Press Clippings July 9, 2018

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

1940-Bill McKechnie manages the to a win, 4-0, in the All-Star Game. Paul Derringer starts the game, and pitches 2.0 shutout innings with three and follows with two more scoreless frames

MLB.COM

Gennett, Suarez, Votto named NL All-Stars By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Jul. 8th, 2018

CHICAGO -- Normally, a team in fifth place might have trouble getting multiple All-Stars. But the Reds have also been one of 's hottest clubs since early May and have rebounded after a rough April. A big reason for the success is the contributions from the infield.

Three Reds infielders -- first baseman Joey Votto, second baseman Scooter Gennett and third baseman Eugenio Suarez -- were named as reserves on the National League squad for the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman and president of baseball operations Dick Williams informed each All-Star privately in the skipper's office.

"I was really happy and appreciative that our three guys were on there, they should be on there, they're on there, it's a great honor," Riggleman said. "It's a special group there."

Votto and Suarez were voted on to the team by the players ballot. Gennett was a selection from . It is the sixth time Votto has been an NL All-Star while Gennett and Suarez will be first-timers.

"Jim just said, 'Why am I not winning more games with an infield like this?' The infield really came on strong," Williams said. "Considering what happened in April -- a relatively slow start for Votto and Geno being hurt -- for them to come back and make this kind of statement in a shorter period of time really says a lot. Of course, Scooter started his campaign last year when he went from a role player to an everyday player to an impact player. These are three guys we really like having in our infield."

Votto, 34, is batting .292/.425/.437 with eight home runs and 44 RBIs. Winner of the 2010 NL Most Valuable Player Award, he entered Sunday leading the NL in on-base percentage.

"The players voting me in was really exciting," said Votto, an All-Star for a second straight time. "I was really hopeful to make the team, and to make it is always a great honor. I'm very happy about that."

The 28-year-old Gennett leads the NL with a .326 average and he also has a .368 on-base percentage, .515 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 58 RBIs.

"Just being recognized for the effort, but also the performance and numbers and stuff is great," Gennett said. "It's definitely going to be a lot of fun going there and experiencing it. Obviously, it's my first one so definitely looking forward to it."

Suarez, 26, is batting .315/.405/.590 with a team-leading 19 homers and an NL-leading 68 RBIs. Currently on an 11-game hitting streak, he also entered Sunday leading the NL in offensive WAR (3.4) and on-base-plus slugging percentage.

To put his numbers into further context, Suarez also missed 16 games in April with a fractured right thumb.

"My heart is [beating] fast right now. It feels so happy," Suarez said. "It's an honor to be part of the All-Star Game. Right now, I feel so, so happy. I know my dream came true. I've always dreamed about the All-Star team, the All-Star Game, the All-Star players. Now, I can say I'm an All-Star player."

Unlike Votto, who was homegrown in the organization and debuted in 2007 to become a cornerstone of the franchise, Gennett and Suarez were acquired from other clubs with little or nothing in return. They have become major contributors to Cincinnati's lineup and inside the clubhouse.

The Reds claimed Gennett off waivers just before the end of Spring Training on March 28, 2017. Originally used as a utility player on the bench, his bat and ability to drive in runs helped force his way into the starting lineup in the second half.

"Scooter, when we claimed him, our scouts had a vision of what he could become," Williams said. "But really, he exceeded those expectations."

Also on June 6 of last season against the Cardinals, Gennett became the first player in Reds history to hit four home runs in one game. Overall, he batted .295/.342/.531 with 27 homers and 97 RBIs.

"I think a lot of players, until they get that opportunity or until they earn that opportunity, it can be tough," Gennett said. "I fought my way into the lineup last year. Once I've been in there every day, the rest is kind of history in a sense. I think the true player in me came out and that's been a lot of fun."

On Dec. 11, 2014, the Reds traded Alfredo Simon to the Tigers to get Suarez with plans to groom him as a future shortstop. But after the departure of Todd Frazier following the '15 season, the Reds shifted Suarez to third base. Although he initially struggled defensively, he made vast improvements at the position and also hit 26 homers with 82 RBIs in 156 games.

In March, the Reds wanted Suarez to be a cornerstone player for their future and backed it up by signing him to a seven-year contract worth $66 million.

"Eugenio has played great and Scooter also," Votto said. "We play every day together. We've played really well of late and there's a pretty good reason why, and those two are at the center of it."

