Cincinnati Reds: Three possible trade scenarios if Marcell Ozuna signs

If the Cincinnati Reds do indeed sign Marcell Ozuna, expect the front office to start wheeling and dealing. These three trades may make the most sense.

The Cincinnati Reds, despite signing Shogo Akiyama, are still rumored in the hunt for outfielder Marcell Ozuna. If Ozuna and Cincinnati agree on a long-term deal, several players on the Reds roster suddenly become potential trade chips. With the front office’s pledge to make a return to postseason in 2020, what trades might the Reds make if Ozuna is added to the roster?

The Reds may very well be the favorites to win the NL Central based on the moves they’ve made this winter. Adding to that is the lack of moves being made by every other team in the division. With the exception of the Milwaukee Brewers, it appears as though the Reds other rivals within the National League Central are looking to shed salary.

Dormant for the past several seasons, the Reds front office has been very proactive this offseason, adding the likes of Akiyama, Mike Moustakas, and Wade Miley. The latest rumor, suggesting Cincinnati is still interested in Ozuna, only confirms the claims laid out by Nick Krall and Dick Williams before the start of the offseason; the Reds want to win in 2020.

Adding Marcell Ozuna will certainly help in that regard, but it would also allow Cincinnati to use some their assets to improve the team even more. Adding Ozuna would only add to the gridlock that already exists in the Reds outfield. Might some of those on the 40-man roster or within the minor leagues be moved to secure some pieces to help the team succeed next season? Let’s explore a few trade ideas.

2. Reds snag a reliever from Motown

While the bullpen is certainly not a disaster, it could use an extra arm or two. Enter Joe Jímenez. One year removed from a spot in the All-Star Game, Jímenez struggled to the tune of a 4.37 ERA in 2019. At 24-years old, Jímenez is still very young and under team control through 2023. The Detroit Tigers are going nowhere fast, and a few talented prospects could be enough to sway their front office.

The Reds bullpen has the talented Michael Lorenzen along with lefty Amir Garrett and the surprising Robert Stephenson at the back end heading into 2020. The biggest question mark in the bullpen may be Raisel Iglesias, who tumultuous 2019 season ended with the closer being hung with a team-record 12 losses for a reliever.

While I’m not suggesting that the Reds replace Iggy as the closer with Jímenez, the right-hander definitely has the stuff to close out a game. Jímenez earned nine saves in 2019, and his fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s. According to FanGraphs, Jímenez’s average heater was sitting at 95.5-MPH.

Joe Jímenez was once a Top 5 prospect in the Tigers organization according to MLB Pipeline. After a season in which Jímenez’s HR/9 jumped to almost three-times what it was in 2018, Detroit may be looking to sell low. Perhaps Derek Johnson could work some magic and get Jímenez back on track. Giving up on Vladimir Gutierrez and TJ Friedl would not be a huge blow to the Reds farm system.

If Marcell Ozuna comes aboard, the Cincinnati Reds will have more outfielders than they know what to do with. With a starting outfield of Ozuna, Shogo Akiyama, and Aristides Aquino, the battle for the fourth outfield spot on next year’s team could become quite competitive. While Phillip Ervin mashed against left-handers last season, he could easily be the odd man out.

The additions of Travis Jankowski, Nick Martini, and Mark Payton already add to the logjam in the Reds outfield. Jose Siri looks ready to join the big league club next year, and Scott Schebler is still on the 40-man, recovering from shoulder surgery. Josh VanMeter also seems to be the forgotten man, and with the signing of Mike Moustakas, his future may be in the outfield rather than second base.

The Cincinnati Reds still need bullpen help, especially another left-handed reliever. The Zach Duke experiment crashed and burned, and Cody Reed is still a question mark at the big league level. With the new rule requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters, having a lefty capable of getting right-handers out as well becomes paramount. Jarlin García can do just that.

Garcia’s batting average against (BAA) was actually better against right-handed hitters (.194) than it was against left-handed batters (.247). It’s questionable if Garcia would even be available and wha the cost may be, but in their hopes for adding an outfielder, perhaps the Marlins would be content with a package of Ervin and minor league pitcher such as Jared Solomon.

So much of what happens for the remainder of the offseason is dependent on the Reds decision to sign or steer clear of Marcell Ozuna. The slugger’s list has apparently been narrowed to just a few teams, with Cincinnati being in the mix. Adding Ozuna to next year’s roster would certainly allow Dick Williams and Nick Krall the flexibility to trade for some more pieces.