Yes, Austin Kearns has gone 1-for-12 and Felipe Lopez is 2-for-17 since the two joined Washington in a July 13 trade with Cincinnati. That doesn't diminish the fact that the Reds traded the two players with the most immediate and long-term value in their pursuit of the St. Louis Cardinals and the National League Central crown. As much as the Reds needed bullpen help, it's hard to comprehend dealing two everyday players without getting anything less than a legitimate closer, but the biggest catches were two relievers who are most likely to serve in seventh or eighth inning roles. To this point, veteran Gary Majewski has allowed runs in both of his appearances and blew a save in the eighth inning on Saturday. Rookie left-hander Bill Bray, in his only outing since the trade, followed Majewski's blown save by working a perfect ninth and picking up a win when the Reds overcame a one-run deficit in the bottom of the inning. This remains a perplexing trade. How do you trade away two regulars in the heat of pennant race without getting an impact pitcher? The 26-year-old Kearns is finally enjoying an injury-free season and should approach 25 homers and 100 RBIs if the Washington home park doesn't kill his run production. Perhaps the Reds feel he'll never stay healthy and cashed in when the going was good, but the take for Kearns should have been better. Maybe the Reds were more concerned about how much Kearns and Lopez would command in salary arbitration, beginning this winter. Then again, a playoff appearance this fall could generate enough income to significantly counter those pay raises -- at the very least, for the 2007 season. In the end, this trade is more likely to diminish the Reds' chances of playing October baseball than help it.