Tinker was named as manager of the team after the trade, as he would take over as player-manager, replacing Hank O'Day. Tinker played with the Cubs since 1901, and helped them win the World Series in 1907 and 1908. Tinker was coming off a great season in 1912, as he hit .282 and earned a career-high 77 RBI. He finished fourth in National League MVP voting.
Tinker ended up missing several weeks of the regular season when he gave blood for his wife's blood transfusion. He hit a career-high .317, along with one home run and 57 RBI in 110 games. He also played great defense at shortstop, setting a career high in fielding percentage at .968.
On May 23, the Reds traded struggling pitcher Art Fromme to the New York Giants, receiving pitcher Red Ames, outfielder Josh Devore, second baseman Heinie Groh and $20,000. Ames, an eleven-year veteran, had a 108–77 record and a 2.45 ERA with the Giants, and helped New York win the 1905 World Series.
Chief Johnson emerged as the ace of the pitching staff in his rookie season, going 14–16 with a 3.01 ERA in 44 games. Johnson led the team with 269 innings pitched, 13 complete games and 107 strikeouts. Ames led the Reds with a 2.88 ERA, posting a record of 11–12 and pitching 187.1 innings after his mid-season trade from the New York Giants. The Reds pitching staff struggled, as their team ERA of 3.46 was seventh in the National League.
Season summary
The Reds got off to a very poor start in 1913, going 4–16 in their first twenty games, sitting in last place. The club remained in last place until the end of July, as on July 29, they passed the St. Louis Cardinals in the standings after a win over the Brooklyn Superbas to improve their record to 36-59. Cincinnati would finish the season in seventh place with a 64-89 record. Their .418 winning percentage was their lowest since 1901. The Reds finished 37.5 games behind the first-place New York Giants.