Former GM puts forth absolutely asinine Reds-Rays trade package for Tyler Glasnow

Somebody needs to check Jim Bowden's temperature because he's not well. The former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM, who is now a contributor for The Athletic (subscription required), just put forth one of the worst trade packages imaginable.

Bowden outlined six big trades that he'd like to see happen at this year's MLB Winter Meetings and among them was a deal between the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.

That idea, in and of itself, is not the problem. The Reds need a frontline starter and the Rays are trying to offload Glasnow who's in the final year of a contract that will pay him $25 million this season. But the outrageously preposterous return that Bowden outlined is just plain absurd.

Asinine Reds-Rays trade package for Tyler Glasnow includes Connor Phillips and more

In his proposal, Jim Bowden believes that in order for the Cincinnati Reds swing a trade for Tyler Glasnow, Nick Krall would have to surrender Connor Phillips along with either Graham Ashcraft or Nick Lodolo and one of Cam Collier or Sal Stewart.

To call this trade proposal laughable is an insult to humor itself. If the Reds came anywhere close to meeting those so-called demands, Krall would join Bowden as a writer at The Athletic becasue he'd be run out of Cincinnati as the team's president of baseball operations.

Let's pick this apart piece-by-piece. Any one of those players by himself should be enough to secure Glasnow's services. That's not undervaluing Glasnow at all. But let's be real, Glasnow has never eclipsed 150 innings pitched in his career, is coming off an early-season injury in 2023, is owed $25 million, and will be a free agent next winter.

Glasnow is an injury-prone rental for goodness sakes. A team is not going to give up 40-percent of their would-be 2025 starting rotation for the off-chance that Glasnow becomes that healthy, reliable ace that Cincinanti is looking for.

Now, could the Reds afford to part with one of Lodolo or Phillips or Collier in exchange for Glasnow? Sure, and the fanbase wouldn't really bat an eye. But to give up three players, all of whom except for Ashcraft and Stewart, have appeared as a Top 100 prospect over the past three years, is downright asinine.