4 former top prospects Reds could rescue with offseason trade deals

The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of needs to fill this offseason, and as always, stretching a dollar is paramount. Some of these needs must be satiated with veterans. The Reds need certainty in a few areas, and that's something that only veterans with previous track records of success can provide.

All of the holes present on the roster can't be filled with pricey free-agent talent. The further down the free-agent tiers Cincinnati goes, the lower the impact and the return on investment will be. Therefore, it would behoove Nick Krall to get creative.

One way to do that is to target previously highly-touted prospects who haven't found their footing with their original clubs. These are going to be guys who are cheap contractually. They're either nearing the end of their pre-arb years or just beginning their journey through the arbitration process. They also shouldn't cost much to acquire.

This isn't a slam dunk strategy, of course. There's a chance that the youngsters we'll look at are simply busts. However, they'll come cheap, and the upside is high, so it's worth rolling he dice on one or two to see if the team can strike gold.

4 former top prospects who could be traded to the Reds offseason

Brett Baty, New York Mets

In 2023, Brett Baty peaked at No. 21 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospect list. He was a toolsy third baseman with prodigious power, but when the Mets called him up to take over the hot corner that year, he fell flat, producing a .598 OPS over 108 games. He experienced similar struggles but a quicker hook in 2024.

Last season saw him slash a much more competent .254/.313/.435 with 18 homers over 130 games. Not exactly the slugger superstar that Mets fans envisioned, but he showed he was a solid if not spectacular, hitter nonetheless. A slow start in 2026 has torpedoed his overall line.

That slow start didn't last, though. From June 30 through the end of the season, Baty hit .274/.330/.486 with eight homers. That .816 OPS production came over a decently large sample of 194 plate appearances.

Over the years, the 26-year-old has added a lot of versatility to his game. This year, he logged time at third base, second base, first base, and both corner outfield spots, while also making a couple of cameos at shortstop. He's been at least an average defender anywhere the Mets have put him.

Adding a lefty bat with power to the Reds' lineup would go a long way towards making the offense more formidable, and with that versatility, Baty could not only be a potential Ke'Bryan Hayes replacement but could also challenge Matt McLain at second or serve as a high-end super utility man. The Mets seem likely to trade him, putting an end to longtime trade rumors that have followed the infielder for years.

Cam Smith, Astros outfielder

The Houston Astros' offseason plans are a real mystery. The club snuck into the playoffs with an 81-81 record, thanks to playing in the incredibly mediocre AL West. However, their season hasn't been without turmoil, as general manager Dana Brown was let go just three weeks after the trade deadline, and manager Joe Espada is a lame duck.

The Astros have an aging and expensive roster, which on the outside makes them a prime candidate to begin a rebuild. However, Houston owner Jim Crane has famously said that the window of contention will always remain open for as long as he owns the team. Despite those proclamations, he's also rigid in his refusal to exceed the luxury tax, so the team is going to have to rely on trades and savvy pickups to improve.

This brings us to 23-year-old outfielder Cam Smith. He is an absolute toolshed of a player with 99th percentile bat speed, 92nd percentile sprint speed, a cannon for an arm, and a real feel for playing defense in right field despite being a natural third baseman. He was the prize of the Kyle Tucker trade, which at first glance might make you feel as if he's untouchable.

The thing is that Smith has yet to translate those tools into actual production. He has played just 32 minor league games, none above Double-A, since being drafted in the first round in 2024. A scorching hot spring in 2025 landed him on the Astros' Opening Day roster, but he managed a paltry .236/.312/.358 line. This year, despite hitting 21 homers, he was even worse, slashing .210/.279/.390.

Still, Smith is so young and carries with him a ton of potential. He needs to figure out how to get the ball into the air more, especially on the pull side, while also refining his control of the strike zone. However, when he does get a hold of one, he's capable of launching homers that are a thing of beauty.

Whoever takes the reins in Houston won't be tied to Smith the same way that Brown was. The Astros also desperately need pitching, and young cost-controlled starters could be extremely attractive. This could be a depressed asset for depressed asset kind of swap if the Reds were willing to give up one of their disappointing young arms in exchange for the struggling outfielder. Or, perhaps JJ Bleday could scratch Houston's perennial need for a left-handed-hitting outfielder.

Austin Wells, New York Yankees

It sure sounds like Tyler Stephenson is set to test free agency and fully explore what is out there. The catching market, aside from him and Minnesota Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers, is pretty weak, and there is no shortage of teams that could use help behind the plate. That means that the price to retain Stephenson might reach levels that Cincinnati isn't willing to entertain.

The Reds would desperately need to find a new catcher in that scenario, and one team that could help them out is the New York Yankees. The Yankees were heavily linked to Jeffers at the trade deadline before the Twins pulled him from the block, so now that he's a free agent, it seems likely that they'll pull out all of the stops to land him. That would then displace their current starter, Austin Wells.

Wells got off to such a wretched start to the season that he was at times battling Ke'Bryan Hayes for the most inept hitter in the league. Known as a bat-first catcher during his time as a top prospect, the 27-year-old has never really hit as expected, but has been markedly better defensively than we were told.

Quietly, Wells has started getting back on track in the second half, hitting .229/.351/.436 since the All-Star break. When at his best, Wells has power and patience at the plate, which would look nice in Cincinnati's lineup. He's a 95th percentile pitch framer and 92nd percentile blocker.

Ironically, Wells best season offensively was 2024, when he produced a 105 wRC+ while working in a timeshare with current Reds backup catcher Jose Trevino. Maybe reuniting him with his mentor could squeeze even more talent out of him.

Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jordan Lawlar has been a piece that we've had on our radar for the Reds for a long time. Still only 24 years old, the last few seasons have seen him blocked as the Arizona Diamondbacks have relied on veteran players in futile hopes of returning to glory following the 2023 World Series appearance. In the limited opportunities he's gotten, he has fallen flat, making it easy for the Snakes to continuously option him back to the minor leagues.

This has led to an expansion of his versatility. In hopes of sticking, the natural shortstop has added third base, second base, and the outfield to his repertoire. A fractured right wrist followed by a right hamstring strain cost Lawlar much of the 2026 campaign, limiting him to 44 games, 37 of which came in center field.

In that time, the former sixth-overall pick was pretty productive, hitting .258/.319/.460. If he reaches his full potential, he has a ridiculous power-speed combo that could make him a truly dynamic player, and his versatility could have him become a solution at second, third, or center for the Reds. That all sounds pretty attractive, and if Arizona decides that it is tired of waiting around for him to arrive, the Reds should capitalize.

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