With the injury and release of Matt Kemp since coming over from the Dodgers, what is the potential trade value for Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood, should the Reds opt to sell in July? I hope they are not in that position to sell, but it seems it would take a sustained run.
-- Frank R.

At the moment, that value doesn’t look to be very high as both players can become free agents after the season. Alex Wood hasn’t thrown a regular-season pitch in 2019, while Yasiel Puig has yet to click offensively for any extended period. Because of his track record in clutch moments and the postseason, I could see teams interested in him as a rental.

As for whether they opt to sell, if the Reds are in remote sniffing distance of contending for either the National League Central title or an NL Wild Card spot, I would not bet on it. Reds chief executive officer Bob Castellini is very competitive, and he has resisted opportunities to sell in past years. I vividly recall after the 2014 Trade Deadline passed, while the Reds were in Miami and fading from contention, I asked former general manager Walt Jocketty if he and Castellini had considered selling.

"You know who I work for, right?" Jocketty replied.

Pitching coach Derek Johnson has made astounding improvements to the Reds' pitching staff. Does his philosophy extend throughout the Minor League system, or do the various teams' pitching coaches still have free rein to teach their own philosophies?
-- Randy W.

When Johnson was hired in the offseason, it came with the added responsibility of creating an overall organizational philosophy that would relay a consistent message to pitchers from the Major League level and all the way down through the Reds’ Minor League system. There are certainly experienced coaches on Cincinnati's player-development side, so that is still needed to help the younger players. But the expectation is that all pitching coaches and instructors are aligned with the same philosophy.

How much blame do you think manager David Bell should receive for the results on the field so far?
-- Josh A.

First, let’s get some perspective. The last-place Reds are 21-26 through 47 games, 7 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central and 4 1/2 games out in the NL Wild Card standings. At this point in 2018, they were 16-31 and 12 1/2 games back after a 3-18 start. While there has been some improvement, their 9-13 record in one-run games says they could be better. What’s not helping Cincinnati is that the other clubs in the division have records above .500.

As for Bell’s role, a lot of studies have been done around baseball about the impact a manager has in the final win total each year. Generally, the answer is not all that much. Decisions like whether to make a pitching change, when to sacrifice bunt or when to use a pinch-hitter are on the manager’s watch, but ultimately, it could add up to four to six wins per year.

Where the manager’s greatest influence comes is creating a culture that helps players win. Bell is managing people and not robots, and to this point, the atmosphere inside the Reds clubhouse generally seems good. I have yet to hear of any players publicly or privately gripe about him, although pitcher Tanner Roark let it be known Sunday he wasn’t happy about being pulled for a pinch-hitter. But he criticized the decision, not Bell himself.

Former Reds manager Dusty Baker famously created strong winning cultures for his players over the years, and it’s something Cincinnati missed after he left. The Nationals have certainly lacked it since they dismissed him after the 2017 season and a few years before he was hired ahead of ’16. Others like Terry Francona and Bruce Bochy seem to have that knack, too. And don’t forget, roster construction also plays a huge role. Joe Torre is a Hall of Fame manager from his time with the Yankees. Before 1996, Torre was a sub-.500 skipper with multiple teams.

How many people are involved in coaching the pitchers, including the guys who study the analytics?
-- Rich W.

If I’m counting correctly, five. That would be Johnson, assistant pitching coach Caleb Cotham, bullpen coach Lee Tunnell, assistant bullpen/advance scouting coach Cristian Perez and associate coach Rolando Valles.

Any word on how Alex Blandino's rehab is going?
-- Luke D.

Alex Blandino, an infielder who tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament in his right knee while turning a double play on July 20, has played in a few extended spring training games. He could soon begin a Minor League rehab assignment.