Cincinnati Reds new reliever could become trade piece in July

Cincinnati Reds almost finished rebuild

The Cincinnati Reds have been rebuilding for several years. They have done their best to get the most value in trades. Some better than others. The organization has plenty of prospects on the cusp of the major leagues. Also, the Reds have some veterans that can help along the way.

When going through of change of core, getting enough back in trades is crucial. For the most part, the Reds have done that. The only time they missed an opportunity was trading off Drew Storen and Zack Cozart. But the demand wasn’t there, especially for a shortstop that was having a career year.

With that said, the Reds must take advantage out of the player’s values that are left and sell high. This team is only a year or two away from being competitive after 2018. The front office needs to extract value out of good contributors that won’t be playing with the next great Reds team. An example would be Adam Duvall, who is already almost 30 and could be in decline soon. He is a power-hitting outfielder that could net a decent return.

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They have a plethora of young guys throughout the system that will be serviceable soon, so acquire a couple more if you can. The system is in the top third in the MLB, but add on while you still can. The Reds should start auditioning more of those guys in Spring Training. But for now, this team needs to sell, sell, sell.

The Cincinnati Reds free agent reliever

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The Reds signed Kevin Quackenbush on 11/8 to a minor-league contract. The right-hander has pitched for the Padres his whole career. He has a career 4.08 ERA, which is reasonable. We will see how that changes in a hitter’s ballpark at Great American. But, the reliever was a nice, cheap acquisition at a time when bullpen value is at an all-time high.

Cincinnati was absolutely not going after Wade Davis or Greg Holland. The team isn’t good, and they will definitely not be able to outbid other teams. With that said, under the radar signings are just what this team needs right now.

They didn’t pay much for him, and he is in his prime. The best years might be ahead, and the Reds should take advantage.

Quackenbush could be a buy-low and sell-high player come July. The righty will be just what teams are looking for in their pursuit of the postseason. He isn’t expensive and doesn’t come with control, but he is a quick upgrade. The Reds could get a nice return if he is pitching well.  This team also has a great trade chip in Raisel Iglesias.

But Quackenbush is the one that would be the most likely. Everyone is always on the hunt for help in the ‘pen, so there should be plenty of demand. With that said, don’t be surprised if the Reds flip him once he gets hot.

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Overall

The Reds should be proactive when it comes to offloading veteran talent. There should be no issue with Quackenbush either. This team is almost done the process, but finish it off right. They’ll most likely get Cozart back, and this time should pull the trigger on the Trade Deadline. Package him with Quackenbush and there is a nice postseason upgrade.