Forgotten Reds' signing could make Nathaniel Lowe expendable at the trade deadline

It's unclear at this moment in time whether or not the Cincinnati Reds will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, but if they do decide to sell, they could have a huge chip on their hands. Nathaniel Lowe has been a huge boost to the lineup, and could be a highly sought-after asset as a key left-handed power bat. He's a gamble that really paid off for the Reds.

The rest of baseball missed him, as he was forced to settle for a minor league deal with Cincinnati in mid-February. Now, Jeff Passan ranks him as one of the league's top 100 trade chips, coming in at No. 45. Quite the turnaround!

Of course, if the Reds traded away Lowe, they'd end up with a void in the lineup again. Could another minor league free agent signing, and an even deeper cut, provide the answer? That could be the case with former Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia potentially serving as Nathaniel Lowe 2.0.

Michael Toglia's emergence could allow the Reds to capitalize on Nathaniel Lowe's trade value

Michael Toglia was a 2019 first-round pick for Colorado out of UCLA. At 6-foot-5, 226 pounds, he's an imposing figure and once topped out as the Rockies' No. 3 prospect. However, over parts of four MLB seasons, he never could establish himself.

Toglia bottomed out last year with a .190/.258/.353 line and a ghastly 39.2% strikeout rate over 337 plate appearances, leading to the switch-hitter's release from the MLB's most hopeless franchise.

However, he'd join the Reds organization via a minor league contract, and down in Louisville, he's raking, and has nearly 20 home runs in less than 80 games. In addition to the power, he's walked an eye-popping 14.2% of the time with a more manageable 26.1% strikeout rate.

Toglia has been extremely enthusiastic about being a part of the Reds organization, and the feeling is mutual. He told Louisville Bats reporter Ben Teitel, "The Reds were really excited about me in the offseason, and I felt that energy right away. I feel that every team can use slug, and that’s something I bring to the table, along with good defense at first. I felt like this was a good thing for me.”

He's proven that he can hit for power outside of the friendly confines of the Mile High altitude and the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this year, and his approach to hitting is both simple and delightful.

“I think the best way to walk is to slug,” Toglia explained. “You have to scare the pitchers out of the zone. That’s the only way you’re gonna walk. If they’re throwing me homers, I've got to take them. If they’re throwing me walks, I've got to take them.”

Great American Ball Park is a great place to hit homers, and with a mentality like that, he'd seem to be a perfect fit. His major league performance, of course, says otherwise, but Lowe's performance last year said no one should touch him with a ten-foot pole, yet the Reds are glad that they did.

Even if Cincinnati doesn't pack it in completely, it might be worth seeing what it can get if it dangled Lowe on the trade block. If someone is willing to drastically overpay, it might be worth exploring a deal and giving Toglia a shot. If everything broke right, they'd end up getting a nice haul with no drop off in current production. It'd be a gamble for sure, but sometimes you've got to take a calculated risk.

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