Trade Candidates for the Cincinnati Reds

We’re getting closer to the trade deadline, which means talk of buyers and sellers has started to pop up everywhere. Unfortunately, as one of the worst teams in baseball, the Reds find themselves firmly within the seller camp. It’s disappointing to see the team need to rebuild, but let’s not forget that even a rebuild can be exciting if its done right.  

Let’s take a look at the top trade candidates for the Reds.

Tommy Pham

He began the year by saying that this was his, “revenge tour”, and let me tell you, this guy slaps! *cue laugh track* In spite of an unbelievably slow start to the season, Pham’s put up solid numbers overall. He’s showing the ability to hit for power, finding himself in the 95th percentile for average exit velocity and the 71st percentile for expected slugging percentage (a new stat that estimates slugging percentage based off the quality of contact). Pham’s shown that he’s still a valuable hitter with elite plate discipline. The Reds should be able to get back some decent pieces at the trade deadline for him.

Brandon Drury

The Reds seem to do a great job of finding random no-name players that quickly become Queen City favorites. Brandon Drury is the latest in a line that includes Derek Dietrich and Scooter Gennett. Drury is having a career year right now and will likely find himself on the All-Star team next month. Although he’s been extremely productive for the Reds, this appears to be a blip on the radar. It’s highly likely that this outstanding production is the result of looking at a small sample size of data. Most teams will realize this too. However, if a star player on a contending team gets hurt, who knows which prospects a desperate GM will be willing to part with in order to plug the hole.

Tyler Mahle

Starting pitching is the most valuable commodity in MLB. It’s incredibly rare to find a starting pitcher that is healthy, effective and affordable. Mahle is all three of these things. While he is not an ace, and he’s not having his best season, Mahle is a reliable starter that excels at getting batters out. He gives up too many fly balls, which is one of the reasons why he struggles in Great American Ball Park. Closer to the deadline, the Reds should be expecting offers from teams-particularly teams in large ball parks-for Tyler Mahle.

Luis Castillo

Castillo may just be the Red’s most valuable trade piece this season. Similarly to Mahle, he’s healthy, effective and affordable. He’s also under team control next year, so the Reds can afford to be a bit picky when evaluating offers. We’ve likely missed the boat at extending him, and with the emergence of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft, it’s likely we’ll see Castillo sent to a contender in exchange for a few high ranked prospects.