Reds dodged ill-advised Marlins trade thanks to Orioles' overpay

The Cincinnati Reds did little-to-no adding at this year's MLB trade deadline. Yes, Cincinnati added reliever Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer, but to so, the Reds parted ways with their Opening Day starter Frankie Montas.

But according to recent reports, the Reds and Miami Marlins nearly came together on a deal that would have sent left-handed starter Trevor Rogers to the Queen City. Instead, the Baltimore Orioles outbid, and arguably overbid, for Rogers' services. Baltimore sent Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to Miami.

In addition to the deal that was accepted, the Orioles reportedly had offers on the table from the Reds and the New York Mets. The Reds are said to have have offered one of their top pitching prospects, but the Fish preferred the O's offer.

Reds dodged ill-advised Marlins trade thanks to Orioles' overpay

Many Reds fans will remember that Rogers's performance in 2021 was what kept Jonathan India from being named the unanimous winner of the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Rogers finished that season going 7-8 in 25 starts for the Marlins with a 2.64 ERA and 2.55 FIP. Rogers logged 133 innings that year and posted an impressive 28.5% strikeout rate.

But since that season, Rogers hasn't lived up to his Rookie of the Year runner-up status. Over the past three seasons, Rogers' strikeout rate has dipped to 20.3% in just 49 starts. Rogers missed all but four games in 2023 and owns a 5.02 ERA since 2022 with a 4.41 FIP.

Considering that it sounds as if the Reds would have surrendered a player like Rhett Lowder or Chase Petty, it's a good thing that Krall and Co. didn't make this trade at last week's deadline. One of the hallmarks of this Reds' franchise at the moment is the group of successful starting pitchers being developed in the minor leagues.

Hunter Greene is making a run at the NL Cy Young after his first All-Star season and the duo of Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo are forming a solid punch in the middle of the rotation. If Lowder and Petty develop along with first-round pick Chase Burns, the Reds could have a formidable starting staff for years to come. Cincinnati also has injured starter Brandon Williamson on the 60-day IL and Julian Aguiar at Triple-A.

If the Reds needed anything at this year's deadline, it was hitting. The Reds rank 28th in Major League Baseball in batting average and 19th in OPS. The Reds' bats, not their arms, have held the team back this season.

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