Cincinnati Reds: Grading 2020 trade deadline deals

The Reds added outfield depth and a strong arm to their bullpen on Monday.

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Cincinnati Reds did not stand pat. Nick Krall and Dick Williams made some 11th hour deals that netted the Reds an additional outfielder and a late-inning reliever. While it’s sometimes foolish to grade trades immediately after the fact, with such urgency put on the final month of the 2020 season, let’s see how Cincinnati did.

The Reds began the afternoon by acquiring Brain Goodwin from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left-handed prospect Packy Naughton. Goodwin is a solid, yet unspectacular player who is capable of playing all three positions on the outfield grass. The Reds front office is hopeful that Goodwin helps to boost the team’s beleaguered offense.

The second, and more recognizable name heading to the Queen City is Diamondbacks closer Archie Bradley. After the first month of the season revealed many holes in the Cincinnati bullpen, it was apparent that changes were necessary. Adding a reliable reliever like Bradley gives Reds skipper David Bell another arm to turn to late in games.

So, did the Reds get better? Worse? Were these moves enough to vault Cincinnati into the postseason for the first time since 2013? The Reds currently sit at 15-20 with 25 games left to play. The team is 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for second-place in the NL Central and a spot in the playoffs. Let’s see if these moves were enough to make a postseason push.