Let's stipulate two things.
Reds don't make any deals before the deadline.
And Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips come back at the end of August.
I chose August 26th because it is one month from today. I know the 7 game losing streak took the wind out of all the playoff talk, but the second wild card spot really does keep things possible for a team like the Reds. As it stands now, they're 3 games back in the WC, 5.5 in the division (depending on what MIL does tonight).
Obviously, if they keep playing the way they have in the past week, then their season is done. But I think it's fair to assume that Hamilton, Frazier, Mesoraco, and even Bruce won't continue this for the rest of the season.
So one month from today, when we get our guys back, how close do we need to be in the division and wild card standings to have a shot at a September run.