MLB insider ties Reds to surprise name they can't ignore

With roughly five weeks remaining before the MLB trade deadline, Cincinnati Reds fans have justifiably focused their attention on hitters. The team's starting rotation is among the best in the National League, but the same cannot be said for the Reds lineup.

However, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand believes Nick Krall and the Reds front office will go in another direction before the July 31 deadline. Feinsand recently projected numerous players who could be on the move at the 2025 trade deadline, and listed the Reds as a potential fit for Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jake Bird.

Bird, a 29-year-old right hander, has authored an incredible season thus far. While pitching in the hitter's paradise of Coors Field, he's posted a 2.06 ERA and a 227 ERA+. No MLB reliever with more than 40 innings pitched has a better mark, and only six with at least 30 innings pitched top that figure. Bird, who becomes arbitration-eligible next year, also fits the Reds from a financial perspective.

MLB insider ties Reds to Rockies reliever Jake Bird

If Bird were added to Cincinnati's roster, he'd immediately join Emilio Pagán as the best strikeout pitcher in the Reds bullpen. It's easy to imagine Bird following a strong start as part of the bridge to the duo of Pagán and Tony Santillan.

That will only be possible, though, if the Reds outbid other teams — including the likes of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies — all of whom Feinsand mentioned as possible suitors for Bird as well.

A good bullpen can be a great equalizer in the postseason. The Detroit Tigers showed as much in 2024, when they eliminated the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch utilized eight different relievers against the Astros. Together, they allowed just eight hits and three runs across 12 innings (2.25 ERA).

The best time to negotiate a deal is when you don't have to do so alongside other parties. If the Reds believe Bird can help them not only reach the playoffs, but advance, they should get the Rockies on the phone and hammer out a trade sooner than later.

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