Cincinnati Reds: 3 questions we hope to answer at the Winter Meetings

2. Will the Reds make a trade?

The Reds have made two moves of note this offseason. Cincinnati renegotiated a contract with Iglesias and they decided to non-tender Billy Hamilton. Neither of those move really moved the needle with the fan base, although the move to not retain Hamilton was a bit surprising.

If the Reds are able to work out a trade, especially for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, fans will start to get excited about next season’s potential. Let’s face it, Cincinnati has one of the Top 10 Minor League farm systems in baseball, it’s time for them to dip into it a little bit.

Players like Nick Senzel, Taylor Trammell, and Hunter Greene, to me, should be untouchable. That may not sit well with some fans, but that’s just my opinion. The team has already invested way too much in Senzel to not see what he’s got, Trammell may be their best outfield prospect since Jay Bruce, and Greene is only 19 years old.

That being said, everyone is fair game as far as I’m concerned. Jonathan India, last year’s top pick, appears to be an uber-talented young prospect. Unfortunately for him, he plays a third base, a position where the Reds currently have plethora of talent. The same can be said for Shed Long who’s primary position is second base.

Tyler Stephenson could be a special player at the next level, but Tucker Barnhart is signed for the next three years to a very team-friendly deal. It’s hard to see the Reds moving on from him anytime soon. Jose Peraza appears to be coming into his own, making players like Alex Blandino and Jeter Downs expendable.

My point is, the Cincinnati Reds have a ton of talented position players, but that will do the team no good if they don’t improve the starting rotation. Outside of Tony Santillan and Greene, their best prospects area position players who are blocked at the Major League level. So it’s time to sell.

If the Reds want to target Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays, maybe they’ll have to give Stephenson and Vladimir Gutierrez. If Cincinnati wants to go after the Indians’ Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber, it might cost them a little more. Again, if I were the Reds’ brass, Senzel, Trammell, and Greene would be off limits. If that reduces the number of players that I’m able to pursue, so be it.

Will the Cincinnati Reds make a trade? With a farm system as deep as the Reds have, they have more assets than most other clubs. That said, it takes two teams to make a trade, and while a player like Shed Long may be a fantastic prospect, maybe he doesn’t fit well with the particular team that the Reds target as a trade partner.

If the Reds are unable to land Keuchel or Happ in free agency, I believe you’ll see Cincinnati in trade rumors nearly every hour of the Winter Meetings next week. Cincinnati has essentially promised their fans that they’re going to get the pitching. If the Reds emerge from Vegas empty-handed, the fans will become incredibly restless.