Cam Collier's Reds' future just became a bit murky following Sal Stewart's promotion

It was just three years ago that Cam Collier fatefully slipped in the 2022 MLB Draft. The Cincinnati Reds pounced, happily scooping up the 17-year-old third baseman with the 18th overall pick.

Since then, it's been a mixed bag with the Reds' top prospect. He's gradually climbed the minor league ranks, playing all of 2023 in Low-A Daytona, and all of 2024 season with the Dayton Dragons before making the jump to Double-A Chattanooga this year.

Collier's had some really hot stretches, though those have been undercut by injuries and setbacks in his performance. Add it all up, and it's a frustrating package of elite talent and plenty of youth that gets somewhat soured by a bunch of minor hiccups.

Unfortunately, that all means that Collier is now on the outside looking in on the Reds' future plans. With Ke'Bryan Hayes locked in at third base for the foreseeable future and top prospect Sal Stewart already receiving a call-up to the big leagues, it's getting harder to imagine where Collier fits in with this group.

Cam Collier could become Reds' best trade chip this offseason

Now, this is by no means a plea for the Reds to ship Collier out of town. His power outage has been concerning to say the least, but a 20-year-old with a 112 wRC+ in Double-A despite a complete lack of fence-clearing capabilities is nothing to scoff at.

The issue is that Hayes is an otherworldly defender at the hot corner, and so long as he's producing even below-average offense, there's no reason to ever take him out of the lineup.

That leaves just first base and designated hitter open in Cincinnati, and Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer appear to have the inside track on those jobs, too. Stewart, in particular, looks like the real deal after hitting .315/.394/.629 (163 wRC+) in 118 games in Triple-A this year.

Even if you've come to doubt Steer and his 90 wRC+, Gavin Lux has proven rather proficient at handling DH duties, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand still exists as an option, despite his struggles at the MLB level.

Of course, if Collier produces, the Reds will find a way to get him in the lineup. But, good teams deal from positions of strength, and the emergences of Hayes and Stewart ensure that the corner infield spots qualify as such in Cincinnati.

There's no rush on trading a talent like Collier, but if the Reds can find a buyer willing to bet on his upside this offseason, he could prove to be one of the most valuable trade chips in the league.

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