3 hypothetical Reds trade packages for Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber

3. Reds send promising prospect and pick to Guardians for Shane Bieber

Jay Allen was taken with the Compensatory Draft pick the Cincinnati Reds received in 2021 after losing former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Trevor Bauer to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.

How ironic would it be for the Reds and Guardians to agree to another trade involving a Cy Young pitcher and that draft pick? Allen has amazing raw tools, but is still several years away from making an impact at the major league level. This high-upside outfielder could help the Reds secure Shane Bieber in a trade.

But Allen alone wouldn't be enough. Though the former three-sport athlete has unbelievable attributes, he's still just 21 years old and far from a finished product. Perhaps adding a draft pick would push the Guardians to make a deal.

While MLB rules stipulate that teams cannot trade draft picks, Competitive Balance Picks are a different story entirely. The Cincinnati Reds traded former prospect Shed Long and their Competitive Balance Draft pick to the New York Yankees in exchange for Sonny Gray and Reiver Sanmartin in 2019.

If Cleveland were to keep Shane Bieber heading into 2024 and lose him during free agency the following offseason, it's likely the team would recoup a Compensatory Pick if the Guardians extended a Qualifying Offer to the former Cy Young-Award winner.

Maybe a former top draft choice in Jay Allen and an additional one of their own choosing would be enough to sway Cleveland to part ways with Bieber.