3 individuals who'll be blamed for the Reds' gut-wrenching loss, but don't deserve most of it

3. Reds GM Nick Krall will receive a lot of blame following the loss, but doesn't deserve most of it.

All of those Reds fans who said the front office needed to get more pitching at the trade deadline will point to this one game and say, "I told you so." And to a certain extent, they're right. The Cincinnati Reds made one addition at the trade deadline, and that was reliever Sam Moll.

What fans saw from the Reds bullpen on Saturday night, and for the better part of a week, has been a direct result of overuse throughout the season. Now, some fans will want to point the finger at David Bell for that, and he's mildly culpable.

However, it's hard to blame the manager for trying to preserve the arms of his young starting pitchers while at the same time attempt to win ballgames. Bell has gone to his bullpen early and often this season, and more times than not, it's worked. But those guys are running on fumes.

Which brings us back to Reds GM Nick Krall and the Cincinnati front office. The Reds did not add a starter at the trade deadline despite pitchers like Lucas Giolito, Jordan Montgomery, and Jack Flaherty finding new teams this summer.

As most fans have seen, those trades don't always work out. Giolito was waived by the Los Angeles Angels, former Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen is now in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen, and Lance Lynn has given up 42 home runs on the season.

Could the Reds have added an extra pitcher or two at the trade deadline? Sure, but the price tag in terms of prospect capital was extremely high. Would you have given up a player like Connor Phillips, Sal Stewart, or Christian Encarnacion-Strand in order to add a mediocre arm for the stretch run?

If so, then I'm glad you're not the GM. Nick Krall is playing the long game with his sights set on 2024, 2025, and beyond. The Reds are looking to build sustainability for the future and not lose a potential key piece in exchange for a one-off year in which they've exceeded expectations.

So while Krall's lack of action at the trade deadline may have contributed to the fact that Cincinnati's bullpen was absolutely gassed on Saturday, I'm sure he'll happily take that criticism knowing that the Reds have a boatload of young talent ready to make a run at the playoffs for the next five years.