What is the story about?
The
Cincinnati Reds, perhaps to be expected, have waited until the final 24 hours before the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline to deal veteran players from their last-place roster.
With seven pending free agents and a at least two other players under club control drawing interest into the final day before the 6 p.m. deadline, a flurry of deals are all but certain.
Which Reds players could be traded?
Here is the Reds’ trade-chip report heading into the final hours (*-pending free agent):
- Catcher Tyler Stephenson* (.256, 9 HR, .759 OPS): The longest-tenured Red hit a home run Sunday in what even he believed would be his final at-bat in 11 years with the organization. “A lot of emotions,” he said afterward. He has significantly raised his trade value in his last 35 games, going 39-for-112 (.348) with five home runs 10 doubles, 13 walks, 15 RBIs and a .992 OPS.
- Right-handed starter Brady Singer* (5-10, 4.35 ERA): The overall numbers and more than $4 million left on his contract don’t tell the whole story of his value, which has increased since getting past early-season blister and foot issues. He has a 2.70 ERA and 1.182 WHIP in his past 10 starts.
- Right-handed starter Hunter Greene (2-2, 6.83 ERA): Greene makes this list less because of an especially strong desire to move him than because of strong interest from some other teams in the 2024 All-Star in the wake of trades that took top pitchers Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta off the market. Greene is especially attractive for the cost certainty of the next two years ($15 million and $16 million) and club option ($21 million) remaining on his contract. He has been up and down in five starts since returning from elbow surgery to remove bone chips but has flashed his trademark swing-and-miss stuff.
- Left-handed reliever Brock Burke* (2.52 ERA, 56 games): The veteran has been one of the most reliable pitchers on the Reds staff this year, leading the league in appearances (56) and turning in his best overall performance in four years so far. He comes with the added value of postseason experience for the Rangers’ 2023 World Series champs.
- Left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson* (1-0, 4.01 ERA, 26 games): A deadline move for Ferguson would mark his third consecutive season of being traded at the deadline. He missed almost the first two months due to a right oblique injury. He had a 1.76 ERA entering July but has struggled over the past month.
- Third baseman/DH Eugenio Suárez* (14 HR, 39 RBIs, .663 OPS): Suárez, who hit 49 home runs last year, was moved at last year's trade deadline, taking his power and home runs from Arizona to Seattle, where he came within a game of winning the AL pennant. He's disappointed in Cincinnati partly due to missing a month due to a left oblique injury but he hit six homers in July. The $5 million left on his one-year deal makes it harder to deal him for value.
- First baseman/DH Nathaniel Lowe* (12 HR, 35 RBIs, .799 OPS): Lowe has been a versatile and productive platoon player throughout 2026, both defensively and at the plate — where he has raked against right-handers this year. He might have the most raw power of any Reds player in 2026.
- Right-handed pitcher Pierce Johnson* (2-1, 4.96 ERA, 37 games): A veteran backbone in the rebuilt Reds bullpen, Johnson missed about a month of the season due to right-elbow inflammation. He has been healthy since, and If he can get back to the postseason, he has a .150 ERA over 12 playoffs appearances.
- Outfielder JJ Bleday (19 homers, 46 RBI, .803 OPS): The lefty-hitting Bleday, who has two years of club control left, spent the first month of the season in Triple-A Louisville, but still is on pace a career year offensively. The price for him might be steep because Terry Francona likes Bleday, and he’s as likely to open next season in the Reds lineup as get traded now.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 9 Cincinnati Reds who could be dealt by MLB trade deadline
