Reds rumors: Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers talking trade

The latest Reds rumors center around Cincinnati’s interest in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood.

The latest Reds rumors have the Cincinnati Reds in conversations with last year’s National League Champions. Apparently, the Reds and Dodgers are talking trade. For who? Well, it sounds like a names are in play. Foremost among them are Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood.

This rumor is quite interesting. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, one of the best in the business, is reporting that the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers have had multiple discussions during the Winter Meetings. It’s no secret that the Dodgers have been shopping several of their outfielders with an eye towards signing Bryce Harper during the offseason.

The Dodgers have put out feelers for players such as Puig, Joc Pederson, and Matt Kemp. There’s a possibility that a player like uber-utility player Chris Taylor might be available as well, but the Dodgers look to retain his services heading into 2019.

Rosenthal specifically cites Puig as a potential piece in this possible trade scenario. Puig is in the final year of his arbitration eligibility and will likely command a salary north or $11 million in 2019. Personally, I’d prefer to see the Reds make a swap with the Dodgers that included Pederson. He’s under team control for a bit longer, would come cheaper, and plays better defense in the outfield.

Pederson is also not nearly as controversial as Puig. Yasiel Puig has a big personality that can often get in him in hot water and has been considered by several teammates to be problematic in the clubhouse. If I’m the Cincinnati Reds I steer clear of Puig.

That being said, his former hitting coach, Turner Ward, is now on the Cincinnati Reds staff and may be advocating for the slugger to come to the Queen City. One thing is for sure, if Cincinnati did make a trade for Puig, he’d likely have a career year in terms of power numbers playing half his games at Great American Ball Park.

The other name that Rosenthal mentioned in his report is Alex Wood. The 27-year-old lefty went 9-7 last season with a 3.68 ERA. The former Atlanta Brave was an All-Star with Dodgers in 2017 and is the final season of arbitration eligibility with a likely number around $9 million for next season.

There’s no telling what the Dodgers are looking for in return, but they won’t want to take on much salary so one would assume it’s likely prospects. It’s hard to see the Reds sacrificing a Top 10 prospect for a player that may only be on the team for one year.

We’ll keep an eye out for Reds rumors as the Winter Meetings continue throughout the week. The Cincinnati Reds have yet to make a big move, but a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers would definitely qualify.