CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The thing about the Cincinnati Reds as the trade deadline approaches is that they could trade for absolutely anything except a shortstop and a second baseman, and the team would get better.
You can make the case that the Reds should get a first baseman, a third baseman, a corner outfield bat or a DH. You can make the case that they should get a center fielder, kick that player into a corner spot and prioritize improving the defense. They need to be getting more out of their bench.
You can make the case that they need another starting pitcher, and that they need bullpen help.
They can’t make all of those moves and turn over half of the roster over the next two days. But they can still improve enough at trade deadline to fix the flaws that cost them this week’s series against the Dodgers.
Eugenio Suárez sounds great, but it’s an unbelievably competitive market in a trade class that’s very light on impact bats. Going all-in for Súarez would make the team better, but there are still so many other areas where they could improve.
The Reds would really benefit from some more pop, but power wasn’t the difference between the Reds and Dodgers this week.
It was defense, depth and relief pitching.
Tuesday’s loss exposed some areas where they haven’t been getting enough.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Reds held a 4-2 lead and had the bases loaded. Terry Francona spotted a chance to deliver the knockout blow. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a left-hander in to face the middle third of a Reds’ lineup that’s too left-handed at the top. Jake Fraley had already homered on Tuesday and has been one of the Reds’ hottest bats, but he has never hit well vs. LHP. Francona brought in Santiago Espinal off the bench and replaced Fraley.
It’s always smart to play the matchups, but Espinal only has a .732 OPS vs. LHP and nine extra-base hits (all doubles) in those matchups all season. He’s an unlikely candidate to provide the finishing blow, but he was the best option that the Reds had on the roster for that role on Tuesday.
A platoon specialist who could do some damage from the right side would go a long way and finally give the Reds the ability to punish teams that bring in left-handers for the middle of the Reds’ lineup.
The Reds stranded the bases loaded in the fifth, and bringing Espinal into the game caught up to them later on.
With Espinal now in the game, Francona moved Noelvi Marte from third base to right field. But then one inning later, following another at-bat by Marte, Francona brought in a defensive replacement and pulled Marte for Connor Joe.
There’s a lot to unpack with that move. First, how much longer can Marte only be a part-time third baseman and man that position when the Reds have the lead? Having a part-time third baseman costs you bench flexibility later on, and that was magnified on Tuesday.
The Reds are giving Marte an extended opportunity to show if he can play third instead of just making him a full-time outfielder. Balancing development and winning is an inexact science.
Marte’s inconsistent third base defense on Monday was the difference in the series opener vs. the Dodgers, and Francona has regularly been pulling Marte for defense when he’s at third base.
While Marte is a tantalizing option in right field, the sample size for him in the outfield is still very small. So in the seventh inning with the Reds up, 4-2, and Marte now set to play right field, Francona replaced Marte with the more experienced outfielder in Joe. But Joe isn’t a standout outfield defender. Neither is left fielder Gavin Lux, who’s a natural infielder who has making a lot of starts as the DH. Lux played the entire game in left field on Tuesday.
The ball always finds you. The key plays in the seventh inning were two bloops that landed in front of Joe in right and Lux in left as the Dodgers tied the score.
Then in the ninth, Lux couldn’t get the relay throw to Elly De La Cruz quickly enough as the Dodgers scored the go-ahead run.
Looking ahead to the trade deadline, upgrading the defense with a third baseman or a corner outfield option is the easiest way to improve the team. If it’s a good defender who hits right-handed, even better. A player like that would have provided some more punch in the fifth inning with the bases loaded on Tuesday and then had a better chance to make the plays on defense down the stretch.
Some players who fit that description are Orioles third baseman Ramon Urias, White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., Orioles outfielder Ramon Laureano, Twins super utility man Willi Castro (switch hitter), Twins center fielder Harrison Bader and Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia (a buy low candidate if the Rangers decide to sell).
Any of those players would have impacted Tuesday’s game in multiple areas.
In the eighth inning on Tuesday, the Reds faced Alexis Díaz. Espinal (.531 OPS vs. RHP) and Joe (.426 OPS vs. LHP) recorded outs in right-on-right matchups.
The Reds’ comeback never even got going. Fraley and Marte both homered on Tuesday and have been two of the Reds’ hottest hitters, but they both were replaced mid-game.
The bullpen also needs reinforcements, and you can’t underestimate the impact that a second “Nick Martinez” style pitcher would have on the team.
The biggest concern that exists right now is the lack of starting pitching depth behind the five active pitchers. It’s the lack of pitching depth that ended the Reds’ season in 2021, 2023 and 2024. But the bullpen also needs help as Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Scott Barlow take on a high work load for a bullpen that doesn’t have a ton of high-leverage options. Barlow allowed two runs in the series opener vs. LA, and Ashcraft allowed two runs on Tuesday.
Reid Detmers, Michael Soroka, Steven Matz and Zack Littell are all at different points in their build ups, but they each have bullpen/starter flexibility and would upgrade the versatility of the bullpen. Another plan could also be trading for a pure No. 5 starter and immediately moving Nick Martinez to the bullpen, which is already going to be a consideration when Hunter Greene returns from the IL. And any team can always trading for a true established setup reliever.
In building this team on a low payroll, the front office has already done the hardest part. Chase Burns and Nick Lodolo provided reminders over the last two days that high-upside pitching gives you a chance against anybody, and the lineup has some good pieces as well as some depth. The Reds just need more help in their push for a playoff spot.
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