We're hoping that Ellie Daly Cruise is power numbers can increase. We're hoping that the defense can be better adding a guy like Keeth Brian Hayes. I'm not sure who's going to play first base. Matt McClain is solid up the middle. You're hoping that Ellie Daly Cruise does not lead the
league in air. So if some of those things happen, yeah, they're going to be better. I would like to see them if they're not going to have a true couple of power guys in the middle of the lineup, I would like them to to press the button a little bit more on the base pass. I know that's not necessarily Terry franconas in which he doesn't want to run into a lot of outs, but I do think they have guys that can run when they do get on base and they are down, I would like to see them run a little more.
Yeah, I'm right there with you, and I think I think finding that balance. And you know, we talked about it with Colin cal Gill earlier in the offseason. I think even he understands that there's probably more opportunities where they can push.
The envelope a little bit more where Tito would be okay with you.
So it's got to be a compromise. Not as much as they were a few years back. They were running to a way yeah, reckless and running into way too. Me outs, thank goodness, we don't have the contact play at third base the oh my goodness, Tito's against that. Uh, thank thank you for that. But I do think situationally they can press the envelope because they got guys that can run.
Right and take advantage of this team speed, especially while you've while you've got it. And and another guy that fits into that category is Newelvie Marte. The question is who is going to end up protecting Ellie da la Cruz in this lineup?
Is it going to is?
Is Newelvi Marte gonna have the tie a year where he can truly give at least some production or some protection in the lineup. Is Sal Stuart I'm not so sure he's not gonna hit a head. Well, that's also possible. Is Sal Stuart going to develop quickly into a power threat at the playoff the biggest Wow? That's a huge wild card. But look, going back to what you were talking about, the hope upon hope. I look at a team like the Toronto Blue Jays a couple of years ago.
They had a huge down year. By and large, they brought back the same guys and they took the Dodgers to the brink last year in the World Series. Those guys that the Blue Jays had remind me a lot of this Reds team. Now, the Reds made the playoffs last year. The Blue Jays did not their year prior, but they ran it back with most of the same guys, which was a core of homegrown players. They came into their own collectively at the same time, and then they
showed what can happen when that comes together. It's happened before. I just still think because because of how talented this young core is, there's still plenty of room for optimism with this Reds team, especially with regards to this pitching staff, because anytime you got the arms like the Reds do, you got a chance. That's all the time we have
for you for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Butwise Are Red Hot Stove League, presented by ud F from the bed MGM Sportsbook Inside Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks for TJ.
Friedel Chris Foalaka.
Also thanks to Dave Abbert Abbott and our studio producer Drew Wester Heidi and for Jim Day.
I'm Tommy Thrall. Good night,