MLB insider hits the nail on the head with Reds' top trade chip

This offseason, it feels like the Cincinnati Reds have been in the middle of several predictions, guesses, and rumors. For a team with a lackluster finish in the 2024 season, this is a good thing. It means that the Reds are making the effort to turn the ship around and hopefully contend for a playoff spot in the near future.

The Reds signed Terry Francona to be their next manager and more recently traded for right-handed starting pitcher Brady Singer. These are two tremendous starting points to get Cincinnati in a position to win, but it can't stop there. The Reds have a major trade chip to use this winter, but it could be rather controversial.

Closer Alexis Díaz is the Reds' top trade chip

Mark Feinsand of MLB Network is calling Alexis Díaz the Reds' biggest trade candidate this winter. The 28-year-old has registered 65 saves over the past two seasons, and received an All-Star nod in 2023.

Díaz has been one of the better relievers in the league since his MLB debut, which could pique the interest of playoff-level teams looking to fortify the backend of their bullpen. This is a potential trade option that the Reds need to consider in order to bolster other areas of their roster, specifically some additional starting pitching or an extra outfielder.

Though it may difficult to bid farewell to Díaz, this is the type of sacrifice the Reds might need to make if they want to actually improve the roster. Some believe that Graham Ashcraft might move from the starting rotation to the bullpen, so he could be a good option to become Cincinnati's closer if the Reds deal Díaz elsewhere. Ashcraft is predominantly a cutter-slider pitcher, so his two-pitch arsenal could work well as a ninth-inning slot.

It's difficult for baseball fans to keep up with all of the rumors throughout the offseason, and there's been nothing linking Díaz to an actual trade this offseason (so far). But perhaps it's something Nick Kral and the Reds front office should think about. The Reds are in a position to make the team better, and unfortunately, it might just start with trading away their best reliever.

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