This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- Perhaps no roster move made lately by the Reds underscores just how much and how fast things have changed in the organization than Tuesday's transaction involving Wil Myers. The right fielder was designated for assignment.

When the rebuilding Reds signed Myers on Dec. 22 to a one-year, $7.5 million contract, it was the most expensive signing the club made in the offseason. It was viewed that Myers could be the offensive boost and veteran presence for a young and still-developing roster. Then with a good season, perhaps he could be a potential chip at the Trade Deadline to add more prospects.

Myers batted only .189/.257/.283 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 37 games before he went on the injured list on May 26.

"He’s been very professional, guys really like him. But with where we’ve gone over the last few weeks, we’ve brought some players up and they’ve earned the right to play," Reds general manager Nick Krall said. "We thought we’d have a better team just sticking with the guys we had on this club instead of Wil.”

That spoke volumes.

In past years, the Reds might have kept Myers because he was making a larger amount of money or because he is a veteran with a track record of success. But keeping him would have come at the expense of a younger player, who would have had to get sent back to Triple-A Louisville.

Role-playing outfielders like Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild have been producing along with lineup mainstays like TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley. The arrivals of infield prospects Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain and Monday's return of Joey Votto from 2022 left shoulder surgery have made it necessary to use Spencer Steer and Nick Senzel in the outfield.

Now the Reds -- who are taking a 10-game win streak into Wednesday -- are National League Central division leaders and contending ahead of anybody's predicted schedule. They aren't wasting this opportunity.

“It wasn’t about the money," Krall said. "It was about, ‘Hey, we have guys on this team that have taken steps forward.’ There’s been a lot of guys from Triple-A to the big league players to guys that started in the big leagues. Seeing these guys take steps forward, they just earned the playing time. They’ve earned everyday roles. They’ve earned those bench roles. 

"We thought Wil would be a contributor coming in. It just didn’t happen. I feel bad. He’s a great guy. We wish him the best. We thought it was best for our team to stick with these guys.”

And as much as Myers was liked in the clubhouse, letting him go sent the right message to the players. It told them that the front office believes in them. 

“I think it’s a testimony to how, one, guys are performing but how we’re going about it, too," Steer said. "Everyone on this roster has earned a spot and earned the playing time they’re getting. I just think there’s a lot of hungry guys on this team that are looking, one, to establish themselves and two, stay here at this level -- myself included. That’s really important. 

"I think it helps this team play with the energy we’re playing with. We have an opportunity right now to get on a run here.”

Add the fact that Krall noted on Tuesday that the Reds will be buyers leading up the Trade Deadline, and the team should be even more excited about what the rest of the summer might bring.

Now the players must deliver from their end as well.

"We have more than half the season to get [to]. We need to continue to play well and see what happens," Krall said.