MLB rumors: Stroman bluffing? Reds dragging feet on extension, Phillies favorite back on market
By Josh Wilson
Reds have an extension to make but have had no conversations about it
The Cincinnati Reds are playing some incredible baseball. They are, shockingly (based on preseason predictions, anyway), a half-game back from the lead in the NL Central and have been jockeying back and forth with the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title for the last week or so. They’ve spent nine days in first of the central so far this season, after being as far as 8.5 games back from the lead earlier this season.
At 7-3 in their last 10 games, the Reds won 12 games in a row before dropping three straight to the Braves this weekend. But let’s be honest, it’s the Braves, who very well could win the World Series this season. There are no moral victories, but the Reds lost by one run in two of their losses to the Braves. Not bad for such a young and budding team.
Cincinnati is exciting and really coming around. These sorts of turnarounds are frequently credited to quality coaching and management, so one would think manager David Bell is a shoo-in for a contract extension, right?
Not so fast, at least not yet. Reds general manager Nick Krall said the team doesn’t plan to talk about an extension until after the season.
"“I think we’ll just talk about playing through the year and addressing it later,” Reds general manager Nick Krall told MLB.com on Monday. “At this point, we haven’t done anything.”"
It seems like everyone believes in the Reds except… The Reds? Perhaps the Braves series has stalled talks there. The Reds have come forth quicker than expected, so it’s also possible that Krall hasn’t been given ownership approval just yet to make big spending decisions since the ascension has been somewhat surprising.