Matt’s Take: Reds have to beat divisional opponents; McLain to AAA?

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

In the world of Major League Baseball, your team has to beat divisional opponents or you will never have any success in this league. For Cincinnati, this continues to be true thus far in 2025, and it’s the same story year after year.  

While there is time to turn it around, the inability to beat the Cubs or Brewers gives me the same feeling I’ve had for over a decade – less than Mediocre. For the last five years, I’d hate to even look at the Reds' record against divisional opponents. I nearly searched it, but I won’t put either of us through that statistic. Until Cincinnati can find success against the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals and Pirates, this team will continue to struggle.  

McLain to AAA?

It’s time. You know it. I know it, McLain knows it, and hopefully the rest of the organization knows it. Matt needs to get his confidence back, as he isn’t just in a slump at this point. Per Lance McAlister, McLain is:
9 for 82 on the road (.110)
4 for 38 (.105) with RISP
Runners On .142
Tie Game 4 for 43 (.093).

We all know how bad this is, yet he’s been given a pass far more than Espinal or Candelario would ever be given, due to his previous success. Unfortunately, though, it’s time for him to get some AAA at-bats. CES is ready to return and the correct move is sending McLain back down. CES can move to first and DH, while Espinal can continue to be the utility player that Cincinnati can put anywhere on the field as needed.  

June is here and a big enough sample size has been recorded. As of right now, McLain just isn’t good.  

Santiago Espinal has to be moved

Santiago Espinal cannot continue to be put in the 2-hole. I like Santiago and I don’t know where we would be without him, but he is the worst 2-hole batter in baseball. To go a step further, I think Tito is the only manager in the world that would think it’s a good idea to keep him there. Again, I love Santiago, but you can’t ask him to do things that won’t help the team or help him succeed.  

Let’s go over the numbers. 

1-22 in his last 23 at-bats
Vs RHP, he is one of the worst hitters in the division
Has 3 XBH in the last 15 games
Has 1 XBH against right handed batters in 2025 (Stop putting him in a position to fail).

His defense is immaculate and Cincinnati is lucky to have him. He is a platoon batter and defensive guru. He is not the best situational hitter on this team and is arguably the worst batter on the team against RHP, while being stellar against LHP. Use him correctly and he will succeed.  

Positive

I am trying to be positive, but it’s hard to do so when we can’t win a rubber match game. At 29-31, 8.5 games back of the Cubs, and 4.5 games back from a playoff spot, I can’t help but think this season is slipping away. If Cincinnati loses this Brewers series, I might just start writing about the Bengals. Prove me wrong, Redlegs; this city just wants winning baseball and not to watch Hampson and Joe as our corner outfielders in a season where expectations were winning the division.  

Go Reds (monotonous cheer).