Fans can cast votes for the final player on each league's roster -- on computers, tablets and smartphones -- exclusively online as part of the 2018 Camping World MLB Final Vote, as well as via the MLB At Bat and MLB Ballpark mobile apps, until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Then on Tuesday, July 17, while watching the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, fans can submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2018 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote.

The 89th Midsummer Classic, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.

For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.

Reds can't escape bases-loaded jam in 10th Stephens issues walk-off BB after Duvall's tying HR in 9th By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Jul. 8th, 2018

CHICAGO -- The Reds escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam against the Cubs during a thrilling bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday. If they know one thing from being the Major League leaders in at-bats with the bases loaded, runs will eventually score if you tempt that fate too often.

Sure enough, Cincinnati couldn't repeat the same good fortune when the bases were loaded again with one out in the bottom of the 10th. Reliever Jackson Stephens issued a walk to David Bote to force home the go-ahead run for a 6-5 walk-off loss in the rubber game at Wrigley Field.

"I just didn't execute pitches," Stephens said. "I just needed to throw strikes, make a pitch and try to get a grounder."

Down, 5-4, in the top of the ninth, Adam Duvall gave the Reds life with his tying homer to left field against closer Brandon Morrow. In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Jared Hughes worked into a bases loaded situation following two one-out singles and a fielder's choice play. But with a five-man infield, Hughes kept the Cubs from scoring with a ground ball for a force play at the plate and a flyout to center field.

Stephens began the 10th with a walk on five pitches to Willson Contreras, and after a wild pitch to Vic Caratini, he intentionally walked Ian Happ. Addison Russell followed with a soft grounder near the line to first base. With an eye on Contreras, Joey Votto bobbled the ball as he ran to the bag. Although Russell was initially called out, a crew-chief review overturned the call to load the bases with one out.

"They're so aggressive. I just didn't want him to bee-line it home," Votto said. "I don't care about that out. I've go to make that play potentially. It was just one of those occasions where I bobbled it. I don't know what else to say. It was just a physical mistake."

For the second straight inning, the Reds used five infielders to defend as Bote batted. But they didn't get a chance to make a play as Stephens went to a full count before his final pitch was high and inside for ball four.

The Reds dropped the last two games of the series with one-run losses after a one-run victory on Friday.

"We're beyond the point of moral victories. We feel like we had to win these ballgames," interim manager Jim Riggleman said.

Defensive mistakes also hurt the Reds earlier in the game.

Reliever Michael Lorenzen carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning, when Albert Almora Jr. hit a two-out single. Lefty reliever Kyle Crockett entered and gave up Jason Heyward's single. David Hernandez took over and surrendered a Javier Baez single up the middle that scored Almora. Billy Hamilton, who made a heads-up running play to score a run in the fifth, made a high soft throw to the infield that overshot Jose Peraza. As Scooter Gennett got the ball in the mix-up, Heyward took advantage and scored a second run. Gennett was charged with an error on his rushed throw that let Baez advance to third base.

"I put that all on myself," Hamilton said. "Heads-up baserunning by him. You have to give credit to him, especially in that situation with the game tied, you don't expect him to run like that. It's hard for Scooter to just get the ball and turn around because he's thinking the same thing, 'OK, this guy isn't going to run.' I'm thinking the same thing. Everyone is pretty much thinking the same thing. It's a tough play all around. Pretty much my fault."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED It was a 3-3 game in the fifth inning when Hamilton drew a two-out walk from Cubs ace . With Peraza batting, Hamilton stole second base and Contreras' throw one-hopped past second base and into the outfield. Center fielder Almora booted the ball as it came his way and then nonchalantly retrieved the ball as Hamilton sprinted for third base. That enabled him to score ahead of Almora's rushed throw to the plate. Two errors were charged on the play -- to Contreras and Almora.

"In my head, I was just thinking second base," said Hamilton, who was 7-for-10 in the series. "The ball ended up going into center field. It's just something that I love being aggressive. Got to third. I just saw the ball laying on the ground so I was just thinking, 'If he has to bend down, pick the ball up and then make a perfect throw, I'm going to take that chance.'"

