Reds set to get up-close and personal view of prime trade candidate ahead of deadline

The Cincinnati Reds will look to end the first-half of the 2024 season with a winning homestand. After visits from the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies, the Reds will welcome the Miami Marlins to Great American Ball Park on Friday night.

Much like the aforementioned Tigers and Rockies, the Marlins will definitely be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. Miami has one of the worst records in the league this season and a number of Marlins players will likely have new addresses after July 30th.

Among them will be Jazz Chisholm Jr. The fiery, young Marlins outfielder will put his tools on full display during the upcoming series. Whether he'll actually be auditioning for the Reds during the three games in the Queen City is another story.

Reds to get up-close look at Marlins CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. ahead of MLB trade deadline

Could the Reds use a player like Chisholm on the roster? Well, that depends on who you ask. Obviously, if the Reds are intent on making any additions at the MLB trade deadline, one would assume they'd be looking for an upgrade to the lineup. Chisholm is hitting .256/.325/.414 with 11 home runs. The Marlins' centerfielder also has 18 stolen bases on the season.

But most of Chisholm's advanced metrics don't necessarily offer a lot of hope beyond the box score. According to Baseball Savant, Chisholm ranks in the bottom-third of the league in hard hit rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate. When you're looking to boost your offensive production, more times than not you're looking for a player who offers a better profile than what Chisholm brings to the table.

Yes, he's fast, ranking among the 81st percentile in sprint speed. But the Reds have five players on the team who are faster than Chisholm. The 26-year-old's defense is also questionable with -1 outs above average and -6 defensive runs saved (DRS).

With TJ Friedl on the mend and likely to return before the end of July, adding Chisholm to the roster seems rather unnecessary and could even be considered a mistake. That's not to say Cincinnati shouldn't be looking to buy at the deadline, but Chisholm doesn't seem like the right fit.

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