CINCINNATI -- The Reds head to Wrigley Field for a key four-game series with their NL Central division rival Cubs after losing three straight to the Pirates. How alarmed should Reds fans be about those three losses and how important is it to bounce back right away. Trags welcomes Jeremy Rauch of FOX19 sports to talk about the current state of the Reds and which players need to step up and how legit Sal Stewart is in the lineup and how much the Reds lean on the injured Geno Suarez.

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CINCINNATI -- The Reds are winning games close and late, the sign of a quality baseball team. They are leading the best division in baseball with a 15-8 record and are 9-2 on the road. The Reds have overcome another slow offensive start to the season, hitting an MLB-low .204 as a team but Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz are carrying the team. De La Cruz is also blossoming as a reliable and spectacular shortstop, becoming more dependable at the critical position than ever. Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com joins Trags to discuss the red-hot Reds.

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CINCINNATI -- The Reds are off to a good start thanks to a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers in Arlington and the starting pitching of Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns, both of whom have picked up the slack for Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. How have they done it? What has been so impressive about the bullpen and where do they need to improve in the pen? TJ Friedl is off to a slow start. What is the expectation that he'll come out of it soon? Mark Sheldon of MLB.com covering the Reds joins Trags to discuss.

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CINCINNATI -- The Reds took 2-of-3 from the Red Sox over the weekend at Great American Ball Park, thanks to some timely power hitting from Geno Suarez, some timely hitting period from Sal Stewart and team that made enough plays to win. Is this a sign of things to come for the 2026 Reds? Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer joins Trags to discuss.

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CINCINNATI -- The Reds have set their Opening Day roster after breaking camp in Arizona but still questions remain. How will the injury to Nick Lodolo change the top of the rotation? Who might slot in for Lodolo if he misses any starts? What will be the roles of Brandon WIlliamson, Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns? Who needs to step up at the back end of the bullpen? As for the offense, Nathaniel Lowe won the final position spot, beating out JJ Bleday and Rece Hinds. Lots of expectations for the 2026 Reds. What will it take for the Reds to meet those expectations and more? Reds play-by-play voice Tommy Thrall joins Trags to discuss.

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CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds Monday announced a new partnership with Gray Media and WXIX FOX19 to simulcast a select number of regular-season Reds games on free, over-the-air (OTA) television. Under the two-year agreement, Gray Media will simulcast 10 regular-season games per season, including Reds Opening Day on March 26, making the broadcasts available to fans on Gray-owned television stations in Cincinnati, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, and throughout Reds Country in seven states. FOX19 Sports Director Joe Danneman joins Trags to discuss how the logistics will work and what the future might look like for Reds on broadcast TV. Danneman also talks with Trags about Hunter Greene, Matt McLain and some other hot Cincinnati sports topics, including the Bengals on Free Agency Day 1 and the undefeated Miami RedHawks.

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CINCINNATI -- The focus for the Reds this spring in Arizona has been on the offense, and no one has broken out better than Matt McLain. The second baseman had two homers and six RBIs in a blowout win over the Cubs at Goodyear. Will that carry into the season from the No. 2 spot in the order? Christian Encarnacion-Strand is a player worth watching in spring training as he attempts to make the roster. Trags is joined by C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic to discuss the Reds and their progress this spring.

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How good can the Reds lineup be with Elly De La Cruz fully healthy, Noelvi Marte taking another step forward in his growth and Geno Suarez supporting both of them in the order? Who is in the driver's seat for the No. 5 spot in the rotation and why is there real reason for optimism? Brian Giesenschlag of Reds.TV joins Trags to discuss.

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The Cincinnati Reds have completed their first week of spring training in Goodyear and it's been uneventful so far, and that's a good thing for Terry Francona and his staff as they begin to figure out ways to use Spencer Steer, Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suarez. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com joins Trags to discuss. Nick Castellanos is on the open market after the Philadelphia Phillies decided to eat the final $20 million of his 5-year, $100 million contract on Thursday and make him a free agent. We explain why you shouldn't expect a reunion and Phil Castellini is now in control of the Reds.

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CINCINNATI -- Elly De La Cruz once again dominated the headlines over the weekend as news broke that the Reds offered him a record contract to buy out the years of his arbitration, which begin in 2027. Multiple outlets reported that the deal would've been more than the $225 million Joey Votto signed in 2012 for 10 years. De La Cruz also explained that while he's disappointed, he understands why he can't play in the World Baseball Classic this spring for his homeland of the Dominican Republic, choosing instead to be fully healthy and ready for a Reds run at the postseason in 2026. Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer joins Trags to discuss this and much more on the latest episode of the Code Reds podcast, the first episode of season 3.

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