HE SAID IT "Billy did some unbelievable stuff to create havoc out there and scored a run, and then Heyward did the same thing later. That game had a little bit of everything, it had big hitting, it had good defense. It had unearned runs. It just came down to they got the last at- bat, and walks played a big part of the game, actually. There was a number walks, a lot of deep three-ball counts, a lot of pitches thrown. Defense sometimes is going to suffer when you're going into deep counts and walking people and so forth. Who knows, maybe that had something to do with it." -- Riggleman

UP NEXT Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will square off against Indians righty in the opener of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday at Progressive Field. DeSclafani endured the roughest start during his abbreviated season when he allowed five earned runs and six hits -- with three home runs -- for a no-decision during the club's 12-8 loss to the White Sox in 12 innings on Tuesday. Blown saves cost DeSclafani wins in his past two starts and he hasn't taken a loss since his season debut on June 5.

Reds test Bailey in bullpen during rehab stint By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Jul. 8th, 2018

CHICAGO -- The Reds were looking to move veteran starting pitcher to the bullpen last month before a right knee injury put him on the disabled list. Bailey has been starting games on his rehab assignment, but the club will finally get to see if he can be a reliever.

Bailey logged two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with one on 42 pitches, working out of the bullpen on Sunday afternoon for Triple-A Louisville against Toledo in relief of starting pitcher Keury Mella. Why now?

"Right now, he's out on a rehab and getting healthy," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We just talked to him about at least exploring the option of seeing how he pitches out of the 'pen, and how he responds to it. It's obviously a much different routine than he's been through his entire career. We also have the extended injury history that makes it complicated. It's not a transition that can be taken for granted. We're going to see how he responds to it."

In four rehab starts for Louisville, Bailey went 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA over 22 2/3 innings. His most recent start had him pitching 6 2/3 innings with one earned run, seven hits, no walks and eight strikeouts.

For the Reds this season, Bailey is 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA. Since he signed a six-year, $105 million contract ahead of the 2014 season, he has endured three elbow surgeries and numerous struggles on the mound.

Bailey, 32, is making $21 million this season, and he is owed an additional $23 million for '19. He has a $25 million club option for '20 that has a $5 million buyout.

When the announcement was made in late May that Bailey would be bullpen-bound, it was not met with enthusiasm by the right- hander. How did he react to the discussion about relief work with Louisville?

"He's just a little concerned about the adjustment, what will happen and how his body will respond. He's going to go out there and we're going to find out," Williams said. "We're very encouraged by his last couple of starts. But it's important now while we have the opportunity in a Minor League setting to find out how he responds to it."

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Joey Votto, Eugenio Suárez, Scooter Gennett to represent Cincinnati Reds as MLB All-Stars Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 7:38 p.m. ET July 8, 2018 | Updated 9:52 p.m. ET July 8, 2018

CHICAGO – Before Sunday’s game against the , Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez walked into the visiting manager’s office to meet Interim Manager Jim Riggleman and President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams.

When Suárez left the office, he couldn’t stop smiling.

For the first time, he was a Major League All-Star.

Suárez and first baseman Joey Votto were voted to the team from the players’ ballot while second baseman Scooter Gennett was one of the seven players chosen by the commissioner’s office.

For the first time since 2014, the Reds will have three players in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

“Right now, I feel so, so happy,” Suárez said. “I know my dream came true. I’ve always dreamed about the All-Star team, the All- Star Game, the All-Star players. Now I can say I’m an All-Star player. I feel so happy.”

Joey Votto talks about making the All-Star Game for the sixth time in his career and what it means to make it through the players' vote. Bobby Nightengale/The Enquirer

Suárez missed 16 games on the disabled list in April with a fractured right thumb. He entered Sunday leading the National League in RBI (66) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.982).

He knew he had the numbers to be included in the All-Star Game, but his heart started racing when he heard the good news.

It was the first time Suárez and Gennett were picked for the All-Star team. Votto will be returning for the sixth time.

“I know my wife, my family and everybody in my hometown will be happy for me,” said Suárez, who signed a seven-year contract extension during Spring Training. “That makes me feel more happy. Now I get to tell my daughter I’m part of the All-Star team.”

All three of the Reds’ All-Stars learned of their selection when they separately met with Riggleman and Williams.

“Joey was really excited, really honored,” Riggleman said. “It was really great to see him with a big smile on his face. He's so low- key, but he was really proud and excited. When we told him Suárez and Gennett were on there, man, he just broke out in a huge smile.”

