Reds rumors: Several teams have expressed interest in Trevor Rosenthal

The latest Reds rumors have Trevor Rosenthal on the trade block.

Whether or not the Cincinnati Reds are among the teams interested in Trevor Rosenthal is unknown, but what is known is the front office’s desire to add players at the trade deadline. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Rosenthal is a hot name on the trade market. Expect the Reds rumors to heat up as the August 31st deadline nears.

Baseball is an odd game. Last year, you’d have been hard pressed to give Rosenthal away to another team for a player to be named later. The right-hander made 22 appearances between the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers, owning a 13.50 ERA while striking out just 17 batters and walking 26.

However, this season, Trevor Rosenthal is off to one of the hottest starts among relief pitchers. The 30-year-old has made 11 appearances, striking out 14 batters over 10.1 innings while walking just four. His 0.87 ERA is quite impressive, as is his 546 ERA+.

One of the biggest weaknesses on the this year’s Reds team has been the bullpen. However, of late, the bullpen seems like a strength compared the team’s offense. Even after committing $149M to second baseman Mike Moustakas and outfielders Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, Cincinnati’s offense ranks dead last in the league in batting average and 11th in runs scored.

One could argue that rather than looking to add a reliever, the Reds front office should turn its attention to the hitting. As a whole, Cincinnati’s pitching staff is third in the NL in terms of ERA (4.05) and second among hits allowed (161). That said, Cincinnati’s relief corps ranks 11th in the league in ERA (5.60) and ninth in runs allowed (54).

Trevor Rosenthal, like Trevor Bauer and Anthony DeSclafani, will enter free agency this winter, so the Reds would be getting a one-year rental. However, with the contract that Castellanos signed (which included an opt-out after 2020 and 2021), it’s obvious that Nick Krall and Dick Williams have put a lot of focus on success during this season.

The 2020 trade deadline is sure to produce more Reds rumors, as Cincinnati and a host of others will be looking to bolster their rosters in order to make a playoff push. Will the Reds look to add a reliever like Trevor Rosenthal, or might Cincinnati’s front office look to add another bat? Time will tell.