The Reds are playing better but it is too little, too late I believe. Here is the key question as the team looks at trading away players and who they trade.

When do you want to be a playoff team?

That question shapes everything. If the Reds want to seriously try and be a playoff team in 2027, there are some players being mentioned as trade targets that I think they absolutely should not trade - number one being Hunter Greene. What do you need to have a playoff team? You need GREAT players first. Brady Singer is a solid starting pitcher but he is not a GREAT pitcher. He is at best your #3 starter and on playoff pitching staffs probably #5. He is #50 in NL starting pitchers in 2026 one stats ranking I looked at. That makes him a #4 starter. Good piece to have, but not the anchor of a playoff contender. Hunter Greene is a #1 level starter - with the obligatory "when healthy" note added here. The bigger factor in why you keep Greene is his contract. Contracts is really what drives the vast majority of the trades we will see in the next couple weeks. Greene has a contract that we all want the Reds to do with their young players. Two more years of control at a favorable salary. And now the Reds are going to trade that away? A player they need if they want to contend in 2027. And you can still have him in 2028 if you finally get over the hump and put a contender on the field. There is no player the Reds can get in a trade that will be capable of Hunter Greene level stats in the next 2 years. If they want to be a playoff contender in 2027 and/or 2028, they keep Greene.

Brady Singer - On the other hand, Singer is the player you trade. No contract control next year. He isn't going to be a Reds player in 2027 so get what you can for him. 

Tyler Stephenson - Arbitration years are done. I like him and hate to see him go, but the Reds need to get what they can for him. The Reds have Trevino under contract for next year. They have one of the top catching prospects in MLB so they may have to bring him up a little early. 

Spencer Steer - Getting named as a possible trade away. That question comes into play here - when do the Reds want to be a contender? If it is 2027, keep Steer. he is too valuable a piece with multi position capability.

Eugenio Suarez - Reds signed him for 2 years. They owe him $16M next year if they keep him. Tough call. They have to get something worthwhile in return to move him. I know he is very up and down, but the Reds need HR power and he can provide it.

Others that you trade if you can - Nate Lowe, Brock Burke, Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Jonson, Sam Moll.

I want to win in 2027 and the reds have GREAT players in place to add pieces around. They just need to do better getting the other pieces.

 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

The Reds are playing better but it is too little, too late I believe. Here is the key question as the team looks at trading away players and who they trade.

When do you want to be a playoff team?

That question shapes everything. If the Reds want to seriously try and be a playoff team in 2027, there are some players being mentioned as trade targets that I think they absolutely should not trade - number one being Hunter Greene. What do you need to have a playoff team? You need GREAT players first. Brady Singer is a solid starting pitcher but he is not a GREAT pitcher. He is at best your #3 starter and on playoff pitching staffs probably #5. He is #50 in NL starting pitchers in 2026 one stats ranking I looked at. That makes him a #4 starter. Good piece to have, but not the anchor of a playoff contender. Hunter Greene is a #1 level starter - with the obligatory "when healthy" note added here. The bigger factor in why you keep Greene is his contract. Contracts is really what drives the vast majority of the trades we will see in the next couple weeks. Greene has a contract that we all want the Reds to do with their young players. Two more years of control at a favorable salary. And now the Reds are going to trade that away? A player they need if they want to contend in 2027. And you can still have him in 2028 if you finally get over the hump and put a contender on the field. There is no player the Reds can get in a trade that will be capable of Hunter Greene level stats in the next 2 years. If they want to be a playoff contender in 2027 and/or 2028, they keep Greene.

Brady Singer - On the other hand, Singer is the player you trade. No contract control next year. He isn't going to be a Reds player in 2027 so get what you can for him. 

Tyler Stephenson - Arbitration years are done. I like him and hate to see him go, but the Reds need to get what they can for him. The Reds have Trevino under contract for next year. They have one of the top catching prospects in MLB so they may have to bring him up a little early. 

Spencer Steer - Getting named as a possible trade away. That question comes into play here - when do the Reds want to be a contender? If it is 2027, keep Steer. he is too valuable a piece with multi position capability.

Eugenio Suarez - Reds signed him for 2 years. They owe him $16M next year if they keep him. Tough call. They have to get something worthwhile in return to move him. I know he is very up and down, but the Reds need HR power and he can provide it.

Others that you trade if you can - Nate Lowe, Brock Burke, Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Jonson, Sam Moll.

I want to win in 2027 and the reds have GREAT players in place to add pieces around. They just need to do better getting the other pieces.

 

Every team wants to be in the 2027 playoffs.

Great players, what team have you been watching?  The Reds have a hand full of better than average players, but great , no.  The pen is the worst in the league, the starters can't get past the 5th inning, show me a 300 hitter on the roster.  This team needs some proven MLB players, and to get them, they will have to give up some players that have been tagged as great.

46 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

Every team wants to be in the 2027 playoffs.