Suárez and Gennett both arrived from outside of the organization. Suárez was included in the Alfredo Simon trade with the in 2014.

The Reds claimed Gennett on waivers prior to the start of the 2017 season. In a little more than 15 months, Gennett transformed himself from a left-handed bat off the bench into an All-Star.

“I give a lot of credit to our scouts for identifying those guys,” Williams said of Suárez and Gennett. “But really most of the credit goes to the players themselves for continuing to improve their craft, and the coaches for all of the hours of work that’s put in.”

Gennett entered Sunday with a league-leading .329 batting average, smacking 14 homers and 58 RBI.

“I think that was the biggest thing was just getting the opportunity, and I would say I earned that opportunity,” Gennett said. “I fought my way into the lineup last year. Once I’ve been in there every day, the rest is kind of history in a sense. I think the true player in me came out and that’s been a lot of fun.”

Speaking to reporters a few minutes after learning of his All-Star Game selection, Votto admitted he was “a little bit shocked.”

Votto entered Sunday leading the National League with a .428 on-base percentage, ranking second with 68 walks. He’s hit eight homers and 44 RBI, adding 49 runs scored.

“It’s just exciting putting that uniform on and standing in line and representing the city and the team,” Votto said. “I’m very proud of that.”

With three players on the initial 34-man All-Star roster, Riggleman joked to Williams, “Why am I not winning more games with an infield like this?”

The three All-Stars are certainly a major reason why the Reds are playing their best stretch of baseball this season.

“It's really good to see that their accomplishments are appreciated, not just in Cincinnati, but throughout baseball,” Riggleman said. “As you talk to other coaches and managers, you hear comments from players, they really realize how good these guys are.”

Cincinnati Reds' Riggleman on loss to Cubs: 'We're beyond the point of moral victories' Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 6:02 p.m. ET July 8, 2018 | Updated 8:05 p.m. ET July 8, 2018

CHICAGO – When Cincinnati Reds reliever Jackson Stephens saw his final pitch fly above the strike zone, he turned and appeared to shout at himself.

With the bases loaded in the 10th inning Sunday, Chicago Cubs third baseman David Bote drew a walk-off walk to hand the Reds a 6-5 loss at Wrigley Field in front of 38,655 fans.

As Cubs players ran to Bote and poured a cooler of sunflower seeds over his head, the Reds walked off the field with their second loss in the three-game series.

In both games, the Reds held leads in the sixth inning but couldn't hold off the Cubs' powerful lineup.

"We came up short," Reds Interim Manager Jim Riggleman said. "We're beyond the point of moral victories. We feel like we had to win these ballgames."

Stephens issued a leadoff walk to Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Usually, those walks invite trouble.

Following an out and intentional walk, a tough situation became worse when Joey Votto committed an error. The ball popped out of his glove as he tried to step on first to complete an unassisted groundout.

The Reds used a five-man infield with the bases loaded before Stephens walked Bote to send Wrigley Field fans into their customary, "Go Cubs Go" victory song.

"You can’t have a leadoff walk there in that situation," Stephens said. "You try to compete and fight through it, but I didn't execute."

The Reds had already escaped one bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning. Catcher Curt Casali scooped a throw from second baseman Scooter Gennett out of the dirt for a key force out.

"That was incredible," Gennett said.

Against the Cubs, there isn't much room for error.

In the seventh inning, the Cubs scored two runs on a two-out rally against three Reds relievers. With runners on the corners, Javier Baez hit a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch, a ground ball that snuck past Reds shortstop Jose Peraza.

Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton made a soft throw back into the infield and Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, the runner who was on first base, took full advantage by sprinting to the plate and beating the relay throw home to give the Cubs a 5-4 lead.

Heyward was attempting to steal second on the pitch, which helped him speed around the base paths. He slowed down when he rounded third until he saw the soft throw into the infield.

"I put that all on myself," Hamilton said. "Heads up baserunning by him. You have to give credit to him, especially in that situation with the game tied, you don’t expect him to run like that."

The Reds, who lost two games in a row for the first time in more than a week, took a lead through the Cubs’ own fielding miscues.

With two outs in the fifth inning against Cubs lefty Jon Lester, Hamilton drew a five-pitch walk. He promptly stole second, advanced to third when the ball bounced into center field and scored when the throw to the plate was off target.

The power of Hamilton’s speed: He scored from first without a swing of the bat.

