Matt’s Take – Cincinnati Reds news overload

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

The amount of Cincinnati Reds news in the last few days has certainly been overwhelming. Within 24 hours, Reds fans are dealing with the loss of possibly the best player in franchise history, a suspension of a very important piece of the lineup and the loss of a former number-one prospect in the organization.  

I can’t say that I had that on my “bingo card” for the weekend. Let’s dive into what just happened and why I am over-stimulated with Reds news.

Joey Votto agrees to deal with Blue Jays

Cincinnati icon and Canadian native Joseph Daniel Votto officially came to an agreement on a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. While I hate to see him leave the Queen City, watching him be able to get the chance to suit up for his hometown is something you could only find in movies.  

His 17-year career continues, but his time in Cincinnati is certainly finished – and man, what a ride. I won’t dive into what he has meant to the city or anything of that nature, but I will leave you with a few Votto facts to share with your friends who don’t understand his greatness:

• Joey Votto could go 0-1,346 over his next 1,346 plate appearances and still have a career OBP higher than Ichiro Suzuki.

• Joey Votto could open up the 2024 season and go 0-477 and still have a higher career OBP than Tony Gwynn.

• Through 17 seasons, Joey Votto has a better OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, more RBIs, and more home runs than Pete Rose. 
    
• Joey Votto has a higher OBP, SLG, and OPS than Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Barry Larkin and Tony Perez. 

Good luck in Toronto, No. 19. Cincinnati is rooting for you.

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Noelvi Marte suspended

I have been trying to get my wife to allow me to name our son that is arriving in May “Noelvi” for months now. Not only did he let down his team this week, but he let down me personally, as I truly liked the name (my wife thanks you). 

As all of you know by now, Marte tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and has been suspended 80 games, along with not being able to participate in the postseason. As a professional athlete, you have to know better than to ever receive treatment with an illegal substance. It is inexcusable, and he really hurt this roster going into 2024.  

Last year in limited at bats, he hit for .316 and an OPS of .822. Without his bat in the lineup, the Reds find themselves utilizing their depth way earlier than expected. Cincinnati will obviously welcome Marte back when he returns, but I certainly hope he learns from this massive mistake.  

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Jose Barrero is no longer a Red

To top everything off, Jose Barrero was officially claimed by the Rangers this weekend and leaves Cincinnati. He is a career .186 batter, who just never clicked within this organization. At times you would see flashes of hope, but he either wasn’t healthy or was looking way different than what he displayed in spring training. 

This really isn’t a loss from what we have seen up to this point, but I certainly wish him well. It just never was going to work out here, and I think a fresh start was best for both parties. 
 
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Roster spots

With the Marte suspension, along with Barrero no longer being on this team, two roster spots essentially are “up for grabs.”  

Stuart Fairchild is most certainly going to be on this roster, as he has knocked the cover off the ball throughout early spring. The last spot, however, will be a little more difficult to judge. If everyone stays healthy, this last spot will be a toss-up between Josh Harrison and Blake Dunn, in my opinion.  

Harrison is a career .270 batter and former All-Star, but has struggled mightily in recent years. Dunn is a right-handed outfield arm that I think this team desperately needs who certainly isn’t getting any younger. His call-up is probably past due, as he hit .312 last season with 23 home runs. The 25-year-old out of Western Michigan has worked his tail off and even if it is not right away, I hope he finds himself on this roster in 2024.  

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