Cincinnati Reds need to put up or shut up as the season turns to week three

The Cincinnati Reds’ fans have waited long enough for the team to play for now, instead of later.

The Cincinnati Reds may not have a good enough team to make the playoffs, but the time for giving playing time to hold down the fort is over. If Amir Garrett is a better starting pitcher than Scott Feldman then Garrett should start. If Jesse Winker makes more sense than Adam Duvall in left field, then Winker should start. We’ve been saying that for three years.

More than that, the long term plans for the organization should be to win with the prospects that the team has assembled. Homer Bailey and Devin Mesoraco shouldn’t be put forward as the faces of the franchise given their injury histories. Anthony DeSclafani, Michael Lorenzen and Eugenio Suarez are the current cornerstones of this franchise with perennial National League MVP candidate Joey Votto.

The Reds talked about battles in training camp as if that should reassure the fans that there is a plan in place. It didn’t do that at all. It made all of the players sound like replacement level players, instead of top prospects.

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When you sign a pair of players to minor league contracts and rebuild the entire bench around them, that isn’t a good sign. At least it opened up a spot on the active roster for Scooter Gennett. It’s OK to say aloud that the prospects aren’t ready yet, if that is the case.

The Cincinnati Reds have enough talent to make some noise in the NL Central, if they play their best players.

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Last year the Reds played spare part veterans to protect their prospects. That was never more evident than the pitching staff where Alfredo Simon kept starting games with Robert Stephenson in Triple-A and the bullpen using retread after retread. Calling up Stephenson and moving Simon to the bullpen would have made sense.

This year the Reds need to start the season using their best 25 players on the MLB roster and continue to manage the team that way all season long. Duvall did a yeoman’s job last year in left field, but he can take a step back this year.

He should get a day off every other week just like most good outfielders.

It’s time for on base machine Jesse Winker to be playing for the Cincinnati Reds regularly. If he can’t replicate his success at the big league level, then the Reds need to know that. If he can, he is wasting time in the minors looking at minor league pitchers.

Stephenson is in a similar situation. He cannot rot on the vine in the bullpen. He needs to produce or find another opportunity.

Next: Two weeks in and the Reds are in first place!

That is the story of 2017 for the Cincinnati Reds. They need to show that they want to compete. They may still be a few years away. Now, though, is the time to show that the fire burns deep inside them all.

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