As a season full of setbacks concludes for the Cincinnati Reds. The team faces a problem on the field and financially.

The Reds will wrap up their season at home next week. With a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs starting Monday. The bar for a respectable finish has been lowered nearly to the floor. Going into Friday, the Reds need three wins to avoid 100 losses. They won’t be able to surpass the Cubs for third place in the National League Central. Cincinnati will finish 66-96 at best and Chicago already has 70 wins. The 2022 Reds can still surpass their 1982 predecessors’ franchise-record 101 losses.

Cincinnati and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in a battle to avoid last place in the division. The Reds can avoid last place by winning their six remaining games. Or find any way to maintain their current one game edge over the Pirates. Cincinnati’s campaign to avoid last isn’t going so well. Getting swept in their last series against the Pirates this season.

The bar is set at avoiding last place and 100 losses. Heading into this weekend, the Reds are struggling to clear that bar. Meanwhile, the economic conditions heading into the off-season are still uneasy. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy is still being felt. Prices remain high for various items as the global supply chain unclogs itself. Energy-wise, hurricane season and the war in Ukraine is leaving a mark. Even a day at the ballpark is being affected.

Prices for tickets and concessions are higher than fans that attended games prior to the pandemic will remember. A ticket for a seat in the 500 sections at Great American Ball Park is $16 at the box office. They were roughly under $10 a decade ago. High costs and a team mired in mediocrity. That’s not a recipe for success for the Reds. One would figure a struggling team would try to lower prices to attract fans. Perhaps the Reds will do that next year if the economy improves.

This leaves me wondering how the Reds dig out of the hole they’ve dug. To the Reds credit, they’ve built up a good ballpark experience over the years. Even in lousy seasons, a day at Great American Ball Park is personally worth it. Yet, with high prices and losses piling up. I don’t blame anyone for skipping a day at the ballpark.

This sets up a difficult situation for the Reds. Along with questions about the financial state of the franchise. According to data from Statista, the Reds revenue dropped from $276 million in 2019. To $114 million in 2020 and was $266 million last year. Those economic pressures prompted the team to shed payroll. The Reds ownership didn’t quite get what it wanted from the lockout negotiations either. Sending the Reds into the cellar before the season began.

The Reds did a lot to push fans away. Phil Castellini’s “where ya gonna go” Opening Day comments didn’t help woo fans. Then add in the excitement surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and FC Cincinnati. The Reds we’re used to dominating Cincinnati’s summer sports scene. This year, they made themselves largely irrelevant by Memorial Day.

This along with high gas prices prompted some to stay home. Or seek less expensive options this past summer. Amid pent up demand from some to get out and socialize. After the initial years of the pandemic disrupted people’s social lives. After two winning seasons, the Reds missed a chance to cash in on that.

Going into the last home stand of the season. The Reds have the third lowest attendance in the National League. Ranking 23rd in all of Major League Baseball. With a total attendance of over 1.3 million; averaging 17,414 at GABP so far. The Reds are on pace to have their lowest total attendance in GABP history. Excluding the 2020 pandemic season and including 2021. Which featured pandemic-related capacity limits at the start of the season.

How will the team rebound financially while facing these issues?

Winning will help as the Bengals showed last season and early this season. Yet, I don’t know if anyone thinks the Reds will contend next year. The Reds bulked up their farm system. Along with having a promising group of rookies. Starting pitchers Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft and Nick Lodolo are concluding their rookie seasons. As this season showcased, the Reds have many options at catcher. While Jonathan India and veteran Kyle Farmer bring stability to the infield.

If the Reds can manage to stay healthy for once. If their prospects actually stick around and are as good as scouts and farm system watchers say. This might not be a long rebuild. Despite the Reds starting it off on a lousy note on and off of the field.