Supposedly the Reds are entering a bit of a “youth movement.” Bryan Price first uttered that phrase on June 6 of last season, sending the fanbase into a tizzy expecting mid-summer trade after mid-summer trade. It just didn’t quite happen that way.
Sure, Johnny Cueto was sent to Royals for three strong propects and Mike Leake went to the Giants for another two, but other than an August cash-dump of Marlon Byrd, the “youth movement” just kind of puttered through the summer doldrums. Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, and Brandon Phillips all made their homes in the Queen City by season’s end.