Cubs' top trade candidate (not Cody Bellinger) would be incredible addition for Reds

Intra-divisional trades don't happen often, but on occasion, two rivals can find common ground and execute a swap. The Cincinnati Reds traded Jeff Brantley to the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1997 for Dmitri Young. This past summer Reds fans saw Cincinnati deal Frankie Montas to the Milwaukee Brewers for Joey Wiemer and Jakob Junis. So while it's uncommon, it's not impossible.

And given the Chicago Cubs' desire to part company with one of their two biggest stars, the Reds should at least make an inquiry. While Cody Bellinger's name has been rather popular this offseason, his salary and positional fit isn't exactly what the Reds are looking for. Seiya Suzuki, on the other hand, could be the perfect fit for the Reds.

Reds should contact Cubs about top trade candidate (not Cody Bellinger)

The Cubs are reportedly shopping Bellinger AND Suzuki. Both players have hefty salaries heading into next season. This shouldn't be seen as a rebuild on the part of the North Siders, but Chicago is attempting to shed payroll in order to reallocate their resources.

Though Bellinger's bat looks good in almost any lineup, the former NL MVP took a step back last season after posting monster numbers in 2023. Suzuki, however, had arguably the best season of his big league career with a .283/.366/.482 slash line and 21 home runs. Sukuzki's .484 OPS and 138 OPS were both career-highs.

The 30-year-old is still under contract for two more seasons with an average annual value (AAV) of $18 million. The Reds payroll is sitting well below $100 million, and trying to find a player with Suzuki's track record on the open market at the $36 million he has remaining on his current deal will be next to impossible.

Goodness knows what it would actually take to pry Suzuki away from Chicago, and the Cubs will likely prioritize dealing Bellinger first. But if the Cubbies fail to find a takers for the former NL MVP, Reds' President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall should definitely inquire about Suzuki's availability.

The Reds have an abundance of assets and have failed time and time again developing young outfielders. Suzuki fits the mold of what the Reds are looking for (a right-handed hitting outfielder with power), and while it can be uncomfortable to trade within your division, Cincinnati can't afford to continually drag their feet.

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