3 players the Cincinnati Reds should trade prior to the 2022 season but won't

3. The Reds should trade Mike Moustakas, but they won't.

This trade idea isn't as much about the Reds desire to keep Mike Moustakas in Cincinnati, but rather the rest of the leagues desire not to take on his massive contract. Moose signed a four-year/$64M contract prior to the 2020 season, and that deal has yet to yield positive results.

Moustakas has fallen victim to the injury bug of late, and hopefully the 33-year-old is healthy heading into the 2022 season. The addition of the designated hitter to the National League should help Moustakas maintain an everyday spot in David Bell's lineup.

But, while a healthy Mike Moustakas has the potential to be a force in the middle of the Cincinnati batting order, the Reds should be looking to trade the three-time All-Star prior to the start of the 2022 season.

I know what you're thinking; who would be the Reds DH in 2022? Frankly, I don't care if trading Moose allows the club to get out from underneath the remaining two years and $38M the Reds owe the former Kansas City Royals third baseman.

The hard truth is, if the Reds really do want to move on from Moustakas and that gargantuan payday, it's going to cost them. The Reds would either have to eat some of the cost or attach a prospect or two to any potential deal involving Moustakas. After doing that with Homer Bailey, back in 2018, it's highly unlikely we'll see that again from the Reds anytime soon.

Nope, you might as well pencil in Mike Moustakas as the Cincinnati Reds designated hitter for the next two seasons. Now, if Moose returns to form and is the same player that posted a wRC+ of 109 and a 5.2 fWAR from 2018-2019, then that contract doesn't look all that bad.