"I love being aggressive," Hamilton said. "Got to third. I just saw the ball laying on the ground so I was just thinking, ‘If he has to bend down, pick the ball up and then make a perfect throw, I’m going to take that chance.’"

Reds left fielder Adam Duvall hit a solo to open the ninth inning, tying the game at 5, against Cubs closer Brandon Morrow.

It was the second home run Morrow has given up in the last two seasons.

But for the second straight day, the Reds couldn’t hold onto their lead.

"That game had a little bit of everything," Riggleman said. "It had big hitting, it had good defense. It had unearned runs. It just came down to they got the last at-bat and walks played a big part."

The Reds will travel to Cleveland for a three-game series, beginning the 21st-annual Ohio Cup series on Monday. The Indians lost two of three games to the Oakland A’s in a weekend series.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey pitches out of bullpen in rehab outing Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 2:36 p.m. ET July 8, 2018 | Updated 5:02 p.m. ET July 8, 2018

CHICAGO – After making four rehab starts at Triple-A Louisville, Homer Bailey pitched out of the bullpen for the first time Sunday.

Bailey threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out one.

Before Bailey was placed on the 10-day disabled list on June 2 with right knee inflammation, Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman announced Bailey would move to the bullpen, at the time allowing Anthony DeSclafani to return to the rotation.

“We’ve talked to him about at least exploring the option of seeing how he pitches out of the pen and how he responds to it,” said Dick Williams, the Reds’ President of Baseball Operations. “It’s obviously a much different routine than he’s been through his entire career. We’ve also got the extended injury history that will complicate it. It’s not a transition that can be taken for granted. We’ll see how he responds to it.”

Before Sunday’s appearance out of the bullpen, Bailey showed improvement in his last two rehab starts. He allowed four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings with zero walks and 11 strikeouts.

At the Major League level, Bailey had a 1-7 record and 6.68 ERA through 12 starts this year.

“I will say this, we’re very encouraged by his last couple of starts,” Williams said, “but I think it’s important now while we have the opportunity in the minor league setting to find out how he responds to appearing out of the bullpen.”

Bailey is eligible to remain on the disabled list for about two more weeks. Whether he continues as a starter or reliever, Williams said, will be determined later.

“He’s just a little concerned about how the adjustment will happen and how his body will respond,” Williams said. “He’s going to go out there and we’re going to find out together.”

HARVEY HEALTHY: Matt Harvey didn’t have strong command of all his pitches during Saturday’s outing against the Chicago Cubs, but his reached 96 mph and his topped out at 90 mph.

Raising his velocity in his time with the Reds, Harvey said that’s his new normal.

“I'm definitely healthy – it's not feeling healthy, it's I am,” Harvey said. “I'm two years out now from surgery, so there's been a lot of work in-between to get to where I'm at now, but it feels good.”

Harvey underwent surgery in 2016 to repair thoracic outlet syndrome, a disorder that caused numbness in his throwing arm.

“That was kind of unchartered waters a little bit,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “Not many people had gone through that. I think he’s just day-by-day, in terms of start-by-start, it’s just getting more healthy, more healthy and more healthy. You’re seeing the results of that.”

SCHEBLER IN THE SUN: Reds right fielder Scott Schebler lost a pair of fly balls in the sun during Saturday’s 8-7 loss to the Cubs.

In the sixth inning, Addison Russell hit a fly ball toward the right-field line, which dropped between Schebler and second baseman Scooter Gennett. Russell scored on the next pitch.

Later in the same inning, Ben Zobrist hit a fly ball to right field but Billy Hamilton sprinted from center field to make the catch as Schebler lost track of it in the sun.

"I pretty much told Billy, ‘Hey, if it’s at the right height, I have no chance,' " Schebler said. "That’s why he came over and caught that one. Thank goodness he got over there in time. It’s a pretty helpless feeling."

THE ATHLETIC

Another man’s treasure: Gennett, Suárez fulfill All-Star potential with Reds By C. Trent Rosecrans Jul 9, 2018

CHICAGO – Eugenio Suárez was one week away from his wedding when he got the call that his life had just changed.

It was Dec. 11, 2014, when the Reds traded Alfredo Simon to the Tigers in exchange for two minor leaguers, Suárez and right- hander Jonathon Crawford.

