3 ways the Cincinnati Reds can win the trade deadline

In sports, there are winners and losers. Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Reds have been doing a lot more losing than winning of late. But, if the Redlegs make the right moves at the trade deadline, they can emerge as the big winners and accelerate the team's rebuild heading into next season.

Fans throughout Reds Country know that Cincinnati will indeed be sellers at the trade deadline. Aside from the now-available All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, the Reds have the most sought-after trade target in starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

The Reds also have some players on one-year deals who are playing quite well this season. Brandon Drury, Tommy Pham, and Tyler Naquin could all be on the move in the next couple of weeks. So how can the Cincinnati Reds become winners at this year's trade deadline?

1. The Reds must be patient and trade Luis Castillo for the best package of prospects available.

I know that Reds fans are tired of hearing the word prospect, but that's where the team at this point in time. I'll also remind you that at one point, Luis Castillo was a top prospect in the Cincinnati farm system. So were Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson; both of whom look to be key pieces of the organization moving forward.

The bottom line is this; the Reds need to get as much in return for Luis Castillo as possible. I know that sounds rather elementary, so let me expand on that thought just a bit. The Reds cannot worry about what team they're negotiating with. I don't care if it's the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, or even the St. Louis Cardinals. Whoever offers the best return - take it.

Whether the Reds are looking for quality or quantity is irrelevant. The Reds No. 1 goal during trade discussions is to get the best package of prospects available. If that's two Top 100 prospects, so be it. If it's four prospects from a deep farm system, that's fine too. But there's no reason to jump at the first offer. The longer this goes on, the more desperate teams will become.

I'd also caution fans not to overreact to the return. There's a chance that the best player from this offseason's trade with the Seattle Mariners could be the player to be named later; right-hander Connor Phillips. Phillips dominated at High-A this season and is now getting his feet wet at the Double-A level.