Biggest overreactions to Reds opening weekend series loss vs. Giants

The Cincinnati Reds lost their opening series in rather familiar fashion this past weekend. Numerous base running blunders, a handful of fielding errors, and a lack of offense contributed to Cincinnati's series loss to the San Francisco Giants.

And while it's still very early in the season — there's still 159 games left — this is always the time of year for overreactions. Most baseball fans know that there's no need for panic at this moment, but the Reds fans are fed up with fourth and fifth-place finishes in the NL Central, and are hungry to see winning baseball return to Cincinnati.

So while the sky certainly isn't falling, Reds fans are restless. What are some of the biggest overreactions from the Reds opening weekend series loss to the Giants?

Biggest overreactions to Reds opening weekend series loss vs. Giants

Terry Francona is no different than David Bell

After all the all the talk of holding players accountable and playing the game the right way, Reds fans didn't see much of difference between the team that took the field on opening weekend versus the Giants and the one that ended the season back in September. The addition of Terry Francona was supposed to instill a new culture in the Reds clubhouse, but the results reminded fans of a team that was managed by David Bell.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and it's going to take more than one spring training in Goodyear and three regular season games for Tito to learn what he's got and how to manage the players under his command. After Sunday's loss, Francona said, "We've got human beings. Every time they make an error, we're not going to scream at them. When they make a base running mistake, we address it, talk to them and tell them why so we try not to do it again."

Spencer Steer is still hurt and should be placed on the IL

Spencer Steer was surprisingly added to the Reds Opening Day roster last week. After it was relayed that Steer would open the year on the IL due to a shoulder ailment, Francona flipped the script at the last minute and added the 27-year-old to the roster in place of the injured Austin Hays.

Steer is only able to hit — though he has begun a throwing program and could take the field sometime in the near future. But being limited and going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts has some fans calling for Cincy to place Steer on the IL until he's fully healthy. Steer's spring was cut short, and he's still getting his legs under him. If he's still not producing when Hays is ready to return from the IL, perhaps the conversation can be had at the point. Until then, Steer is still one of the Reds best hitters.

The Reds bullpen is going to be elite this season

Let's flip from the negative to the positive. The Reds bullpen, outside of the ninth inning meltdown last Thursday, has been lights out to begin the 2025 season. If you remove Ian Gibaut's blown save from the equation, the Reds relief corps has allowed no runs on just six hits in 9 ⅓ innings pitched.

The Reds bullpen is finding success with arguably their best reliever (Alexis Diaz) on the IL. But can Cincinnati's cadre of relievers continue this blistering pace throughout the season, or will the Reds bullpen turn back into a pumpkin at midnight? It's a long season, but fans have to like what they've seen from Emilio Pagán, Tony Santillan, and others through the first three games.

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