Great players, what team have you been watching?  The Reds have a hand full of better than average players, but great , no.  The pen is the worst in the league, the starters can't get past the 5th inning, show me a 300 hitter on the roster.  This team needs some proven MLB players, and to get them, they will have to give up some players that have been tagged as great.

Here are GREAT players that every team in MLB would love to have:

Elly, Stewart, Burns, Greene

A team MUST have some great players to be a serious contender. You build the team around them the best you can to become a contender.

17 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

Here are GREAT players that every team in MLB would love to have:

Elly, Stewart, Burns, Greene

A team MUST have some great players to be a serious contender. You build the team around them the best you can to become a contender.

Well, your definition of greatness is different than mine.  These guys might have the potential to reach that level, but they're just not there, or actually not even close.

Stewart and Burns do not even have a full year yet in the majors.  Greene is 27 and 30 at this point and Cruz is a .259 hitter over his career.  Nothing there spells greatness, again their greatness is solely based on potential.

1 hour ago, 4 Quarters said:

Well, your definition of greatness is different than mine.  These guys might have the potential to reach that level, but they're just not there, or actually not even close.

Stewart and Burns do not even have a full year yet in the majors.  Greene is 27 and 30 at this point and Cruz is a .259 hitter over his career.  Nothing there spells greatness, again their greatness is solely based on potential.

Yes, they are young. More growth to come. Most baseball analytics experts point to the age 27 season as the year players get close to their potential. We need to keep them all at least through age 27. We will lose Elly in four years at age 28 when he is a free agent. All four have been All Star team players. They each can be a difference maker in a playoff game against any team.

What is your definition of "great"? Does a player have to be Hall of Fame level?  

8 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

Yes, they are young. More growth to come. Most baseball analytics experts point to the age 27 season as the year players get close to their potential. We need to keep them all at least through age 27. We will lose Elly in four years at age 28 when he is a free agent. All four have been All Star team players. They each can be a difference maker in a playoff game against any team.

What is your definition of "great"? Does a player have to be Hall of Fame level?  

He needs to have some time under his belt in the majors with some nice numbers year after year.

5 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Here are GREAT players that every team in MLB would love to have:

Elly, Stewart, Burns, Greene

A team MUST have some great players to be a serious contender. You build the team around them the best you can to become a contender.

This is spot on.  These 4 are untouchable.

1 hour ago, Jack of all Trades said:

This is spot on.  These 4 are untouchable.

Wow, we just keep getting hammered, but yet we have untouchables.  The Reds should listen to any and all offers.

12 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

Wow, we just keep getting hammered, but yet we have untouchables.  The Reds should listen to any and all offers.

No team has gone 162-0.  It is about winning series.  The Reds biggest problem is they have too many guys that cannot hit the ball.  Cannot win many games with 2 or 3 hits.  

1 hour ago, Jack of all Trades said:

No team has gone 162-0.  It is about winning series.  The Reds biggest problem is they have too many guys that cannot hit the ball.  Cannot win many games with 2 or 3 hits.  

I don't care how many series you win, the bottom line is at the end of a 162 games you need several more wins than losses.  It's common knowledge that the Reds have trouble scoring runs, that's why they should listen to all trade offers.

1 hour ago, Jack of all Trades said:

No team has gone 162-0.  It is about winning series.  The Reds biggest problem is they have too many guys that cannot hit the ball.  Cannot win many games with 2 or 3 hits.  

Absolutely problem #1.

The Reds are last in the NL in AVG, tied for last in all of MLB.

The Reds are last in all of MLB in Hits.

The Reds are second last in the NL in Runs and RBI.

One of the main measurements for player quality in analytics is WAR (Wins Above Replacement). An average everyday player should be at a 2. The Reds have one batter at 2 or higher - Elly is at 3.3.

A 1 or less is a bench or part time player. The only other batters at 1 or more on the Reds are Dunn 1, Bleday 1.2, Stewart 1.3 and Stephenson 1.4. 

Edited July 26Jul 26 by Voice of Reason

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Absolutely problem #1.

The Reds are last in the NL in AVG, tied for last in all of MLB.

The Reds are last in all of MLB in Hits.

The Reds are second last in the NL in Runs and RBI.

One of the main measurements for player quality in analytics is WAR (Wins Above Replacement). An average everyday player should be at a 2. The Reds have one batter at 2 or higher - Elly is at 3.3.

A 1 or less is a bench or part time player. The only other batters at 1 or more on the Reds are Dunn 1, Bleday 1.2, Stewart 1.3 and Stephenson 1.4. 

Ok, we all know the Reds needs bats, Bob and Phil are not going to buy bats.  So if we don't trade some pitching how will they ever improve this team?

I sure hope the Reds are burning the midnight oil to get a deal done.

The Reds are now on the clock, they have less than 24 hours to make a move. What direction do they take?

I just saw on First Take on ESPN they are reporting that the Red Sox's have reached out to the Reds about trading for SS Elly De La Cruz.