'Everyone knows we’re supposed to be good.' The Reds are embracing new expectations

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain lives in the Phoenix area in the offseason, but he didn’t make the drive downtown during October to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.

McLain didn’t want to go to the field where he suffered a season-ending oblique injury. He didn’t want to watch the team that took the final spot in the NL Wild Card race and beat out the Reds by two games. He didn’t want another reminder of what could have been for the Reds in 2023, and he was trying to turn his attention toward what’s possible for the team in 2024.

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Higher expectations are welcome

“There are going to be expectations, probably different expectations,” McLain said. “That’s something we all want. The pressure that we all wanted last year when people were saying, ‘There’s this wave of talent.’ We wanted to be those guys who showed up and played well. Now we are. Now we want to be the guys to take Cincinnati to the playoffs.”

At Redsfest last year, the Reds invited a big group of prospects and highlighted the young core that the Reds were trying to build around. One year later, players like McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are some of the stars of the team.

They’re not rookies anymore, and Abbott said that the Reds were motivated by the run that the young Diamondbacks made in October.

“That definitely set the sights on the postseason for sure next year,” Abbott said. “If it’s clicking, it can happen. We knew going in we had a chance. Unfortunately, it didn’t click for us, but it clicked for them. You see what can happen. It tells us that we can do it definitely next year, for sure.”

Excited about new additions

This week, the Reds took meaningful steps toward reaching that goal. They agreed to contracts with free agent pitchers Nick Martinez and Emilio Pagán, who are now the Reds' two-highest paid players. Martinez is an experienced starter who also has proven he can be an impact high-leverage reliever, and Pagán gives the Reds another tested pitcher in the bullpen.

For the first time since 2020, the Reds have taken an aggressive approach in free agency. When they made those moves four years ago, McLain and Abbott were still in college.

Now, they see an organization that’s taking the next step.

“(Signing free agents this year) was expected, and a lot of people wanted it to happen,” Abbott said. “(The Reds) are making moves, and I think they’re going to help out immediately. I don’t know what the role is going to be or anything like that, but they’re big leaguers. They’re veterans who’ve been there and done it for a while. They’re going to come in and hit the ground running.”

The Reds’ starting pitching depth is beginning to look like a strength of the team, and Abbott knows that the team is counting on him to be the pitcher that he was in his first 14 starts. After posting a 2.99 ERA during that stretch, Abbott had a 6.43 ERA over his final seven starts.

Despite his struggles down the stretch, Abbott was lined up to pitch Game 1 of the playoffs if the Reds had made it. The coaching staff told him to be ready, but he didn’t get that opportunity as the Reds fell short during the final weekend of the regular season.

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Abbott’s goal this offseason is building up “longevity.” Abbott is training in Texas this offseason with Reds pitchers Nick Lodolo and Tejay Antone, and he wants to put himself in the position to be at his best in September and October.

Abbott preparing for long haul

“My arm was ready to go, but my body . . . maybe I (wasn’t) getting 100% of it,” Abbott said. “I feel good and I can go, but you get to that point, and maybe at a certain point my body just won’t let me. That has an impact. It’s not an excuse by any means, but it has an impact. It’s a good thing for me to know, and it’s a good thing for the strength and conditioning talks that we have in the offseason on what to focus on.”

McLain missed the final month of the season with an oblique injury, and he said he’s now fully healed. He has started to swing a bat and lift weights without any issues, and McLain is also readying himself to play both second base and shortstop in 2024.  “I can do both,” McLain said.

McLain said that the way last season ended sticks with him as he trains for next year. When he talks with his teammates, McLain said he recognizes a similar mentality.

“A lot of us are very like-minded,” McLain said. “None of us really need the spotlight individually. We all just want to be the best versions of ourselves and we know that’ll help the team win every single day. We all know that each other are working hard to get better for the team . . . Everyone knows we’re supposed to be good. That’s who we want to be.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: As Reds turn the page to 2024, they set their sights on the playoffs