Reds: 3 trade proposals to bring shortstop Trevor Story to Cincinnati

1. Reds trade a few mid-level prospects for Trevor Story.

The Colorado Rockies are rebuilding, and the front office will be looking to land as many young, talented players as possible in return for Trevor Story. The Cincinnati Reds farm system isn’t ranked in the Top 10, but there are still plenty of talented prospects that would likely pique Colorado’s interest.

The Colorado Rockies have one of the largest outfields in the big leagues, and a centerfielder with elite speed might help move the needle. Michael Siani, Cincinnati’s fourth-round pick in 2018 is a blazing fast prospect who’s defense is already major-league ready. Siani, however, isn’t a great offensive player, and will likely wind up at the bottom of the batting order in the big leagues.

Parting with one of last year’s draft picks, Christian Roa, may be necessary in order to land Trevor Story. Roa, a right-hander out of Texas A&M, is ranked 10th in the Reds farm system by MLB Pipeline, and owns a 2.22 ERA in Rookie Ball this season. Roa has four pitches that he can turn to, including a fastball that touches the mid-to-upper 90s.

Finally, in an effort to get Colorado to fully accept this trade, Cincinnati could also add longtime minor league outfield TJ Friedl. After struggling out of the gate, Friedl has played very well of late while roaming the outfield in Triple-A Louisville. The Reds outfield is already overcrowded and there’s no need to hang onto Friedl at this time.

2. The Reds trade several young prospects for Trevor Story.

The coronavirus pandemic shrunk last years’s draft from 40 rounds to only five. However, the Reds made the most of last year’s MLB Draft and secured several top prospects. Cincinnati also got an additional young player from last year’s draft when they traded Robert Stephenson to Colorado prior to this season. One player the Reds received in return was Case Williams.

Maybe, in order to add All-Star shortstop Trevor Story to the roster, the Reds may have to surrender a couple of last year’s draft picks. The right-handed pair of Bryce Bonnin and Joe Boyle could be a starter. Both profile as relief pitchers, but there’s an outside chance that Bonnin could wind up in the starting rotation. Boyle is erratic but his fastball sits at 100-plus MPH.

Throw in second base prospect Ivan Johnson, and maybe we’re getting closer to a deal. Johnson was a fourth-round pick of the Reds in 2019. The 22-year-old is hitting .255 at Single-A Daytona this season and he may be able to play shortstop as well. Many scouts feel, however, that he’s better suited to play second base. Johnson is a solid, yet unspectacular infield prospect.

Finally, in order to seal the deal, Cincinnati could add hard-hitting outfield prospect Allan Cerda. Cerda is a power-bat who has five home runs in 30 games for the Daytona Tortugas this season. If Cerda taps into that raw power, he could send balls outta the ballpark at a remarkable clip.

3. The Reds trade Rece Hinds and Tony Santillan for Trevor Story.

Rece Hinds may be one of the most polarizing prospects in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system. FanGraphs rates Hinds as the team’s No. 9 overall prospect, while MLB Pipeline views the right-handed hitting slugger as the Reds No. 6-ranked prospect. No matter how much you value the former second-round pick, it’s obvious that Hinds can lunch the ball out of the ballpark.

Hinds is a boom or bust prospect, and it’s not yet known if he’s going to stick at third base or be moved to the outfield, or even first base. The 20-year-old has plus, plus-power, but a ton of swing-and-miss potential exist in that bat. Hinds power might be enough to tempt the Rockies’ front office to engage in a conversation with Nick Krall.

We’ve seen very little from Tony Santillan this season, and the Reds recently announced that they plan to move the right-hander into a bullpen role later this season. But perhaps the Rockies would be interested in Santillan’s services as a potential starter. Santillan has back-of-the-rotation capabilities, and recorded eight punch outs in a game earlier this season.

Would Hinds and Santillan be enough to snag Trevor Story? Possibly. If not, the Reds have several other lower-level prospects like Debby Santana, Yan Contreras, and Noah Davis who could be considered expendable if it means Cincinnati is able to land one of the best shortstops in the game.

While it may seem like a pipe dream, the opportunity exists for the Cincinnati Reds to make a play for Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. At 44-40, the team has put themselves in position to have a successful season and win the division. However, a lineup with Story, Jesse Winker, Nick Castellanos, Joey Votto, Jonathan India, and Tyler Stephenson could do more than just win the division.