“I received a call from (Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski) and he told me that they loved me, but the Cincinnati Reds are my new team,” Suárez recalled in the Wrigley Field visitor’s clubhouse on Saturday. “At that time, you say, ‘oh Lord, why?’ He said, ‘It’s a business.'”

It’s a business and a business move the Tigers would probably like to have back. Simon was 13-12 with a 5.05 ERA for the Tigers in 2015, granted free agency after the season and signed with the Reds the following March. Simon is now with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican league and on Sunday, Suárez was one of the three Reds, along with Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto, named to next week’s All-Star Game in Washington, D.C.

“My heart is fast right now. It feels so happy. It’s an honor to be part of the All-Star Game,” Suárez said Sunday morning immediately after Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman and president of baseball operations Dick Williams told him the news. “Right now, I feel so, so happy. I know my dream came true. I’ve always dreamed about the All-Star team, the All-Star Game, the All-Star players. Now I can say I’m an All-Star player. I feel so happy.”

It’s a long way from the confusion and sadness he felt in 2014 when the Tigers told him they didn’t want him anymore. But at least the Tigers got something in return. Gennett was claimed by the Reds off of waivers before the 2017 season and the Brewers have been searching for a second baseman ever since.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised about how I’m playing. I felt like I was always a good hitter and a good player,” Gennett said Sunday morning after being told he’d make his first All-Star team. “I’m just thankful and blessed that last year that I got the opportunity to be in there every day on a more consistent basis. I think a lot of players, until they get that opportunity or until they earn that opportunity, it can be tough.”

Of all the major sports, baseball’s the most difficult to identify and cultivate talent. The very nature of the minor league system shows how difficult it is to play baseball at the highest level — and to determine which players will produce once they’re in the big leagues.

All three of the Reds named to the 2018 All-Star team came to Cincinnati in different ways. Suárez via trade, Gennett through waivers and Votto in the draft. Even Votto, who is an All-Star for the sixth time, was overlooked by some, drafted in the second round, 44th overall. And even when the Reds drafted him, the scouting director in charge of that pick, Kasey McKeon, was reassigned after that draft pick.

“I give a lot of credit to our scouts for identifying those guys,” Williams said of Suárez and Gennett. “But really, most of the credit goes to the players themselves for continuing to improve their craft, and the coaches for all of the hours of work that’s put in. These are really individual awards that should be team awards. That’s why we’re so proud to have three of them.”

Not only would Scooter Gennett probably not be named an All-Star on Sunday if he were a Brewer, he probably wouldn’t be starting against Cubs’ lefty Jon Lester.

In three-plus seasons with , Gennett amassed just 227 plate appearances against left-handed to 1,410 against right-handed pitchers.

To Gennett, it wasn’t that he couldn’t hit left-handers, it was that he wasn’t given the opportunity to hit left-handers.

“I didn’t face a lefty starter for a year-and-a-half, then I was told I couldn’t hit lefties,” he said.

Gennett was a first-year arbitration-eligible player and the Brewers didn’t want to spent $2.525 million on a bench player after a breakout season by Jonathan Villar. The Brewers put him on waivers and the Reds pounced.

Gennett was so ready for a change of scenery, that the same day the Brewers told him he’d been claimed by the Reds, he packed up his car in Maryvale, Arizona, and came to the Reds’ complex in Goodyear to join his team.

Even with a year-and-a-half of hindsight, Williams isn’t one to take credit for seeing Gennett as an All-Star. What he did see was pretty much what the Brewers did, a left-handed hitter that could mash against right-handers. The Reds just had more of a need and were willing to take on the payroll for a bench player who could spell José Peraza at second base against tough right-handed starters.

“I’ll be the first to admit that we thought he was going to have to improve defensively and improve against left-handed pitching and he did both,” Williams said. “That’s a credit to him and the coaches. He could have been a role player and we were hoping he would be more than that.”

The Reds used him like that for most of the first half of last season. Gennett, who had 108 plate appearances against lefties in his final season in Milwaukee, had just 45 plate appearances in the first half of 2017 with the Reds. Predictably, he didn’t do well, hitting .209/.244/.372 with one homer against lefties before the All-Star break.

Both Riggleman and Williams credit then-manager Bryan Price for pushing to get Gennett more starts against left-handers. After the break, Gennett improved against lefties, hitting .273/.314/.424 with three home runs in 70 plate appearances.

