Cincinnati Reds wasted their chance in not trading Zack Cozart

The Cincinnati Reds are in a rebuilding stage

The Cincinnati Reds are currently in a roster turnover. With that said, trading veterans for young talent is typical. Also, the Reds have done just that in the past couple years. So, they have traded off the likes of Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and Aroldis Chapman who were fan favorites.

This team has been active in picking a direction, which was difficult for them in recent years. But now, they have been developing young talent through trades and the Amateur Draft. With that said, their system is blooming into one of the best.

Taking advantage of veterans having good years is crucial. Those types of players should be the blueprint to the process. Only then, will all the dreadful years of losing will be worth the wait. But this time, the Reds messed up.

Zack Cozart’s career year with the Cincinnati Reds

This season, the shortstop is batting .309 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. He has easily put up his best numbers. On top of that, he has accumulated a 4.4 WAR, which is the highest of his career. Also, he is having the highest BB% in his playing days at 13%. The infielder isn’t throwing any at-bats away and is constantly putting the ball in play.

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Cozart is actually producing more batting average without some bad luck, as he has a .332 BAPIP. The shortstop is excelling at the dish like never before. As a career .254 average hitter, 2017 has been much better than expected. His hands have been swinging through the zone quicker and he isn’t being blown back as much.

Flashy with the glove

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The shortstop has always been good on the defensive end. On a routine play, he makes it 96.4% of the time this season. But in an unlikely play, he makes the out 25.5% of the time. Cozart is sound with the glove, and has the range to grab a great play. At the moment, he has a Def stat of 7.8 which is solid to plus.

Cozart is having a great year overall and is putting it all together. He is a great clubhouse presence and is a good role model to the young guys. His only blemish this season has been his base running.

The right handed hitter hasn’t been great on the base paths, as to his -1.9 BsR stat. But other than that, the shortstop has played his best baseball.

The conclusion

Ultimately, the Reds should have dealt Cozart. With his best year running, they should have taken advantage of that opportunity. Also, in their position that would have been a time to cash in an asset. The farm system can only get stronger, and this was a prime trade piece. With that said, this should be a lesson in the future.

When there are players on expiring contracts, deal them. There was no excuse here on that. Unless they are looking to sign him to an extension, which doesn’t seem imminent. But we will see in the months ahead on their next approach for Zack Cozart.

Next: The Reds should keep Eugenio Suarez around