Bryan Price is on the hottest of seats

A good number of Cincinnati Reds fans were off of the Bryan Price train before the 2018 season began. If you have ever been on social media, or sports talk radio, or in public in the Cincinnati area, that much was clear this winter.

Those who were remaining entering the year as jumping off left-and-right. Last night in Philadelphia seemed like it was the last straw for the holdovers. Homer Bailey took a no-hitter into the 6th inning before a 1-out single ended his bid for a third one in his career. Before the inning was over the Phillies would tie the game up at 1-1.

It was that 7th inning where things began to go awry for Bryan Price. He went to Jared Hughes to begin the inning. Left handed hitter Nick Williams led off the inning with a double. Right hander Scott Kingery would strikeout, but the Phillies then brought on switch hitter Andrew Knapp to hit left handed against Hughes. He would ground out. Then another lefty stepped to the plate for Philadelphia and JP Crawford came through with a go-ahead RBI single. You can make the argument that if Price went with one of his lefties for the inning that you’d still have to face right handers Scott Kingery and either Jorge Alfaro (who was pinch hit for), or another pinch hitter that would have been right handed during the inning.

The Reds didn’t score in the top of the 8th inning. That meant the team was heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, with the top of the lineup for the Phillies due up, in a 1-run game. Unless Raisel Iglesias wasn’t available for some reason we don’t know about – he’s pitched just one time in the last week, this was the perfect time to bring him into the game. The option that Bryan Price chose, instead, was a pitcher who had never thrown a Major League pitch.

Tanner Rainey entered the game and made his Major League debut, in a tight game. Now, Rainey has outstanding stuff. No one is doubting that. But, as I wrote on Tuesday afternoon, with his history of inconsistency with the strikezone, it would probably be beneficial to find an ideal spot for him to come into the game when a walk might now be the game. The right hander has thrown, well, now, 18 total innings above A-ball. One of them was Tuesday night. Things didn’t go well for Rainey. Before you knew it, he had just given up a grand slam and the Phillies were ahead 6-1 and the Reds were 2-8 on the season.

It’s been confusing decision after confusing decision by Bryan Price this year. And many in the past, too, but this season he’s made ones that are just too confusing to understand. Yovani Gallardo was released before the game. This is the same guy that in the last week was pitching in close games for the Reds, while Amir Garrett and his 98 MPH fastball from the left side was out there, essentially, pitching mop up duty and then unavailable in close games to face lefties.

Bryan Price is on the hottest of seats | redsminorleagues.com

Doesn’t make any sense to fire him now anyway.

Can Larkin fix the issues the Reds have?

No, so the Price is right.

This team isn't going to contend this season regardless of who the manager is, but it's a manager's job to put his team in the best possible position to get a win each and every night. Price fails miserably at that on almost a nightly basis. Dude should've been canned a while ago. Far and away the worst manager in MLB IMO.

This team isn't going to contend this season regardless of who the manager is, but it's a manager's job to put his team in the best possible position to get a win each and every night. Price fails miserably at that on almost a nightly basis. Dude should've been canned a while ago. Far and away the worst manager in MLB IMO.

In my head I’m trying to figure out if I can agree with you and still think it’s pointless to fire him right now

In my head I’m trying to figure out if I can agree with you and still think it’s pointless to fire him right now

I'm right there with ya. Even if he was making the right decisions, I don't think it adds more than a handful of wins, which isn't going to make a difference except in draft position.

However, how long are we going to allow the guy to make correct, successful decision at about a 20% clip and stay employed?

Girardi and Dusty got fired last year after going to the playoffs multiple years in a row.

Girardi and Dusty got fired last year after going to the playoffs multiple years in a row.

Apples and oranges though.

Doesn’t make any sense to fire him now anyway.

If the have a long-term candidate in mind and can get himout absolutely makes sense to fire Price now. This is still a young roster. That would give the new manager almost a full season to implement his philosophy and culture in the clubhouse. Now if they're just going with someone with an interim tag then they might as well ride it out.

What would anyone on here have done if they were Price? The have been getting their you know what kicked since the season started. They haven't gave Price much to work with since he took over. I am not saying he is a good or bad manager but give him talent then judge what he is doing IMO.

Doesn’t make any sense to fire him now anyway.

Bench, I get what you're saying. The same thing was said last year. I also realize Price can only fight with the tools the organization gives him, but some of the decisions quite frankly are head scratchers. I think he's trying to tread water and it's not working. Bringing in a kid to make his MLB debut in a tight game who had only 18 innings of pitching experience above A ball is nuts.

If the have a long-term candidate in mind and can get himout absolutely makes sense to fire Price now. This is still a young roster. That would give the new manager almost a full season to implement his philosophy and culture in the clubhouse. Now if they're just going with someone with an interim tag then they might as well ride it out.

But haven't they been riding this out for a few years now?

Does everyone believe Price should have brought in Iglesias last night?

I don't. I would not have brought in Rainy in that situation but I would not have pitched Iglesias either.

Does everyone believe Price should have brought in Iglesias last night?

 

I don't. I would not have brought in Rainy in that situation but I would not have pitched Iglesias either.

I'm a firm believer in you pitch your best arm in the most important/high pressure situation. I don't think that necessarily qualified as that, so probably not. Rainy would've been the very last player on the roster I would've put in there though.

His handling of Amir Garrett, who was sensational in ST, is borderline criminal though.

Bench, I get what you're saying. The same thing was said last year. I also realize Price can only fight with the tools the organization gives him, but some of the decisions quite frankly are head scratchers. I think he's trying to tread water and it's not working. Bringing in a kid to make his MLB debut in a tight game who had only 18 innings of pitching experience above A ball is nuts.

Then why is the kid on the MLB roster? If he cant do it, he shouldnt be here. Thats not on the manager, thats on the GM and Ownership.