Code Reds - Breaking Down All Things Cincinnati Baseball with Mike Petraglia

CINCINNATI -- Chris Valaika has worked with some of the top young hitters in baseball in his last three years with the Cleveland Guardians as hitting instructor. He worked with Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez, helping to turn the Guardians into one of the most feared lineups in the American League. Can he work that same magic with the likes of Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz? New Reds skipper Terry Francona hired Valaika in 2022 and worked with him for two seasons. Now, Francona has brought Valaika on board for the similar role with the Reds. Trags talks with Valaika about he plans to work with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain and the other talented and promising prospects on the Reds roster.

CINCINNATI -- Hunter Greene was somehow not the pitcher of the month for July and Elly De La Cruz goes off Monday night in Miami like only Elly can. Annie Sabo of Bally Sports Cincinnati joins Trags to discuss the present and future Reds and why Jonathan India deserves much more praise than he gets. As for the past, Trags asks Annie about the biggest advice she received from her Reds legend father, Chris. All this and more on the latest episode of the Code Reds podcast.

CINCINNATI -- The 2024 All-Star break is here and the Reds have yet to demonstrate consistency necessary to put together a playoff run in the second half. What will it take to change that and how big a role will Elly De La Cruz play? Are the Reds building a dominant pitching staff of the future? The drafting Chase Burns with their first round pick Sunday would seem to indicate as much. C. Trent Rosecrans joins Trags on the latest episode of Code Reds to discuss.

CINCINNATI -- It's been a typically up-and-down week for the 2024 Cincinnati Reds as they try to make a push before the All-Star break to get above .500 and generate momentum for a second-half playoff push. Rece Hinds has come out of nowhere to provide a spark and Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene are both headed to the All-Star Game in Texas for the first time. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com joins Trags to break it down on the latest edition of the Code Reds podcast.

CINCINNATI -- While the offense still continues to struggle to find consistency without several key pieces, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have emerged as aces of the Cincinnati Reds staff. What does that mean for the 2024 Reds as the season approaches July? Could it help the Reds hold on long enough to make a playoff push? And what can the Reds realistically expect from the return of Noelvi Marte from his PED suspension? Trags welcomes Reds play-by-play voice Tommy Thrall to discuss this and much more on the latest Code Reds podcast.

The Reds appear to be slowly breaking out of their May slump, during which they won just six of 26 games. The offense is starting to heat up while the pitching is still carrying the load as the team looks to build momentum throughout June. The Reds won their first rubber game in nine tries Sunday in Chicago against the Cubs. Can the Reds put themselves on a pace to return to .500? Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer joins Trags to discuss on the latest episode of Code Reds.

CINCINNATI -- From an inconsistent Alexis Diaz to a re-injured TJ Friedl, the Reds cannot catch a break. The season from injury hell continues and the Reds pitching staff once again looks like it's hitting a wall, and it's only May. What do the Reds and GM Nick Krall need to do to re-energize the clubhouse and help the players realize there's still hope for a playoff run? Trags welcomes Austin Elmore of ESPN1530 and 700 WLW to discuss all the possibilities.

CINCINNATI -- Some 35 games through the MLB season and the Cincinnati Reds have baseball's worst team batting average at .207. There are many reasons for this: underperforming starters, injuries and suspensions to name a few. What do the Reds have to do to turn it around? How patient will Reds fans be? What can David Bell do? All these topics and more are discussed as Trags welcomes Mo Egger of ESPN1530 to the pod.

The Reds are in the midst of a tough 31-game stretch against teams projected to contend for the postseason. The bats haven't quite come around in total but the pitching is showing very impressive signs. What will it take for the Reds to continue their push toward contending status? Trags chats with Bally Sports Ohio host of "Reds Live" Brian Giesenschlag on a number of topic in and out of the baseball realm on the latest episode of Code Reds.

CINCINNATI -- Despite injuries to TJ Friedl and Matt McLain, a suspension of Noelvi Marte, a rampant flu bug and a scare to Frankie Montas, the Reds are playing near the top of the NL Central. Can they sustain it. What will it take? Can Nick Lodolo rise to role of staff ace? What does Hunter Greene need to do to take that next step, a step critical to his development in Cincinnati? Trags addresses all these questions and much more in the latest episode of Code Reds with Cincinnati Enquirer Reds veteran beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer.

CINCINNATI -- What are the keys of long-term success with Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Alexis Diaz on the Reds pitching staff? Why is Jonathan India such an important piece of the puzzle and how does Elly De La Cruz keep amazing us all? Sam LeCure of Bally Sports Ohio joins Trags to discuss these topics and his close musical relationship with Bronson Arroyo on the latest Code Reds podcast.

CINCINNATI -- Elly De La Cruz is still going through growing pains but the Reds are committed to seeing it through. Frankie Montas and Hunter Greene are developing an important bond and Will Benson is shining in center field in the absence of TJ Friedl. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com covering the Reds joins Trags to discuss.

The 2024 Reds have already demonstrated a flare for the dramatic with two wins in their final at-bat, coming from behind to beat Washington with three runs in the ninth and rallying on the road in Philadelphia, capped by Spencer Steer's grand slam. On the latest episode of Code Reds, Reds TV play-by-play voice John Sadak joins Trags to discuss what specific characteristics could make this team special.

CINCINNATI -- What will it take for the Reds pitching staff to take that next step in 2024? What will make closer Alexis Diaz even better this season? And how will David Bell handle the mix of pitching between his rotation and bullpen? Trags welcomes former Reds closer Jeff Brantley on the latest episode of Code Reds to discuss the optimism surrounding the Reds as the season opens Thursday against Washington.

CINCINNATI -- On the latest episode of Code Reds, Trags speaks with Reds play-by-play announcer Tommy Thrall on the state of the starting pitching starting with Hunter Greene, the injuries to TJ Friedl and Matt McLain, the suspension of Noelvi Marte and why it was so important to hang on to Jonathan India. How does David Bell manage to keep it all together?

In the latest episode of Code Reds, Trags is joined by Chris Welsh, the Cincinnati native and longtime broadcaster of the Cincinnati Reds on TV and radio to discuss how the Reds have been forced to deal with a major suspension to one of their young star players. Noelvi Marte will miss 80 games after testing positive for the PED Boldenone. The Reds have the luxury of being able to fall back on depth that was built by President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall. Trags and Welsh also discuss the critical development of young star pitchers Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene and what it will take for both to reach the next level in 2024 and make the Reds a contender.

In the inaugural episode of "Code Reds", Trags talks with Reds 1990 World Series champion and NLCS MVP Rob Dibble about the prospects for the 2024 Cincinnati Reds and what it will take for results to meet the high expectations for a team that improved 20 games from 2022 to 2023. Can they make another huge jump to World Series contenders?