The bullpen has been a problem of persistence for the Cincinnati Reds throughout this 2021 season. That’s no surprise on paper, really, given that they jettisoned Raisel Iglesias and Archie Bradley over the winter to save some coin, opted to pencil-in Michael Lorenzen as rotation help, and did very little in the way of actual investment in filling in for them on the free agent or trade markets.
As a result, the Reds have seen late leads turn into losses of late, and are therefore hovering on the cusp of playoff relevance at this trade deadline with a 52-49 overall record.