The trade of Jonny Gomes was a tough one, but necessary for the Reds moving forward. At 50-53, sitting in 4th place in the NL Central and 5 games from the top, it's time to see what Chris Heisey and Yonder Alonso can do at this level. I'm sure Fred Lewis will still get his starts, but the Reds would be doing Alonso (and themselves) a disservice if he's just brought up here to pinch-hit and fill-in for Joey Votto at first.
Gomes will be missed in the clubhouse. His energy and enthusiasm he brought to the field was something Reds fans appreciated. He was an integral part of the magical 2010 season. Remember it was Gomes who got the Reds their first win, and avoided a sweep, with his game-winning home run versus the Cardinals in the opening homestand of last season. He gave his all and he always hustled. He played the game hard and he played the game right. Who knows, maybe he will one day be back in a Reds uniform. Something he pondered to the media following the trade (he will be a free agent at the end of the year). One thing I know for certain, Gomes deserves a warm welcome from Reds fans when he returns to town with the Nationals August 26. If nothing else other than a "thank you" for the way he played.
Now, following Tuesday's ugly loss to the Mets, I for one echo the sentiments of Cincinnati Enqurier Reds beat writer John Fay http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/ . The fielding miscues by Votto, Phillips and Bruce are uncharacteristic, but worse, the play of all three seemed lethargic and uninterested. Perhaps evidence the toll that this season has become bubbling up to the surface.
It's clear that it's time to see what some of the minor leaguers can contribute at the big league level. The focus now needs to be on 2012. Will the team make some or all of the moves Fay lays out in his post? Doubtful for two reasons. The message from Walt Jocketty on down to Dusty Baker has been one of "we're one good winning streak away." So trading away veterans would send the opposite message to the clubhouse and the fan base. Remember this is a business and teams in small to mid-level markets like the Reds need people in the seats to generate revenue. It's what pays for Votto, Bruce and Cueto's contracts and could possibly determine whether Phillips gets an extension. Selling off veterans would signal a waving of the white flag that the season is lost.
Finally, an interesting note on Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. He hit his third career inside the park home run Tuesday versus the Giants. His first two came against--you guessed it -- the Cincinnati Reds.
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