Checking in on the Reds prospects traded at the 2025 deadline

The MLB trade deadline is a little less than a week away, and the Cincinnati Reds are likely to be active sellers. Last summer, however, the Reds were active buyers and pulled off three deadline deals that brought Ke'Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and Miguel Andujar to the Queen City.

Those three additions (1.6 bWAR post-trade deadline) may have been the difference between Cincinnati making the postseason in 2025 or falling just short. The Reds backed into the playoffs for the first time since 2020, but were quickly dispatched by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Each trade has a price, and for the Reds, those three moves cost the organization left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers, right-handed pitcher Brian Van Belle, and three prospects. Rogers was slated to become a free agent at the end of last season season, and Van Belle's 2025 campaign ended after a trip to the 60-day IL due to elbow inflammation.

But what about the three prospects? Shortstop Sammy Stafura was involved in the deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates to acquire Hayes, pitching prospect Adam Serwinowski was part of the Littell trade, and right-hander Kenya Huggins was the price to acquire Andujar from the Athletics. Where are those prospects now?

Checking in on the Reds prospects traded at the 2025 deadline

Sammy Stafura, Pirates shortstop prospect

Stafura was the biggest name moved at last year's deadline. A second-round pick in 2023, the young infielder was hitting a robust .261/.392/.410 at the time of the trade. But his production trailed off at the end of the 2025 season, and given Hayes' Gold Glove defense at the hot corner, the trade was beginning to look like a win for the Reds.

Fast forward 12 months, and the deal looks much different. Hayes' bat has failed to produce, and he spent nearly two months on the IL. But Stafura, after a slow start, has hit his stride and owns an impressive .274/.365/.575 slash line with 18 home runs during his first full minor-league season with the Pirates. His 30.9% strikeout rate is troubling, but there's a lot to like about Stafura's game moving forward.

Adam Serwinowski, Dodgers pitching prospect

Serwinowski never appeared in a game for the Rays and was immediately dealt to the Dodgers before the trade deadline passed. A former 15th-round pick of the Reds in 2022, the right-hander was always viewed as a long-term project. The Dodgers are finding that out this season.

Serwinowski has answered the bell, making 19 starts in 2026 and logging just south of 90 innings pitched so far this season. The strikeout numbers (11.17 K/9) are impressive, but the walks (4.97 BB/9) are haunting the 22-year-old. Serwinowski is Rule 5 eligible this winter, and it'll be interesting to see if he's added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster.

Kenya Huggins, Athletics pitching prospect

Huggins never advanced past Low-A during his time in the Reds' organization. The club's fourth-round pick in 2022, Huggins was being developed as a starter, but never produced a high number of strikeouts. Before last year's deadline deal, the righty owned a 3.69 ERA across 63⅓ innings while pitching in 18 games, but was punching out just over 22% of the batters he faced.

Now with the A's, the strikeout numbers have remained about the same (22.8% K rate), but the walks have also increased (12.6% BB rate). Opposing batters at Double-A are hitting nearly .300 against Huggins, and his 6.82 ERA is somewhat unsightly. Huggins, like Serwinowski, is Rule 5 eligible this coming winter.

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