Cincinnati Reds: 3 transactions that must happen immediately

The Reds should trade outfielder Aristides Aquino.

This is painful for me to write, but the time has come for the Cincinnati Reds to say goodbye to The Punisher. I know there’s a large contingent of the fanbase, including myself, that absolutely adore Aristides Aquino and love the energy he brought to the team in August of 2019. But this league is all about what have you done for me lately?

It’s a crying shame that Aquino was not able to garner a fourth minor-league option, because I firmly believe that another year of seasoning at Triple-A could’ve helped the 26-year-old blossom into force in the middle of Cincinnati’s lineup. But, without a minor-league option remaining, the front office would have to subject Aquino to waivers before he was able to return to Louisville.

I’d wager a lot of money that some team, even in the early-going, would take a flyer on Aquino. The power and defense are there, but his inability to hit the breaking pitch has been his Achilles heel since about September of 2019.

Aristides Aquino has been relegated to a bench bat. Which, given the Reds outfield depth, is appropriate. Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, and Nick Senzel should all get the nod over The Punisher.

There aren’t many hitters hotter than Tyler Naquin right now, and the Reds have the likes of Scott Heineman and Mark Payton at the alternate site, not to mention, Shogo Akiyama is likely to return in a few weeks. Soon enough, Cincinnati will be forced to part ways with Aquino, so why not work out a trade to ensure The Punisher doesn’t end up with a division rival?

There are plenty of teams that could use a bat like Aquino’s in the lineup. Any number of rebuilding teams (Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks) could likely send a quality prospect or reliever Cincinnati’s way in exchange for The Punisher.