One stubborn Reds habit could derail another trade deadline

Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall gave a somewhat vailed response — as he's known to do — when asked about the team's plans for the upcoming trade deadline.

In a recent interview with Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer (subscription required), Krall said, “It’s wait and see. Let’s see how we play. Hopefully we’re gonna get some guys back in the coming weeks and see what we look like. We’ve gotta win some games though. We’ve just gotta play a little better and win some games.”

Same song, 37th verse, right Reds fans? This line of thinking from the Reds front office — and ownership group — has been the standard operating procedure each and every summer since the club sold off all their assets in 2022.

Reds' refusal to pick a lane at the MLB trade deadline has cost them dearly

In 2023, the Reds were leading the National League Central with a record of 59-50 at the time of the trade deadline, but added just one player. Cincinnati shipped right-hander pitching prospect Joe Boyle to the Oakland Athletics for left-handed reliever Sam Moll. The Reds missed the playoffs and finished the season with a record of 82-80.

At the 2024 deadline, Cincinnati was three games below .500 (52-55) and five games back of the final Wild Card spot. Not wanting to blow it up, the Reds traded away Frankie Montas and Lucas Sims, and in return brought back Jakob Junis, Joey Wiemer, and Ovis Portes. David Bell was fired with a week left in the season, and Cincy ended the year with a 77-85 record.

Last summer, the Reds saw an opportunity to upgrade the roster and made some bolder moves than they typically do at the deadline. Cincinnati added Ke'Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and Miguel Andujar while giving up a few high-upside prospects in return. The Redlegs backed into the playoffs and were ousted after just two games by the eventual World Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Based on Krall's comments, if the Reds don't turn the ship around, this year's deadline could look a lot like it did in 2024. Obviously the Reds' core — Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene, Chase Burns, and Sal Stewart — will remain intact. Even some of their ancillary assets like Spencer Steer, JJ Bleday, and Emilio Pagán are unlikely to be moved.

But players like Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suárez, Pierce Johnson, Brock Burke, Tyler Stephenson, Caleb Ferguson, and Brady Singer could all have a new address after August 3 if Cincinnati falls out of playoff contention.

On the flip side, if the Reds suddenly flip the switch and are jockeying for postseason positioning when the deadline rolls around, you might see the front office make some minor additions.

Either way, the Reds are in the weird (and undesirable) position where they're too good to sell, but not good enough to buy. The organization has been stuck in this predicament for the last several seasons, and fans will soon begin to wonder what the 2022 teardown was all about.

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