The “Reds” and “buying” are not words that typically go together in the baseball world but the 2024 Cincinnati Reds have to buy at the trade deadline. While they’re 9 games out of first place in the NL Central and 3.5 games out of wildcard contention, their roster construction is not too far off from a Wild Card team.
Based on their management history and money pinching habits, the likelihood of the Reds adding big name acquisitions are unlikely. However, affordable options are still on the table.
Here are the biggest reasons why the Cincinnati Reds should buy in this year’s trade deadline.
Reason #1: Easy Offensive Fix
Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Jeimer Candelario, Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India are the only hitters on the team with an OPS above .700, making them a very shallow lineup with big holes offensively. They have a below average offense, ranking 16th in runs scored, 27th in batting average, and 19th in OPS.
The players listed above are all members of the infield, meaning the Reds outfielders have been the main problem on offense.
Stuart Fairchild and TJ Friedl are both struggling with a .645 and .676 OPS respectively, and are both on the 10-Day IL. Nick Martini joins them on the IL and is likely out for the season.
After putting up an .863 OPS in 2023 as a rookie, Will Benson has taken a huge step back in 2024, with a .642 OPS while striking out an astonishing 40.1% of the time.
Jake Fraley has also taken a step back from his past production, with his 94 OPS+ standing much lower than the 104, 121, and 108 OPS+ in the last three seasons. His .689 OPS is the best ones among his fellow outfielders, a sign of just how poor their collective offensive production has been.
Rookie Rece Hinds has impressed in his first three games of his MLB career, becoming the first player to have five extra base hits in the first two games of their career. However, is .698 OPS and 38.8 K% in AAA this season suggest there may be struggles ahead.
Newcomer Austin Slater is in the middle of a brutal offensive season. In 41 games with the Giants, he has produced a .575 OPS. Hopes are that he can find himself again and return to his career .736 OPS.
With all of Cincinnati’s outfielders struggling, the front office should be looking for immediate outfield help. With that, here are some affordable outfield options for the Reds to target for this year’s trade deadline.
Rooker has been mashing to a .903 OPS this year for the Athletics. Many teams have their eyes on Oaklands’ pieces but the Reds have enough prospect capital to fulfill Oaklands’ asking price.
He is making the league minimum and is under control until 2027.
Chisholm has been circulating around the trade block with Miami seemingly entering another rebuild. His .739 OPS paired with good defense would be a huge plus compared to the current Cincinnati roster.
He is making $2.6 million this year and is under control until 2026.
Ward has been gaining interest from multiple teams as he’s working on another solid season for the Angels with a .737 OPS. His statcast metrics show that he’s been hitting into some bad luck as well, meaning he should see his numbers rise as the season continues.
He is making $4.8 million this season and is under control until 2026.
While his .705 OPS stands lower compared to the outfielders listed above, his statcast metrics are still well above average, indicating that he should be able to return to his usual production. He just came off a season with a .774 OPS, and a change of scenery away from the worst team in baseball could benefit him. With that being said, his .705 OPS would still be the highest of all of Cincinnati’s outfielders.
He would be a rental piece as he’s currently on a one year, $2.6 million deal and will re-enter the open market after the season.
Besides Pham, these all controllable and affordable pieces for the Cincinnati Reds to pursue at this year’s deadline.
Reason #2: Arrival of Elite Prospects
The Reds roster is filled with young talent who are producing well so far in their careers. They are a 45-49 team with their elite prospects all getting ready to join the big league roster soon. Combining their current young core with another group of up and coming prospects can result in a dangerous team in the imminent future.
SP – Rhett Lowder:
The 20th overall prospect in MLB has a 6.52 ERA in AA this year. Despite this, his ETA is 2025, meaning the Reds could slot him as a consistent starter in their rotation starting as early as 2026.
SS – Edwin Arroyo:
The 49th overall prospect in MLB has had back to back productive seasons now, with an .846 OPS and .737 OPS in 2023 and 2024 respectively. He is currently in AA with an ETA of 2026.
3B – Cam Collier:
The 84th overall prospect in MLB has a .707 OPS in High-A this year. He has seen a power surge this season and will work to become a more complete, all around hitter. His ETA is also at 2026.
3B/2B Sal Stewart:
The 100th overall prospect in MLB is lighting up High-A this year with an .836 OPS. The versatile infielder joins his fellow top prospects with an ETA at 2026.
SP – Chase Petty:
The 5th ranked prospect in the Reds organization has a 5.12 ERA in AA this year but his track record and impressive stuff shows that he can perform much better. He has an ETA at 2025 and should be a consistent part of the Reds rotation in 2026, like Lowder.
With these elite prospects all expected to be a part of the big league roster in 2026, they will join the core of Lodolo, Greene, Andrew Abbot, De La Cruz, India, and Noelvi Marte. All of these young talents can be a real threat in the weak NL Central division if management builds pieces around them.
Reason #3: Gaining Experience
While the Reds would most likely be a Wild Card team if they make the playoffs, these meaningful September and early round playoff games would be helpful experience for their young core. Continuing to surround the young core with veteran leadership and production would be pivotal for their future success, as seen by recent champions.
For example, the 2016 Cubs had David Ross, 2017 Astros had Carlos Beltran, and the 2020 Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner.
Recently, Jazz Chisholm’s situation in Miami has shown how a lack of veteran leadership can hurt a young team/player as Chisholm has come out and said that he didn’t respect many of the veterans who were a member of the Marlins clubhouse. The Marlins are collapsing just a year after making the 2023 Postseason, and while there are other factors to their struggles, the lack of veteran leadership is definitely a reason.
Expectation
The Cincinnati Reds look like a team that will stand put at the deadline and roll with their current roster as constructed, but they have to look to buy and push for a Wild Card spot. Based on their recent history, one hot stretch (like in 2023) can alter the outlook for the whole season, and adding more pieces to the already talented roster would benefit the Reds this season and beyond. The future in Cincinnati is bright and it is time to capitalize on it.
Want to partner with us? Click here.
Want to write about Sports? Click here.
Subscribe to Fantom’s Twitch
Subscribe to Fantom’s YouTube
Follow Fantom Sports on Twitter!