Cincinnati Reds: 3 outfielders most likely to be traded this offseason

2. Aristides Aquino will not find consistent at-bats with the Reds.

If I had suggested that the Cincinnati Reds might trade Aristides Aquino last offseason, people would’ve thought I was crazy. What a difference a year makes, huh? The Punisher put up -0.1 WAR and 65 OPS+ after wreaking havoc on opposing pitchers last season. An inconsistent lineup card may have been Aquino’s undoing last season.

I, like a lot of Reds fans, wish that David Bell would settle on a consistent lineup. However, we saw this season that two teams that rely heavily on analytics (Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays) found their way to the World Series. Still, it looks as though Aquino has the makeup of a player that needs consistent at-bats.

He’s not going to find that in Cincinnati’s crowded outfield. The Punisher started just 14 games and was yo-yo’d between the Reds alternate site and the big leagues. Aquino finished the 2020 hitting just .170 with two home runs over 23 games. One could make the argument, that following last season’s offensive outburst, Cincinnati should have dealt Aquino.

Aristides Aquino has the makings of a boom-or-bust type player, and perhaps the Cincinnati Reds should look to deal him before his value disappears. Aquino is out of minor-league options next season and if the Reds don’t want to expose Aquino to waivers, he’ll have to stay at the major league level for the entire season.