Reds rumors: Amed Rosario still on Cincinnati’s radar

Cincinnati missed out on signing Didi Gregorius, who signed a two-year/$28M contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the latest Reds rumors suggest that the team is still focused on trading for Cleveland Indians shortstop Amed Rosario despite adding Kyle Holder yesterday.

MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that the Reds are still hoping to land Rosario, but they may have competition from the Oakland Athletics, a team who’s also in the market for a starting shortstop. Heyman said that Cincinnati was intent on bringing Gregorius back to the Queen City, but his contract demands were too much.

Reds rumors are swirling as to who will be Cincinnati’s starting shortstop.

We’ve seen dozens of Reds rumors this offseason surrounding the shortstop position. Cincinnati was said to be in negotiations with Marcus Semien, had interest in Andrelton Simmons, and had conversations with Didi Gregorius’ representatives. In the end, all three of those free agent shortstops found a home elsewhere.

Semien was the first to come off the board, signing a one-year/$18.5M contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Simmons was next, taking his Gold Glove-caliber defense to Minneapolis after signing a one-year/$10.5M contract with the Minnesota Twins. And, of course, Gregorius re-signed with the Phillies yesterday.

So where do the Cincinnati Reds turn? After dealing away Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets, the Cleveland Indians gained a pair of young shortstops. Both Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez were part of the return the Tribe received from the Mets. Rosario, though very similar to former Cincinnati shortstop José Peraza, is said to have piqued the Reds’ interests.

Amed Rosario is an upgrade over most shortstops on the Reds roster.

While most of Reds Country lost their minds on social media yesterday after the announcement that Cincinnati had agreed to a trade involving former New York Yankees infielder Kyle Holder, rest assured that the former first-round pick is likely not Nick Krall’s choice to be the team’s Opening Day shortstop.

Amed Rosario, however, does have the pedigree to be the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day shortstop in 2021. The only other player on the roster who makes sense is top infield prospect José García. But, having never even played above the Advanced-A level until last season’s promotion to the big leagues, García showed that he needs more seasoning in the minor leagues.

These Reds rumors will not go away until Cincinnati figures out a solution for their vacancy at shortstop. Adding Amed Rosario seems like the most Reds-thing to do in an offseason where they’re looking to cut spending. However, that’s not the only option Cincinnati has. Shortstops Trevor Story and Willy Adames could be had if the price is right.