The Reds are dead last in the number of playoff games won in the 21st century (only two).
The Reds are probably the only team that has never signed a free agent with 9 BB-Reference WAR in the previous three seasons before the signing.
The Reds' AAA farm team hasn't had a winning record since 2011 (I guess many of the players who should be there are playing for the Reds- and many of the players who should be playing for the Reds are playing for other major league teams).
By trading prospects for players instead of spending for good free agents, the Reds lost Justin Turner, Didi Gregorus, Yonder Alonzo, Yasmani Grandal, and B. J. Ryan. The Reds also let Trevor Hoffman go in the expansion draft.
The Reds have been an underfunded organization at the major league level ever since Marge Schott lost control of the team, except for perhaps 2010-14 and 2018-19.
The Reds farm system has been bad ever since about 1987, with the exception of the 2002 to 2010 era (a fluke?).
If the Reds lose 102 games this year, it will break the record for most losses in a Reds season. 107 losses breaks this Reds' franchise record for worst winning percentage in a season; 109 losses would make the last 20 years winning percentage the worst of any consecutive 20 years in Reds' history. The Reds' five winning records in the last twenty years is already the fewest of any twenty consecutive years in Reds' history.
If the new Reds turn out to be a lot better players than the ones they traded, then all will be forgiven. However, circa 1982 and again circa 2015, the players they got back were mostly a lot worse than the ones they traded.
The Reds once put Votto on waivers, and would have traded Griffey Jr. if Phil Nevin hadn't vetoed the trade.
The Reds gave Bailey a long-term contract instead of Cueto and/or Chapman, despite the fact that Bailey had (and has) negative career Baseball Reference Wins Above Average, and despite the fact that Bailey's best full season ERA is higher (i.e. worse) than Cueto's career ERA.
To save only $1 million, the Reds traded Brandon Phillips.
The Yankees traded Chapman for Gleyber Torres; the Reds traded Chapman for players that I believe are all retired from professional baseball now.
From 1996 to 2018, the Reds only signed one free agent that had, in the previous season, positive Baseball Reference Wins Above Average and enough PA or IP to qualify for the batting or ERA title (and that one was 35 year old Joe Randa).
The Reds spent the least of all the teams on free agents from 2010 to 2019.
From the Reds top ten players by Baseball Reference WAR in 2020 and 2021, only Votto and India are left on the Reds' active roster.
The Reds should have kept Miley, Gray, Winker, and Suarez for the 2022 season, and if they weren't in playoff competition by late July, then- and only then- should they have started to trade off their players.
The Lindner and Castellini eras have been a disaster for Reds' fans. It seems most years the plan is to keep payroll and revenue low, and then collect the fat revenue-sharing check. The Reds need to increase winning percentage and long-term revenue, even if it means a drop- perhaps a big drop- in short-term profits. Don't rebuild the team, rebuild the Reds' fan base!