He’s hitting .320/.349/.520 in 107 plate appearances against left-handers this yea. He never had more than 108 plate appearances in any season in Milwaukee.

Gennett said being held out against left-handers made him worse against right-handers.

“If something’s going wrong as a left-handed hitter and you’re not facing lefties, it doesn’t really expose it,” Gennett said. “You really can’t feel like if I’m pulling off, if you’re doing that against a lefty, with a righty, you can get away with a couple of hits here and there. If there’s something mechanically going wrong approach-wise, lefties really let me know what’s going on. That helps me against righties.”

Even the Reds didn’t give Gennett a chance to play every day until last July 20. Since then, he’s hit .308/.350/.498 with 25 home runs and 101 RBI in 149 games. This year he’s leading the National League in batting average (.326) and has a .368 on-base percentage, .515 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 58 RBI.

“I think that was the biggest thing was just getting the opportunity and I would say I earned that opportunity,” Gennett said Sunday. “I fought my way into the lineup last year. Once I’ve been in there every day, the rest is kind of history in a sense. I think the true player in me came out and that’s been a lot of fun.”

When Suárez was with the Tigers, Dombrowski had a reputation of trading the team’s top prospects. But Suárez felt safe since he topped out as the Tigers’ No. 7 prospect after the 2013 season. He’d played in 85 games for the Tigers in 2014 and thought he’d be in competition for the team’s shortstop job the next year.

Instead, he was with the Reds, starting the season in Louisville because Cincinnati already had Zack Cozart.

“He was the guy we thought could play,” said Williams, who was under then-General Manager Walt Jocketty at that point. “We thought left side of the infield, short or third and with the possibility of left (field), but somewhere on the left side. We saw him as an infielder, but we didn’t know if he could be an everyday shortstop, so there was concern there.”

But they thought he’d hit. Jocketty got immediate feedback from former Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who cussed him out after the trade because he was such a big believer in Suárez.

“I fell in love with him, I just like the way he played. I thought he was going to be a real good offensive player with some pop. He’s a great kid,” Leyland said last year. “He had a loud sound in his bat, he had a different sound in his bat than a lot of guys. I felt he was going to have a lot of pop in his bat. I thought he could hit 20 (home runs) some day. It worked out pretty good.”

Suárez got a chance to play every day that year in Cincinnati when Cozart was lost for the season with a knee injury, hitting .280/.315/.446 with 13 home runs in 97 games.

The Reds traded Todd Frazier that offseason to the White Sox, opening up a spot for Suárez to play third base every day.

“I remember when (infield coordinator) Freddie (Benevides) called me and told me they wanted me at third base because they wanted me to play every day,” Suárez said. “I just knew I wanted to play every day, I’d never played third base, but I think I can do it because if I can play shortstop, I can play anywhere. I knew I’d do my best and the first year was tough on me.”

That first year wasn’t easy. He led all third basemen in baseball with 23 errors, 14 of those coming in the first half. He committed two errors in the same game four times, all in the first half.

“I made a lot of errors and we lost a lot of games because of those errors. They said ‘OK, OK, let’s go. This is not your position, you’re doing a good job.'” Suárez recalled. “I knew I wasn’t doing a good job. But that was the motivation they gave me, every day, every year. It’s outstanding, man. They believed in me and gave me a chance.”

It helped that at the time there’s wasn’t an obvious replacement and the team wasn’t in a pennant race, so they could afford to be patient.

Still, there was a belief in Suárez’s bat and eventually his glove, too.

Suárez was one of the better players on the team last year. This year, he’s one of the best in the league. His .995 on-base plus slugging percentage is second-best in the National League. He hit his 19th home run of the season on Sunday and his 68 RBI lead the National League – despite missing 16 games with a fractured thumb earlier this season.

The Reds locked him up to a seven-year, $68 million extension earlier this year in what was seen as a team-friendly deal before he started this season hitting .315/.405/.590. At 26, Suárez is an All-Star and a Red long-term.

“I’m here and happy to be a part of this team. I don’t care anything about Detroit,” Suárez said. “I have a lot of friends in Detroit, but they’re just friends. My team is here, my heart is in Cincinnati.”

Gennett and Suárez are hardly alone among players who were traded before they became All-Stars. , who will likely start the game in Washington, was traded by the Diamondbacks after just 37 big-league starts. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas had to go to Japan before becoming an All-Star in the United States. Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ closer, was a catcher before he was converted to the bullpen.

