Former Reds trade deadline pickup offers timely reminder that every deal is a gamble

The Cincinnati Reds were obvious sellers at the 2022 trade deadline. The Reds' front office had already offloaded Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Amir Garrett before the season even began. They then doubled down on that strategy at the August 2 deadline.

Luis Castillo was one of the first dominos to fall that summer. The Reds traded their ace to the Seattle Mariners for a package that included Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. Fellow starter Tyler Mahle was shipped to the Minnesota Twins just days later for Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Steve Hajjar. Cincinnati even found a taker for outfielder Tommy Pham.

But amidst all the high-profile trades at the 2022 deadline, the Reds also pulled off two under-the-radar deals. Cincinnati shipped outfielder Tyler Naquin to the New York Mets in exchange for two lower-level prospects — more on those two later — and they were also able to move breakout bat Brandon Drury in a deadline deal with the San Diego Padres.

The Reds traded Drury to the Friars in exchange for shortstop prospect Victor Acosta. A top-10 organizational prospect for the Padres at the time, Acosta was a highly-touted international signee who had only played in 32 professional games stateside prior to the trade, but was lauded for his contact skills and athletic ability.

Since coming to the Reds' organization, however, Acosta has failed to make his mark. Now four years removed from the trade, the 22-year-old has yet to move past High-A, and in 41 games this season, he's hitting just .230/.324/.385 with an 82 wRC+.

But on Thursday night, Acosta had one of the best games of his young minor-league career. He went 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run in the Dayton Dragons' 5-3 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels. It was the first time all season he's had multiple hits in back-to-back games.

Acosta deserves plenty of recognition for his accomplishments, but by and large, he's been a disappointment to this point in his career. He's never hit for power, and his best performance came back in 2023 with the Daytona Tortugas when he posted a .251/.364/.354 slash line over 100 games.

Reds' under-the-radar deadline deal with Mets could be one of their best

While Cincinnati's 2022 deadline deal with the Padres has yet to produce much in return, the Reds' trade with the Mets is still haunting the folks in Queens to this day. The Reds were able to nab outfield prospect Héctor Rodríguez and pitcher José Acuña at the deadline, and both players could be big-league contributors as soon as next month.

By now, Reds fans know all about Rodríguez. Reds' rookie Sal Stewart praised the young outfielder at All-Star Media Day earlier this month, and Rodríguez now on the cusp of making his Major League debut. The Reds' approach at the upcoming deadline could affect the outfielder's timeline, but there's a chance he'll be on the active roster by August.

Acuña isn't a name that every fan knows, but he's now on the doorstep of the big leagues after being promoted to Triple-A Louisville in early-July. On the year, the right-hander owns a 3.87 ERA with 102 punch outs over 100 innings pitched. As the season winds down, don't be shocked if Acuña is called upon to cover some innings during the month of September.

Every deal teams make at the trade deadline is a gamble. Even those that look like an absolute haul at the time — the Luis Castillo deal, for example — can turn into a nothing burger down the road. Reds fans are eager to see how the 2026 trade deadline plays out, though the results may not be known for a few years.

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