3 Reds players who are no longer worth defending

Most Reds fans will go to bat for their favorite player no matter the circumstances. Even when that player is 0-for-23 over the last six games, as a fan, you continue to hold out hope that he'll eventually snap out of it. But at some point, your hope turns to despair, and that player will eventually draw the ire of the entire fanbase.

Nick Senzel comes to mind. A player with so much promise, Senzel could never stay healthy, and fell out of favor with the Cincinnati Reds fanbase rather quickly. Even Joey Votto had his fair share of detractors near the end of his Reds tenure. Once beloved by the fans in Cincinnati, Votto's gargantuan contract and poor production during his final two seasons made him a polarizing figure. So much so that some Reds fans were begging Votto to retire before his final season in Cincy.

Fans can be fickle, and the optimism surrounding certain players can fade rather quickly. Which three Reds players are no longer worth defending?

3 Reds players who are no longer worth defending

Jeimer Candelario, Reds infielder

Jeimer Candelario is undoubtedly No. 1 on this list for 99% of the Reds fanbase, and with good reason. Candelario—outside of Nick Martinez—has the largest contract on the team, and has been one of the worst hitters, not just on the Reds' roster, but in all of Major League Baseball.

Furthermore, this is the second year in a row that Candelario has underperformed. While he's known to be a slow-starter, Reds fans have little patience for this type of poor production. Candelario was already a below-average runner and a below-average fielder. If he can't hit, there's little reason to keep him on the roster. But the Reds would owe him quite the paycheck if they cut bait right now.

Connor Phillips, Reds pitcher

It's difficult to defend a player who most fans have forgotten was even on the roster, but Connor Phillips' case is a little different. The hard-throwing right-hander is heading into Year 4 in the minor leagues, and he continues to struggle with command. For his career, Phillips has a 13.5% walk rate.

Another issue plaguing Phillips is his inability to stay healthy. As we speak, he's currently on the seven-day IL in Louisville and has yet to pitch this season. Phillips was, at one time, a top-100 prospect. But Reds fans have little faith that he'll ever ascend to that level, and Cincinnati's best course of action at this point might be to throw him into the bullpen and see if it works.

Alexis Diaz, Reds pitcher

Alexis Diaz is no longer the Reds closer. That job now belongs to Emilio Pagán; even after giving up two home runs on Thursday to the Seattle Mariners. Diaz pitched terribly during spring training, but if we're being honest, he hasn't been a reliable reliever since the 2023 All-Star break.

Diaz started this season on the IL due to a hamstring injury, but he was also dealing with with command and control problems. Those issues didn't get any better during his Triple-A rehab stint, and are still an issue after being activated from the IL earlier this week. Diaz has lost his confidence, and Reds fans can't defend him anymore. With pitchers like Luis Mey and Zach Maxwell down in Triple-A, one has to wonder how much longer Diaz will be on the active roster.

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