Jesús Aguilar, the National League leader in OPS at 1.005, is on the final ballot. Aguilar was picked up off of waivers by the Brewers from the Indians before the spring of 2017 – the same spring the Brewers let Gennett go.

“Everybody’s path to the big leagues is different,” Gennett said. “I know in my case, I wasn’t that guy that was like, ‘Oh my god, he’s in the big leagues now, like let’s authenticate the water cooler that he drank out of,’ I never felt like I had that everyday job. It was always in the back of my mind, if I don’t do good today, they might send me down.”

He earned that in Cincinnati, as did Suárez. The Reds are being rewarded now.

“There are a lot of smart people in this game, a lot of good scouts, when you have guys like this perform like that, it doesn’t mean that they were mis-scouted or undervalued,” Williams said. “Sometimes you just make a change and they improve and they get better. The realities of our roster situation, all of the teams, we deal with similar constraints as to when to protect these guys, how to carry them on the roster, when they run out of options. You have guys coming up in your system that you have to protect, you have to make spots available.

“Sometimes guys, you have to let them go before they’re done becoming what you think he can become. You may let a guy go in trade that you think is worth a lot, but the market doesn’t. You move him in a trade for less than you want to and ultimately he proves to have value. We’re all out there trying to find the arbitrage.”

Transactions

07/08/18 recalled RHP Chris Flexen from Las Vegas 51s. optioned Jacob Stallings to Indianapolis Indians. activated LHP Brett Anderson from the 10-day disabled list. sent RF Matt Szczur outright to . Detroit Tigers optioned RHP Artie Lewicki to Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers sent 2B Dixon Machado outright to Toledo Mud Hens. sent RHP George Kontos outright to . Kansas City Royals signed free agent RHP Dallas Beeler to a minor league contract. Kansas City Royals signed free agent RHP Kaito Yuki to a minor league contract. San Diego Padres optioned RHP Kazuhisa Makita to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres recalled RHP Miguel Diaz from San Antonio Missions. New York Mets sent RHP Noah Syndergaard on a rehab assignment to . sent RHP Jim Johnson on a rehab assignment to Inland Empire 66ers. traded CF Austin Jackson, RHP Cory Gearrin and RHP Jason Bahr to for Player To Be Named Later. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of RHP Ray Black from Sacramento River Cats. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of CF Steven Duggar from Sacramento River Cats. Texas Rangers transferred RHP Matt Bush from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right elbow strain. Texas Rangers transferred RHP Tony Barnette from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right shoulder strain. Kansas City Royals placed RHP Jakob Junis on the 10-day disabled list. Lower back inflammation. Kansas City Royals selected the contract of RHP Glenn Sparkman from Omaha Storm Chasers. recalled RHP Drew Anderson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Yacksel Rios to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Pittsburgh Pirates activated C Francisco Cervelli from the 10-day disabled list. designated LHP Mike Zagurski for assignment. Milwaukee Brewers recalled C Jacob Nottingham from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers optioned RHP Aaron Wilkerson to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of RHP Corbin Burnes from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers placed LF Ryan Braun on the 10-day disabled list. Back strain. Milwaukee Brewers placed C Manny Pina on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 7, 2018. Left biceps strain. Milwaukee Brewers activated CF Lorenzo Cain from the 10-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs placed RHP Anthony Bass on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 5, 2018. Illness. Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP from . recalled RHP William Cuevas from Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox transferred RHP Austin Maddox from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right shoulder strain. Boston Red Sox selected the contract of Ryan Brasier from Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox placed LHP Brian Johnson on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 5, 2018. Left hip inflammation. Boston Red Sox placed C Christian Vazquez on the 10-day disabled list. Right fifth finger fracture. Tampa Bay Rays placed RHP Chaz Roe on the 10-day disabled list. Left meniscus tear. Tampa Bay Rays recalled RHP Jaime Schultz from Durham Bulls. recalled LHP Tim Mayza from . Toronto Blue Jays placed RHP Rhiner Cruz on the 10-day disabled list. Right groin strain. New York Mets optioned RHP Drew Smith to Las Vegas 51s. Oakland Athletics placed RHP Paul Blackburn on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 7, 2018. Right elbow lateral epicondylitis. Milwaukee Brewers recalled 2B Nate Orf from Colorado Springs Sky Sox.