Dane Myers just revealed Reds' biggest strength that Nick Krall keeps abandoning

In case you missed it, Cincinnati Reds centerfielder Dane Myers made a spectacular catch as he crashed into the outfield wall to secure the final out of Tuesday's nightcap against the Cleveland Guardians.

Petey Halpin's deep fly ball in the ninth inning looked like trouble off the bat, and while it wasn't going to clear the fence, it would've at least resulted in an RBI double.

Instead, Myers brought the ball into his glove, crashed into the wall, and then proceeded to celebrate with Noelvi Marte — a player who knows a thing of two about game-saving catches — as the Reds split the day-night doubleheader with the Guardians.

Myers was a sneaky-good addition who has flown under the radar this season. The Reds dealt outfield prospect Ethan O'Donnell to the Miami Marlins this past winter in exchange for the fearless outfielder. This season, O'Donnell is hitting just .224/.347/.300 in the Marlins' minor leagues, while Myers has turned into a defensive dynamo and has shined against left-handed pitching all season.

The Myers' acquisition might be the latest example of Nick Krall and the Reds front office making a low-key, but effective trade. Frankly, it's these types of moves Cincinnati should focus on at this year's trade deadline, and it's the same approach they should employ moving forward.

Nick Krall & the Reds never find success with bold roster moves

Every time the Reds step outside their comfort zone, they get crushed. In free agency, look no further than the contracts handed out to Mike Moustakas (four years, $64 million), Shogo Akiyama (three years, $21 million), Jeimer Candelario (three years, $45 million), and Eugenio Suárez (one year, $15 million).

But the Reds have excelled when the price tag isn't exorbitant. Brandon Drury (2022), Ian Gibaut and Buck Farmer (2023), Nick Martinez and Brent Suter (2024), Scott Barlow (2025), and Nathaniel Lowe (2026) are all examples of those who've more than exceeded expectations (while operating on a small salary) during their time with the Reds.

The Reds haven't made many blockbuster trades since Krall's been in charge, but the Luis Castillo looks worse and worse with each passing day. Cincinnati's former ace has seen a downturn in production this season, but the Reds' return (Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Levi Stoudt, and Andrew Moore) has been woefully disappointing.

That same summer, however, Cincinnati traded Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins. That deal didn't have the same fanfare as moving Castillo, but Krall was able to extract much better value with the additions of Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Most fans now abhor last year's deadline move to acquire Gold Glove Award-winner Ke'Bryan Hayes, but the lesser-known move in 2022 that brought in Héctor Rodríguez and Jose Acuña can't be seen as anything other than a win.

In other words, when the Krall and the Reds front office go for broke and try to make a headline-grabbing move, it oftentimes backfires in their faces. But when Cincinnati's braintrust make prudent, albeit relatively small trades and signings, they usually work out pretty well.

The Reds should stick to what's working and continue to make small, but meaningful trades and signings while developing their talent from inside the organization.

Every time the Reds try to compete with the big boys, they get cut right back down to size. But those small market teams with an identity — the Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays — know who they are, and have figured out how to stay in the conservation. The Reds would do well to take a similar approach.

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