MLB mock draft gives Reds needed outfield help at the worst possible time

The addition of JJ Bleday has certainly been a surprising revelation for the Cincinnati Reds this season. But if you remove the former Athletics' slugger from the equation, the Reds' outfield has arguably been the biggest weakness on this year's team.

Blake Dunn and Dane Myers are both above-average defenders, but neither is a starting caliber outfielder. Spencer Steer is a fill-in, Noelvi Marte has yet to adapt to his new role, and both Will Benson and TJ Friedl have been disappointments this season.

For all those reasons, one can assume that most Reds fans would love the notion of the organization selecting an outfielder in Round 1 of the upcoming MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline's latest mock draft has Cincinnati going with Trevor Condon out of Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia.

There's a lot to like about the Tennessee commit. He's 5-foot-11 with an above-average hit tool and blazing speed. He can cover plenty of ground and most scouts assume he'll stick in center field, which is a position the Reds have been desperate to fill for what seems like forever.

The Reds need to think about the immediate future

But there's a problem. Condon is just 18 years old, and as most baseball fans know, high school prospects can take a long, long time to develop into the player that organizations assume they can become.

Former Reds' first round pick Austin Hendrick, who was drafted in 2020, has failed to find his footing in the minors and finally made it to Triple-A earlier this year. Some wonder if he'll ever make it to the big leagues, and that can oftentimes be the fate for many prep players.

The Reds, despite their sub-.500 record this season, are in win-now mode. They have a Hall of Fame-caliber manager at the helm, and a once-in-a-generation superstar under team control for just three more seasons. Cincinnati cannot afford to waste a first-round pick on a talent that might take four or five years to develop.

Instead, the Reds should be focusing on college arms (or outfielders) who can be fast-tracked through the team's farm system and make it to The Show before Elly De La Cruz (likely) leaves via free agency.

The Reds selected prep infielder Steele Hall last year, and so far, he's been as advertised. But Cincinnati cannot afford to use their first round selection to take high school players in back-to-back drafts. There's just too much at stake during the next three seasons for the Reds' brass to think too far into the future when the roster has so many immediate needs.

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