Though I am aware the Reds lead the NL in runs scored, and are third in baseball behind the Red Sox and Yankees, I am seeing no reason to believe that offense will survive, in its current construct, for the rest of the season.
I would like to put out a missing persons report for the Reds' offense that got most of those runs scored. Because it's been pretty hit-and-miss over the past month, and they're not scoring those runs nearly as often.
In the last 30 games, in fact, they're averaging just 4.3 runs per game. Amazingly, that's actually above NL average this year (which is just 4.1 runs per game), but I feel more than the average itself, it's indicative of an offense that is too reliant on a few key bats to perform to their ability.
In the macro, one could fairly say 4.8 runs per game is nothing to worry about. But does anyone believe the offense that scored those runs will exist the rest of the year? With Bruce's up and downs, Rolen's health concerns, the inconsistency from LF and the hole at SS, I just don't think the Reds' offense will sustain itself as being much above average.
I have, to this point, been OK with the deliberate approach at short, to see what may or may not manifest itself in the trade market. But I think the time is rapidly approaching, now that the pitching staff has stabilized, that the Reds begin to address a couple of positions either internally or externally.
If the Reds maintain 4.6 to 4.8 runs a game here forward, I'd say that's going to win them plenty of games. But that's the problem.. while 30 games might just be a limited sample relative to the entire season (i.e. a slump), I see it being more representative of an offense that has too many holes to continue as it was producing earlier.
So I say: find the missing offense or go get a new one--or at least some new parts.