Reds Draft: 3 below-slot players Cincinnati should target in Round 1

The Cincinnati Reds have three of the first 35 picks in the 2021 MLB Draft, meaning General Manager Nick Krall and the front office may look to find a below-slot deal in Round 1. Doing so would allow the Reds to use the savings from the No. 17 overall pick on their second (No. 30) and third picks (No. 35).

Trevor Bauer left Cincinnati this past offseason to sign a record contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Reds extended a qualifying offer to Bauer, meaning the organization would receive draft compensation if the Cy Young Award winner signed elsewhere. The 30th-overall pick in the draft represents what Cincinnati received in return for losing Bauer.

The 35th-overall pick also fell to Cincinnati courtesy of the competitive balance draft picks. Per MLB.com, the picks, implemented in the 2012-2016 collective bargaining agreement, are assigned to the 10 lowest revenue clubs based on a formula that takes into consideration revenue and winning percentage.

Having three of the first 35 picks in this year’s MLB Draft will enable the Reds to be a bit creative. Cincinnati ($11,905,700) will have more bonus pool money than nearly every other franchise in Major League Baseball. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers have been allotted more bonus pool money in this year’s MLB Draft.

With all that in mind, it may behoove the Cincinnati Reds to select a below-slot value player with their first pick, and use the money they saved in Round 1 to land a skilled prospect whom they may have to go above slot value to sign with the 30th or 35th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. With all that in mind, let’s take a lot at three below-slot value prospect Cincinnati should target in Round 1.