Jeff Passan overlooked one popular Reds' trade asset (and for good reason)

ESPN insider Jeff Passan recently put together a list of the top-100 trade candiates heading into this year's deadline. Given the Cincinnati Reds' win-loss record at the moment, it wasn't surprising to see names like Nathaniel Lowe, Brady Singer, and Brock Burke listed among those players who could be moved before August 3.

But sometimes it's more about the names you don't see rather than the ones you do. Reds outfielder JJ Bleday was absent from Passan's top-100 list, and with good reason. While Cincinnati could undoubtedly shop Bleday this summer — and likely receive a wealth of talented prospects in return — he's much too valuable to the organization's long-term future.

Don't look for the Reds to trade JJ Bleday at the deadline

Passan's counterpart Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently cited Bleday as a trade deadline candidate whose stock is rising. He called the Reds outfielder an appealing trade chip if Cincinnati becomes a seller at this year's deadline.

Feinsand has a point, obviously. Bleday has been a revelation for a Reds' lineup that desperately needed some thump at the top. Despite being kept in the minor leagues for the for the first month of the 2026 season, Bleday is hitting .268/.370/.579 with 13 home runs and his advanced metrics are off the charts.

But Bleday gives Cincinnati something they crave — long-term security on a cost-effective contract. He's under team control for a few more seasons after signing for just $1.4 million this past winter. Bleday won't reach free agency until after the 2028 campaign. He'll be eligible to receive a raise through arbitration this coming winter, but it'll hardly match the value he's brought to the team this season.

The Reds have been searching for an outfield power bat ever since Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos left in 2022. Don't think for one second that they'll so flippantly trade away Bleday for a handful of unknown prospects when he's still arbitration eligible for two more years.

The Reds didn't even trade former outfielder Tyler Naquin until he was two months away from becoming a free agent in 2022, so the idea that they'd be willing to part with Bleday this summer is pure nonsense.

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