The trade deadline in Cincinnati came and went with the Reds making strategic moves, focusing on reshaping their roster without a major overhaul. The Reds parted ways with seasoned pitchers Frankie Montas and Lucas Sims, but added some interesting pieces including Jakob Junis and young outfielder Joey Wiemer in the Montas deal, veteran Ty France in exchange for minor league talent Andruw Salcedo, and prospect pitcher Ovis Portes for Sims.
President of Baseball Operations, Nick Krall, emphasized that the objective was not to simply make space for younger players but to strategically improve the team. He pointed out the team’s positive run differential and upcoming player returns, like Matt McLain and Emilio Pagan, as reasons for optimism as the season progresses.
Despite the quieter nature of their deadline day, the Reds were actively engaged in larger trade discussions, particularly showing interest in Miami Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. Although their bid fell short to the Baltimore Orioles, who secured Rogers with a robust trade package, Cincinnati’s involvement underscores their search for quality pitching.
Trevor Rogers, a standout in the 2021 season where he finished as a runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, has struggled with injuries since, affecting his performance. His fastball velocity and slider effectiveness have diminished, contributing to less favorable metrics post-2021. Despite this, the Reds showed interest, possibly looking to harness his prior form as they face health uncertainties with pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Brandon Williamson, both sidelined with long-term injuries.
The Reds boast a promising group of pitching prospects including recent high draft picks like Chase Burns and last year’s pick, Rhett Lowder. However, with the MLB trade policy preventing Burns from being traded this season and likely reluctance to part with Lowder, the Reds would have had to delve into other prospects. Although some prospects like Connor Phillips, Lyon Richardson, and Chase Petty have had fluctuating performances, the pool remains strong with players like Julian Aguiar emerging as potential MLB options soon.
As Rogers will remain under Orioles control for two more seasons, this trade deadline saga might hint at longer-term ambitions for the Reds to bolster their pitching staff, possibly revisiting Rogers or exploring other controllable arms in the upcoming offseason. With solid fixtures like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott, and the rising Carson Spiers aiming to claim his spot, the Reds are looking to strengthen and deepen their rotation to complement their promising core.
While the trade deadline may not have been flashy for Cincinnati, the moves made and the ones attempted tell of a team carefully tuning its roster, looking keenly towards future competitiveness.
