2 starting pitchers the Reds should target at the trade deadline & 2 they should avoid

Reds should not target Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez in a potential trade

Speaking of the Detroit Tigers, another one of their top starters could be on the move at the trade deadline as well. Eduardo Rodriguez, who's currently on the IL after suffering a finger injury earlier this month.

Now, this injury is not a blister or anything relatively simple, but rather a ruptured pulley. In short, the pulley attaches to a tendon in the finger meaning hat Rodriguez's ability to grip the baseball is in question.

The recovery timeline for this injury is extremely variable. Are the Tigers hoping to have E-Rod back in a month? Two months? Longer? This uncertainty, more than anything else, should give Nick Krall and the entire Reds front office cause to pause before swinging a trade with Detroit for Rodriguez.

At 30 years old, Rodriguez is also signed a five-year/$77-million contract last offseason. While the contract, according to Spotrac, maintains an opt-out for Rodriguez should he choose to exercise it after the season, it still contains nearly $50-million of guaranteed money.

While Eduardo Rodriguez could be on the trade block, the risk far outweighs the reward in this instance. Even if Rodriguez returns to health prior to the trade deadline, this is a bidding war that the Reds should bow out of before it even begins.