Nick Krall reveals absurd asking price for the trade deadline rentals Reds' fans wanted so badly

Does everyone remember August 1st of this year? Come on, it wasn't that long ago. The Cincinnati Reds were 59-50 and leading the NL Central by a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers.

At that time, there was a huge contigent of Reds fans who were screaming for then-GM Nick Krall to make a move or two at the MLB trade deadline and bolster Cincinnati's starting rotation for the stretch run.

As it turns out, those fans were right. The Reds didn't have enough juice to get through the dog days of summer, went 23-30 down the stretch, and missed out on the MLB Postseason.

Nick Krall reveals absurd asking price for the trade deadline rentals

But, would those same fans, who wanted the Cincinnati Reds to add a starter or two so badly, have been willing to sacrifice some of the team's top talent for short-term gain?

In a Q&A with Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall revealed the absurd asking price for some of those MLB trade deadline rentals.

According to Krall, "Just about everybody asked for Connor Phillips." Whoa! Wait a minute. Teams were asking for the Reds to give up on six-plus years of their best pitching prospect in exchange for a rental? That's nuts!

Krall also said, "People were asking for Matt McLain and Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. I’m not kidding. A team asked us for Andrew Abbott for a rental.”

So, how we feeling, Reds Country? Was a postseason date with the Milwaukee Brewers, a team who won 10 of 13 games agains the Cincinnati Reds in 2023, worth giving up on player like Encarnacion-Strand or Spencer Steer?

Would you have sacrificed a potential frontline starter line Phillips or Abbott for the chance to land a pitcher like Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, or Jack Flaherty for the last two months of the season? I didn't think so.

Look, I get it. Everyone throughout Reds Country was excited to see a good team on the field. The crowds at Great American Ball Park reflected the way the entire fanbase felt. The Cincinnati faithful was thrilled to see winning baseball return to the Queen City.

But in order to build a consistent winner in Major League Baseball, you've got to have deep pockets or you have to draft and develop your own homegrown talent. Every Reds fan knows that the ownership group isn't one to spend lots of money, so that only leaves one way for Cincinnati to get back on top.

For the first time in a long time, it feels like the Cincinnati Reds ownership, front office, coaching staff, and players are all on the same page. It's time for the fanbase to join them. And I know that everybody hates this word, but it's going to take patience.