1 huge mistake the Reds cannot make at the MLB trade deadline

July is bound to be an exciting time for Reds fans. Despite dropping four straight to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cincinnati Reds remain in contention in the NL Central and are chasing a playoff bid in what most fans thought was going to be a rebuilding year.

There's two weeks to go until the MLB trade deadline, and for the first time in a long time, the Reds are interested in buying rather selling. This will be a welcome change for Reds Country who've seen stars like Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Eugenio Suarez traded away over the past year-plus.

According to Jon Morori or MLB Network, the Reds have been in contact with other teams regarding starting pitching among other things. But with all this excitement, Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds front office needs to avoid making a huge mistake just because they happen to be ahead of schedule.

The Reds cannot make this huge mistake at the MLB trade deadline.

The biggest mistake that the Cincinnati Reds can make at the MLB trade deadline is overpaying for a rental player. For those who don't know, a rental player is one who'll be a free agent at the end of the season.

In essence, teams looking to acquire a player for the stretch run through August and September only to see said player enter free agency after the season are sacrificing what could be a lot, in terms of prospect capital, in exchange for two month's worth of player.

In the Reds case, this would mean trading away a top-tier prospect in exchange for two months of a starting pitcher. While the Reds could certainly use an extra starter, is it worth giving up on a young player like Edwin Arroyo, Connor Phillips, or Rece Hinds?

There's been a proposed trade making it's round through social media, centered around the Cincinnati Reds acquiring Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito. The proposal saw Cincinnati sending Chase Petty, Yerlin Confidan, and Javyien Sandrige to Chicago in exchange for Giolito.

The only way a trade like this makes sense is if Giolito signs a contract extension the second he comes to Cincinnati. Because that's highly unlikely, such a deal does not make any sense.

Last year, the Reds were on the winning side of a severe overpay after landing Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, and Steve Hajjar for Tyler Mahle. Nick Krall also fleeced the New York Mets after securing the services of Jose Acuña and Hector Rodriguez for two months of Tyler Naquin.

Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds front office do not want to be on the other side of such a trade, so the one mistake this organization cannot make at the MLB trade deadline is to overpay for a rental.