Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings July 14, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1970-Riverfront Stadium hosts the All-Star Game and the National League wins, 5-4, in 12 innings. President Richard Nixon throws out the first pitch prior to the All-Star Game, but what the game is most remembered for is Pete Rose crashing into American League catcher, Ray Fosse, to score the winning run on Jim Hickman’s RBI-single MLB.COM Adleman starts vs. Nats to begin 2nd half By Kyle Melnick / MLB.com | 9:43 AM ET + 37 COMMENTS The Nationals displayed one of the most potent offenses the first half of the season, leading the National League in almost every offensive category. Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy -- the middle of the lineup -- led that charge with three of the Top 5 batting averages in the NL. Washington will look to continue that offensive production in the second half as their five All-Stars return Friday night to begin a four-game set against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Nats took two out of three from Cincinnati when the teams met in June, but Zack Cozart, one the Reds' two All-Stars, didn't play due to a quadriceps injury. The teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum in their respective divisions. The Nationals are looking to maintain their sizeable lead in the NL East, while the Reds enter the second half fighting to get out of last place in the NL Central. Cincinnati will start Tim Adleman, while Washington will send left-hander Gio Gonzalez to the mound. The Reds have dropped five of Adleman's past six starts, and he has taken the loss in four of those games. His ERA during that span is 5.23. Gonzalez, meanwhile, is putting together his best season since joining the Nats in 2012. The Nationals have the worst bullpen ERA in the Major Leagues and will get a look at Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, whom Washington is interested in, according to sources who spoke to MLB.com before the All-Star break. Three things to know about this game • Joey Votto has 26 home runs after the first half. He hit 29 homers in each of his past two seasons. • Iglesias has 16 saves this season, while the Nationals' team total is 20. • The Nationals optioned left-hander Sammy Solis to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday. They will make a corresponding roster move prior to Friday's game. Kyle Melnick is a reporter for MLB.com based in Washington. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds a team to watch leading up to Deadline 9 1/2 games out of 1st, club will need hot 2nd-half start to avoid being sellers By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 13th, 2017 + 183 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- A sink in the standings over the past month and a general manager in his first year running the baseball operations department will likely make the Reds a team to watch over the next two-plus weeks ahead of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. In the offseason, Reds GM Dick Williams maintained he would listen to trade proposals for any player and be opportunistic. That was clear in January when the team -- already short of proven starting pitchers -- moved Dan Straily to the Marlins to acquire three prospects that included power-armed starter Luis Castillo, who is currently in the Reds' starting rotation. The most obvious trade chip the Reds have is All-Star shortstop Zack Cozart, who is in the final year of his contract and can be a free agent after the season. But there might be other possibilities. The name of closer Raisel Iglesias has already hit the rumor mill for interest, but he would likely require a huge haul in return. More realistic bullpen pieces who can be moved are veterans like Tony Cingrani and Drew Storen. Williams and the club are looking to add young, controllable players who have the ability to stick around for a while. It's been the Reds' MO for the past several years and it's brought back current core players like Eugenio Suarez, Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler and Jose Peraza. Trade scenario Williams made it no secret in the winter that he was looking to deal Cozart but lacked shortstop demand from other teams. Injuries - - and his great first half -- could improve the odds that Cozart is dealt. The D-backs lost Nick Ahmed for several weeks to a hand injury. The Orioles are missing J.J. Hardy with a broken wrist and the first-place Nationals will be without Trea Turner, who also broke a wrist. Washington is even more desperate for bullpen help, however, and sources told MLB.com before the All-Star break that it was interested in Iglesias. What are they playing for? Although the Reds are 39-49 and 9 1/2 games behind the surprising first-place Brewers in the National League Central, the division wasn't strong in the first half. The defending World Series champion Cubs are two games under .500. A fast start to the second half could get Cincinnati back to at least the cusp of contending and playing meaningful games later in the season. Because of the Reds' strong lineup, defense and back end of the bullpen, manager Bryan Price and the clubhouse moved past the idea of rebuilding and felt like the team could compete on any given day. Ultimately, the rest of this year is about building momentum for a stronger 2018. The road ahead There are nine games left against Milwaukee, which also came into the season as a rebuilding club. Should the Brewers start fading, the Reds could take advantage. There are also 10 games left against the underperforming Cubs. One particularly fun late-season series is coming Sept. 22-24, vs. the American League East-leading Red Sox. Key player Joey Votto had spectacular second-half performances in both 2015 and '16, but both came after lackluster or poor first halves. The rest of 2017 could be about Votto building NL Most Valuable Player Award credentials and establishing career highs, especially home runs. In his 2010 NL MVP season, he slugged a career-high 37 homers. With an NL-leading 26 homers already in 2017, he's well on his way to surpassing that. Prospects to watch Yet to be seen is right-hander Tyler Mahle, who already threw a perfect game for Double-A Pensacola in April and is impressing since his recent promotion to Triple-A Louisville. Mahle, the No. 8 prospect in the organization according to MLBPipeline.com, is not on the 40-man roster but has certainly earned a September callup at minimum. Don't count him out, however, for making his big league debut sooner. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Inbox: Will Reds trade Cozart by Deadline? Beat reporter Mark Sheldon fields fans' questions By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 13th, 2017 + 6 COMMENTS The All-Star break is over and it's time for everyone to get back and begin the second half. Of course, the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline is coming soon and that means plenty of questions about who might be dealt. Let's delve into this latest edition of the Reds Inbox. Do you see the Reds trading Zack Cozart at the Trade Deadline? -- Dallas A., Pueblo, Colo. I think it's entirely possible, especially since Cozart is having a career year at the plate, continuing to play fantastic defense and is a free agent after the season. What dims the chance of a deal is lack of demand. There wasn't a big need for shortstops in the winter and there isn't much more now. However, there are three clubs -- Washington, Arizona and Baltimore -- that are all missing shortstops because of injuries. What is the right price for trading Raisel Iglesias to the Nationals? -- Aaron H., on Facebook Whatever it is, it should be super-duper high. MLB.com reported last week that Washington expressed interest. I don't think the Reds particularly want to move Iglesias, but general manager Dick Williams would be correct to listen to any offer for any player. Iglesias, who is signed through 2020, is the kind of the reliever the Reds need to have around for when they are ready to contend. He's not cost-prohibitive, is a positive presence in the clubhouse and most importantly, he stabilizes the back end of the bullpen. Do you think the Reds will aggressively market Tony Cingrani in trade talks? -- @EricTStauffer2 If they aren't, they should be. As a left-handed reliever who has pitched well since his return from the disabled list, Cingrani could help a club needing a complementary piece for its bullpen. The Reds still have rookie lefty Wandy Peralta, who emerged to be a dependable option while Cingrani was on the DL earlier in the season. Is there a chance we could see Nick Senzel as a September callup? -- Nicholas L., on Facebook There is a chance, but I'm not expecting it. Barring any developments by Sept. 1, the Reds' top prospect per MLBPipeline.com will have about a half-season at Double-A Pensacola.