SEATTLE -- The conditions certainly appear that the last-place Reds are headed on a path to be Trade Deadline sellers. Still on Wednesday, president of baseball operations Nick Krall wasn't hanging out a sign, waving a white flag or saying anything that tips the club's hand.
“We’re going to get through this road trip and then we’re going to have some discussions on Monday about where we’re going," Krall said before Wednesday's series finale against the Mariners. “That leaves us a little over a week. We’ll [discuss] where we are, where we are going and then make some decisions.”
On the field, the Reds are trying to do whatever possible to avoid the fate of sellers by winning series. A 5-3 victory at T-Mobile Park was secured by Sal Stewart's go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning and gave them the final two games of the three-game set.
With another series win on the three-city trip already banked at Colorado, Cincinnati (47-54) is 4-2 on its nine-game road trip with another series remaining at St. Louis.
“We need to keep playing well," Krall said. "We need to keep playing better than we’ve played. … We’ve got to keep winning games. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”
But if the Reds do shed players before the Aug. 3 Deadline, one of their most attractive trade chips, starting pitcher Brady Singer, has been only increasing his value lately.
Singer delivered a quality start of 6 2/3 innings with three runs, six hits, one walk and six strikeouts. He has a 2.98 ERA over his last eight starts with five quality outings and three of at least seven innings. That came after the right-hander -- who turns 30 on Aug. 4 -- had a 6.18 ERA over his first 11 games.
“I think he’s a good pitcher," manager Terry Francona said. "He got off to a tough start. He had the blister coming out of camp. He’s kind of found his stride. You’ve heard me tell you a million times, hitters find their level. So do pitchers.”
Singer was given a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning, but couldn't hold it in the bottom half after Luke Raley's two-out, two-run single to right-center field was the third Seattle hit of the inning. Singer contained the damage by getting a groundout and then threw a seven-pitch fifth inning.
“I feel like early in the year, those [innings] spiraled out of control a little bit," Singer said. "I obviously don’t like giving up two there, but just to give up two and keep the pitch count under control there was big for me.”
The Reds rallied in the top of the seventh, leading to Stewart hitting a first-pitch sinker from reliever Eduard Bazardo for a two-out, three-run home run – his team-leading 21st of the season.
Stewart liked picking up a teammate like Singer, who has helped him on and off the field.
“Brady’s been awesome," Stewart said. "He’s such a good leader and someone that you can really go to just about anything. I could text him at any point of the day and he answers. We got to the hotel and I didn’t know how to turn the [automatic] blinds down so I called him right away and he starts laughing at me.
"He’s been clutch for us. I’m happy I was able to give him that boost if he needed it. But he was looking too sharp, so he didn’t need anything.”
Singer's lower pitch count enabled him to return in the seventh and get a strikeout and flyout before walking Weston Wilson, at which point Francona turned to the bullpen.
“Just trying to get deep in the games," Singer said. "It started with first-pitch strikes, attacking the zone and trying to get some early contact. I enjoy getting deep in the game and trying to help out the bullpen as much as I can.”
Singer's best value for any club — including the Reds — is his dependability, willingness to take the ball every time and provide consistent innings.
“I think what we love that he does is he posts every five days, and when he’s going, you look up in the sixth or seventh, you generally have a chance to win," Francona said. "He’s not going to wow you with throwing it 100 [mph], but he takes a lot of pride in taking the ball, and there’s a lot to be said for that.”
Meanwhile, Krall and general manager Brad Meador keep working the phones.
“We’ve touched base with almost everybody," Krall said. “We’re trying to figure out what everybody else is doing and how that fits with what we’re trying to do.”