The Cincinnati Reds need to straighten out soon or they will have a firesale.  They are currently 27-43 which has them in last place in the National League Central, 11.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.  If the Reds don’t get hot soon they will likely start to part out their team.  #1 on the probably gets traded list is outfielder Adam Dunn.  Dunn is having a great season as he’s hitting .275 with a .938 OPS.  In 68 games this season, Dunn has scored 45 runs, whacked 19 homers, driven in 46 runs and stole 7 bases.  Still, a lot of teams will look at his 90 whiffs in 244 at bats and realize that he could come to them and instantly go into a slump as it will be almost impossible for him to maintain the .275 average he was while whiffing at that rate.  The Reds would be smart to move Ken Griffey Jr. before he gets hurt.  Other teams will know how brittle he is thus the Reds will probably not get a fair return for him but they should at least try to trade him.  Griffey has been outstanding so far this season as he’s hitting .287 with a .957 OPS.  Griffey has scored 38 runs, whacked 18 homers and has driven in 43 runs in 64 games so far this season for the Reds.  Scott Hatteberg and Jeff Conine also could be worth something for contending teams.  Hatteberg (.297 avg, .849 OPS) and Conine (.303 avg, .835 OPS) are both getting a little old but they both can still swing the stick.  Closer David Weathers could also be helpful for a contender needing help at the back of their bullpen.  Weathers is 1-3 with 13 saves, a 3.48 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.  The only thing that can stop a firesale is the Reds themselves as they need to start playing better.

The Reds have placed Mike Stanton on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.  In 35 games this season for the Reds, Stanton is 1-2 with a 4.44 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP.  He has thrown 26.1 innings this season and he has allowed 35 hits, walked 8 batters and whiffed 19.  The Reds have recalled lefty Mike Gosling to replace Stanton in the bullpen.  Gosling was a starting pitcher in AAA ball so it might take him some time to adjust to a bullpen role.  He has started 13 games this season in AAA for the Reds and he was 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP so he deserved his promotion.  In 78 innings Gosling allowed 71 hits, walked 23 batters and whiffed 65.

Eric Milton will have Tommy John surgery and he will miss the remainder of the season.  He only started 6 games this season and he was 0-4 with a 5.17 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.  He threw 31.1 innings this season and he allowed 39 hits, walked 9 batters and whiffed 18.  This likely ends Milton’s career with the Cincinnati Reds and that couldn’t happen soon enough as he was a bad fit for the Reds ballpark.  He started 66 games in three seasons with the Reds and he was 16-27 with a 5.83 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.  He threw 370.1 innings for the Reds and he allowed 439 hits, 73 homers, walked 103 batters and whiffed 231.  This guarantees that Homer Bailey will get to stay with the Reds for a while now.  He won his first start by pitching 5 innings and he allowed 5 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 4 batters and whiffed 3.  The Reds will be much better off with Bailey instead of Milton.

Ken Griffey Jr. is starting to really swing the bat well as of late.  In his last 6 games, Griffey is 6 for 19 (.316 avg, 1.245 OPS) with 5 runs, 3 homers and 4 RBIs.  His recent surge has seen his season batting average surge to .284 and his OPS to .937.  Look for the Reds to try to move Ken Griffey in a trade next month if the Reds are not in contention for the Wildcard or the Division as long as he can stay healthy.

The Cincinnati Reds are 7-6 the last two weeks despite getting outscored 52-49 by their opponents.  The Reds have combined timely hitting and decent pitching during their recent surge.  The Reds enter this week with a 25-39 record which has them in last place in the American League Central, 9.5 games behind the Brewers.